Quranic law for marriage

to Non-Muslims

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Often the question is posed about the rules for Muslims in marrying non-Muslims. Many scholars have been advocating rules that are in direct violation of God's clear law in the Quran. Sadly, and in male orientated cultures we hear the claim that a Muslim man may marry a woman of other religions (e.g. a Christian or Jewish woman), but a Muslim woman cannot marry except a Muslim man! They explain this obvious male biased innovation by a number of un-Quranic justifications.  Some say that this priviledge is given to the man because the child takes the religion of his father and not his mother, and thus a Muslim man may marry a non Muslim woman but still have the child raised as a Muslim, while as if a Muslim woman married a Christian man for example, the child would be raised as a Christian.

But is this what God really decreed for marriage to non-Muslims in the Quran?

The answer is NO !

To detail God's law in the Quran let us read the following:

"Do not (you men) marry idolatresses unless they believe; a believing woman is better than a idolatress, even if you like her. Nor shall you (women) marry idolatrous men, unless they believe. A believing man is better than an idolater, even if you like them." 2:221

From this verse it is clear that a Muslim man, or Muslim woman are not allowed to marry a Christian woman/man who is an idol worshipper.  The Law is clear and it applies to men and women equally.

On the other hand a Muslim man or a Muslim woman may marry a Christian, or a follower of a Scripture (e.g. Jews) as long as they are monitheist and do not worship idols besides God. This is confirmed by the following verse which states that not all people of the Scripture (Ketab) are idol worshippers:

"Surely, some followers of the previous scriptures do believe in God, and in what was revealed to you (O Muhammad), and in what was revealed to them. They reverence God and they never trade away God's Revelations for a cheap price. These will receive their recompense from their Lord. God is the most prompt judge." 3:199

So to sum up, the criteria in the prohibition of marriage to people who are non Muslim is confined to prohibiting marriage to those among them who are idol-worshippers, moreover, the law here applies to Muslim men and women equally.

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