The Condition of Chastity in Marrying a Woman from the People of the Book

Question:
The questioner says: If it is permissible for a Muslim to marry a woman from the People of the Book, is it permissible for her to remain as she was, wearing short clothes, not covering herself, cutting her hair, and so on? May Allah reward you with good. And finally, thank you, Honorable Shaykh, in advance for the answer.

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. As for what follows, marriage to women from the People of the Book is permissible for Muslims, as stated by Allah the Exalted: It is permissible for you . The condition for marrying a woman from the People of the Book is that she be muhsanah, meaning she is chaste in her honor, pure in her honor, and also committed to the etiquette of modesty and the etiquette of covering. If she is of this description, it is permissible for a Muslim to marry her. However, if she is not chaste in her honor, it is not permissible for a Muslim to marry her, or if she is lax in covering, it is also not permissible for a Muslim to marry her, even if she were a Muslim woman. If a Muslim woman is lax in hijab and covering, it is not permissible for a Muslim to marry her, so how much less so a non-Muslim woman? Yes.