What is the ruling on marrying women from the People of the Book in our present age?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Well, our Shaykh, regarding the issue of marrying a Christian or a Jewish woman, or a woman from the People of the Book, some have said that it is permissible now. Well, in this era, and as you know, if Allah has mercy on him, a man hides a Muslim woman, so how about a disbeliever if he brings her from the lands of disbelief? What is the ruling in Islam now on marrying a disbelieving woman from the People of the Book?
The Shaykh : I say: We do not see it, we do not see it permissible for a Muslim to marry a disbelieving woman, and that is for two reasons:
The first reason: That Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the saying:
-I think it is now Dhuhr, is that not so? -
The questioner : A little bit, approximately.
The Shaykh : I mean, is there about a quarter of an hour left?
The questioner : After a quarter of an hour, the time will have entered.
The Shaykh : The point is, I say for two reasons:
The first reason: That Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed to His Prophet (peace be upon him) the saying:, so if the Messenger (peace be upon him) commands the Muslim to marry a Muslim woman known for her religiosity, then he undoubtedly does not encourage the Muslim to marry a disbelieving Jewish or Christian woman.
The second reason: That the verse which permitted marriage in the saying of the Exalted:[Al-Ma'idah 5:5], at that time there was a legitimate da'wah interest for the Muslim to marry a Jewish or Christian woman. Why?
Because the Muslim society at that time was not like our Muslim society today. The Muslim society at that time was absorbing other groups and bringing them into the religion of Allah in groups, because Islam was embodied in that society among the Muslims. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) pointed to this reality concerning his era in the well-known hadith, which is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):.
The questioner : Allah is the Greatest!
The Shaykh : They are the captives, the captives from the people of disbelief and misguidance are brought to the lands of Islam as captives, and they are slaves, dragged into Islam by chains. Of course, who enters Paradise?
The believers. So when he said:, it means when they embrace Islam, which prepares them for entering Paradise.
Does this dragging mentioned by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) occur today?
Unfortunately, no. Today, many disbelievers complain about the conditions of Muslims and their bad treatment, and so on. In that era, the status of women from the People of the Book who became wives of Muslims was much better in terms of their entry into Islam than those to whom the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) referred in the aforementioned saying:. These women who became wives of Muslims were not dragged by chains, but by consent.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : They consented to marry someone who differed from their religion, and this consent was only out of conviction, even if initial, that the religion of this husband is better than the religion of their fathers, these women. And thus, at that time, the legislative wisdom to which the Messenger referred in this hadith was very clear. But today, it is the exact opposite.
You marry a Muslim girl and barely can you drag her into your Islam and religion, so how can you drag a woman from the People of the Book, whether Jewish or Christian, into Islam? Here it becomes very clear to you when he said:. So it is not permissible now for a Muslim to marry a Christian on the pretext that Allah permitted this. Yes, our Lord permitted it, and He did not permit anything except for a wisdom that those who know it know it and those who do not know it do not know it. And we have learned it, by the grace of Allah, not by opinion, but by the text from the hadith of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): .
Then we find, in terms of reality, and this is another issue: that most foreign wives are the cause of corrupting the offspring and the family. Because as long as they have not entered Islam and as long as they have not been raised with Islamic upbringing, they will raise the offspring. And especially since the husbands, the men, do not have knowledge of Islam, enthusiasm for Islam, and religiosity to be the shepherds over the upbringing of the offspring, the matter will be most like the complaints today spoken of in some newspapers about the spread of these Sri Lankan maids who take charge of raising the children with a foreign, non-Islamic upbringing. So if this is the case with a maid, what about if she is a wife? Her corruption will be greater and greater.
Therefore, I say: This ruling in this time must be stopped, taking into account what I mentioned earlier.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And to you.
The Shaykh : I say: We do not see it, we do not see it permissible for a Muslim to marry a disbelieving woman, and that is for two reasons:
The first reason: That Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the saying:
-I think it is now Dhuhr, is that not so? -
The questioner : A little bit, approximately.
The Shaykh : I mean, is there about a quarter of an hour left?
The questioner : After a quarter of an hour, the time will have entered.
The Shaykh : The point is, I say for two reasons:
The first reason: That Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed to His Prophet (peace be upon him) the saying:
A woman is married for four things: her wealth, her beauty, her lineage, and her religion. And you should hold fast to the one with religion. May your hands be dust.
تنكح المرأة لأربع : لمالها وجمالها وحسبها ودينها ، وعليك بذات الدين تربت يداكThe second reason: That the verse which permitted marriage in the saying of the Exalted:
chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you
والمحصنات من الذين أوتوا الكتاب من قبلكمBecause the Muslim society at that time was not like our Muslim society today. The Muslim society at that time was absorbing other groups and bringing them into the religion of Allah in groups, because Islam was embodied in that society among the Muslims. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) pointed to this reality concerning his era in the well-known hadith, which is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
Indeed, your Lord is pleased with a group who are dragged into Paradise by chains.
إن ربك ليعجب مِن أقوام يُجَرون إلى الجنة بالسلاسلThe questioner : Allah is the Greatest!
The Shaykh : They are the captives, the captives from the people of disbelief and misguidance are brought to the lands of Islam as captives, and they are slaves, dragged into Islam by chains. Of course, who enters Paradise?
The believers. So when he said:
They are dragged into Paradise.
يجرون إلى الجنةDoes this dragging mentioned by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) occur today?
Unfortunately, no. Today, many disbelievers complain about the conditions of Muslims and their bad treatment, and so on. In that era, the status of women from the People of the Book who became wives of Muslims was much better in terms of their entry into Islam than those to whom the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) referred in the aforementioned saying:
Indeed, your Lord is amazed at a group of people who are dragged into Paradise in chains
إن ربك ليعجب من أقوام يجرون إلى الجنة بالسلاسلThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : They consented to marry someone who differed from their religion, and this consent was only out of conviction, even if initial, that the religion of this husband is better than the religion of their fathers, these women. And thus, at that time, the legislative wisdom to which the Messenger referred in this hadith was very clear. But today, it is the exact opposite.
You marry a Muslim girl and barely can you drag her into your Islam and religion, so how can you drag a woman from the People of the Book, whether Jewish or Christian, into Islam? Here it becomes very clear to you when he said:
So you should hold fast to the one with religion.
فعليك بذات الدينThey are dragged into Paradise by chains.
يجرون إلى الجنة بالسلاسلThen we find, in terms of reality, and this is another issue: that most foreign wives are the cause of corrupting the offspring and the family. Because as long as they have not entered Islam and as long as they have not been raised with Islamic upbringing, they will raise the offspring. And especially since the husbands, the men, do not have knowledge of Islam, enthusiasm for Islam, and religiosity to be the shepherds over the upbringing of the offspring, the matter will be most like the complaints today spoken of in some newspapers about the spread of these Sri Lankan maids who take charge of raising the children with a foreign, non-Islamic upbringing. So if this is the case with a maid, what about if she is a wife? Her corruption will be greater and greater.
Therefore, I say: This ruling in this time must be stopped, taking into account what I mentioned earlier.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And to you.