221- DO NOT MARRY THE DISBELIEVING WOMEN UNTIL THEY BELIEVE, FOR A BELIEVING WOMAN SLAVE (OF ALLAH) IS BETTER THAN A DISBELIEVING ONE, EVEN IF SHE ALLURES YOU. AND DO NOT MARRY THE DISBELIEVING MEN UNTILL THEY BELIEVE, FOR A BELIEVING MAN SLAVE (OF ALLAH) IS BETTER THAN A DISBELIEVING ONE, EVEN IF HE ALLURES YOU.  THOSE CALL YOU TO THE FIRE WHILE ALLAH CALLS YOU TO THE PARADISE AND FORGIVENESS, WITH HIS PERMISSION.  ALLAH IS MAKING HIS AYAHS CLEAR FOR MANKIND SO THAT THEY MAY TAKE KEED.

 This is another command and in fact, a rule and law in Islam. Allah the Highest is forbidding the Muslims men and women from marrying total disbelievers, telling us that believing men or women are better than the disbelieving ones. 

For Men: 

Allah the Highest allowed men to marry women of the people of the book i.e. Christians or Jew when He said: “TODAY ALL GOOD THINGS HAVE BEEN MADE LAWFUL FOR YOU, AND THE FOOD OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE BOOK BEFORE YOU IS LAWFUL FOR YOU, AND YOUR FOOD IS LAWFUL FOR THEM, SO ARE THE VIRTUOUS WOMEN OF THE BELIEVERS AND THE VIRTUOUS WOMEN OF THOSE WHO WERE GIVEN THE BOOK BEFORE YOU”  (S:5 A:5)

If people ask about why, say this is Allah’s decision, and Allah sees that this is best for us and Allah does not have to explain why.  The insistence here is on the women being virtuous. 

A woman of no faith does not fear her Creator, and is not likely to have respect for a man’s faith and honor or bring up her children as believers.  Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, said: “the Lower life is nothing but pleasures, and the best of its pleasures is a righteous wife”.  (M: Redae; 59 & Ma: Nekah; 5 & A: 2; 168)

Also Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, said: “A woman is being married either for her money, status, beauty or faith, win the one who has faith and you will be fortunate” (M: Redae; 54 & T: Nekah; 4 & M: Nekah; 6)

For Women:

Allah the Highest allows Muslim women to marry Muslim men; they may not marry men from the people of the book, as the above mentioned Ayah clearly states only Muslim men marrying women of the people of the book.

Men are usually the head of the household and their children follow their religion.  Therefore the children from a married Muslim man and Christian woman are usually brought up as Muslims, while the children from Christian man and Muslim woman would be brought up as Christians.

The disbelievers and idle worshipers, men or woman, call us to worship other than Allah and perhaps we are influenced by them.  We are likely to be influenced by our spouse in a marriage and certainly our children will be influence by their parents.  A disbelieving parent is going to have a negative influence on both their children and spouse.

Muslim men, marrying non Muslim women happens a great deal in non-Muslim countries.  Muslim men should be very clear before entering into such a marriage, that their children are going to be brought up as Muslims.  This is his duty and right.  Leaving the children without a clear religious direction on the understanding that they will choose when they are older is both unfair and wrong.  They need clear direction in the right way from a very young age so as to have a clear identity and understanding of the faith.

Muslim women should be very careful in marrying non-Muslim men who promise to embrace Islam in order to marry them.  Marriage is not a good reason for embracing a religion, and this reason, certainly does not reflect  real conviction or faith.  They will soon revert, and then what is going to happen, when the woman already is married to a non-Muslim and might have had children from him.  If she continues with the marriage, she is committing adultery; otherwise, she has to break up the family, which is not easy.

Following Allah’s commands leads us to His pleasure and Paradise.

B: Bukhari   M: Muslim    Mal: Malek   A: Ahmed   D: Abu Dawood     

 Da: Daremy       Ma: Ibn Magah            N: Nesae          T: Termezi