❖ Extracted from the book
✿ Righteousness and Chastity Are Essential Criteria in Choosing a Spouse ✿
Quranic Guidance on Spouse Selection
❀ Allah ﷻ says:
﴿الْخَبِيثَاتُ لِلْخَبِيثِينَ وَالْخَبِيثُونَ لِلْخَبِيثَاتِ ۖ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ لِلطَّيِّبِينَ وَالطَّيِّبُونَ لِلطَّيِّبَاتِ﴾
“Impure women are for impure men, and impure men are for impure women. Pure women are for pure men, and pure men are for pure women.”
Sūrah al-Nūr (24:26)❀ Allah ﷻ further states:
﴿الزَّانِي لَا يَنكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً وَالزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنكِحُهَا إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ ۚ وَحُرِّمَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾
“A man guilty of fornication will only marry a woman similarly guilty or a polytheist, and a woman guilty of fornication will only be married to a man similarly guilty or a polytheist. This is forbidden for the believers.”
Sūrah al-Nūr (24:3)❖ Scholarly Commentary
Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal رحمه الله said:Without sincere repentance, it is haram for a chaste man to marry a fornicating woman or for a chaste woman to marry a fornicating man.
Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr, vol. 2, p. 421 Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله affirmed this view and strongly refuted those who deemed such marriages permissible. Fatāwā Ibn Taymiyyah, vol. 2, pp. 61, 74 Incident of Marthad and ‘Anāq
Hadith:
عن مرثد بن أبى مرثد الغنوي …
The Companion Marthad bin Abī Marthad رضي الله عنه used to transport captives from Makkah to Madinah. A woman named ‘Anāq, who was once his acquaintance before Islam, proposed marriage to him. Marthad sought the Prophet’s ﷺ permission. The Prophet ﷺ remained silent until the following verse was revealed:
﴿وَالزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنكِحُهَا إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ﴾
“The fornicating woman is not married except by a fornicating or idolatrous man.”
The Prophet ﷺ recited this to him and said:
“Do not marry her.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ] Abū Dāwūd – Kitāb al-Nikāḥ – Chapter: On the verse: ‘The adulterer marries none but an adulteress’: 2051 Another Hadith on the Same Matter:
“A man who has received the prescribed punishment for fornication should only marry a woman like him (i.e., a fornicator).”
[Ṣaḥīḥ] Abū Dāwūd – Kitāb al-Nikāḥ – 2052❖ Note:
If a fornicator (male or female) sincerely repents, then marriage to a chaste individual becomes permissible.
Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr (vol. 3, p. 421):Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal رحمه الله said:
“The nikāḥ of a chaste man to a woman who remains a prostitute is not valid unless she repents. If she repents, then the nikāḥ is valid. Similarly, a chaste woman cannot marry a promiscuous man unless he sincerely repents.”
Hadith on Choosing a Righteous Spouse
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:
«تُنْكَحُ الْمَرْأَةُ لِأَرْبَعٍ: لِمَالِهَا، وَلِحَسَبِهَا، وَلِجَمَالِهَا، وَلِدِينِهَا، فَاظْفَرْ بِذَاتِ الدِّينِ تَرِبَتْ يَدَاكَ»
Translation:
Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“A woman is married for four reasons: for her wealth, her lineage, her beauty, and her religion. So, choose the one with religion – may your hands be rubbed with dust (i.e., may you be successful).”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī – Kitāb al-Nikāḥ – Chapter: Compatibility in Religion: 5090 | Vol. 2, p. 762◈ Summary of Key Points:
① Righteousness and chastity are fundamental criteria in Islamic spouse selection.
② Marrying a fornicating person without sincere repentance is haram.
③ Choosing a spouse based on religion leads to successful and blessed marriages.
④ Parents must seek pious, morally upright matches for their children—sons and daughters alike.
