Ruling on a Muslim man marrying a woman from the People of the Book

Question:
The first letter in this episode was sent to the program from the Republic of Sudan. Our brother began his letter with an introduction in which he said: “My brothers, the presenters of the program (Nur 'ala al-Darb), I greet you with the eternal greeting of Islam, with respect, appreciation, and gratitude—after Allah the Exalted—for your diligence, consistency, and success, with the help of Allah the Exalted, in presenting this great Islamic program; to enlighten Muslims and guide them regarding their religious and social inquiries.”
And we ask Allah to keep this program, as long as time endures, a beacon and a pulpit from which Muslim generations throughout history receive the teachings of our lenient Islamic religion, and that the honorable scholars of virtue—may Allah reward them with the best reward—remain bearers of torches of light and solvers of our religious and social problems. I commend this vibrant program and submit my questions to you to be raised and presented to the honorable scholars for the kindness of answering them, asking Allah the Exalted to reward you with good, grant you success, and keep your steps steady.
He began his questions—Your Eminence, the Shaykh—with the following: Are there any conditions for marrying a woman from the People of the Book other than the religion she professes? And what is required of a person who has sons and daughters but has not succeeded in bringing them into the Islamic religion, particularly the daughters? How is their marriage to be conducted? Are they permitted to marry non-Muslims if they wish to do so?

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has clarified the conditions considered valid in the marriage of the People of the Book, and He said: : [al-Ma'idah: 5].
Allahhas permitted us to marry the chaste women from among the People of the Book, provided we pay them their due, which is the mahr (bridal gift). A chaste woman is a free woman of good character. If a free, chaste woman from among the People of the Book is available to a Muslim, and they agree on the required mahr, which is the due, then it is permissible for him to marry her through her guardian. As far as we know, there are no other conditions, except that the believer should seek out chaste Muslim women and prioritize marrying them over chaste women from among the People of the Book. There are many reasons for this, including that it is safer for his religion, that it is safer for his offspring, and that his Muslim sisters are more deserving of chastity and kindness than the disbelieving women. For this reason, many of the Salaf (the earliest generations) disliked marrying chaste women from among the People of the Book, including 'Umar ibn al-Khattabthe Commander of the Faithful.
So my advice to you, O questioner, is not to marry a woman from the People of the Book, but to seek a chaste Muslim woman from your own religion; because that is better for you in your religion and your worldly life, better for you in the outcome, and better for your offspring—if Allah wills. But if you marry a chaste woman from the People of the Book, her children follow you; they are Muslims, whether male or female; because the child follows the better of the two parents, and the Muslim is better than the disbeliever. So if the husband is Muslim and the woman is from the People of the Book, her children follow him by virtue of his Islam, without the need to renew their Islam. And you must strive diligently to guide the children to good, and to enroll them in Islamic schools where possible, or teach them at home.
The point is: you must strive to keep them away from the evil of the disbelievers, the schemes of the disbelievers and those close to disbelievers, and their schools, except in cases of dire necessity. For they study in the schools of the disbelievers lessons that benefit them, and you should take care of them regarding religious lessons, even if through a private teacher at home, if Islamic lessons are not available for them in the school of a disbeliever in a country where Islamic lessons are not taught. And many schools have Islamic studies, even if they are in disbeliever countries.
In summary: you must strive to marry Muslim women, and if it happens that you marry a chaste woman from the People of the Book, then your children from her follow you, and their Islam is established. And you must strive to raise them with a righteous upbringing, guide them to good, and beware of everything that causes them to fall into disbelief in Allah and adopt their mother's religion. There is no power and no strength except with Allah. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. In the case where it is discovered that the children are still on their mother's religion, and they have not embraced Islam despite his attempts, are the daughters permitted to marry people of a religion other than Islam?

The Shaykh: He must strive for the daughter to be Muslim, following him, and likewise the son. He should be diligent in this. It is not permissible for her to follow her mother's religion, and it is not permissible for the son to follow his mother's religion either. So it is obligatory for him to follow his father's religion, and this is an individual obligation upon him. And if he persists in following his mother's religion—Christianity—this is a matter for consideration; because he should not be lenient with them in this, but rather it is obligatory for him to observe their calling to Islam, encourage them to Islam, and do what is possible regarding Islam, until he marries a Muslim woman, and the son marries a Muslim woman, and everyone stays away from the danger of disbelief and the evil of disbelief. There is no power and no strength except with Allah. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.