Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (12/146)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

His statement, “even if he is a slave”: does the word “even” indicate that there is a contrary view, or is it meant to dispel the assumption that, because he is deficient in freedom, it becomes permissible for him to marry a disbelieving woman—since she surpasses him in freedom while he surpasses her in religion, so that the two are offsetting? I do not know whether any of the scholars held such a view. If there is a disagreement on the matter, then it is undoubtedly weak. If it is merely intended to dispel an assumption, some people may imagine that her freedom offsets his Islam, and his slave status offsets her disbelief, so that each has an advantage over the other.

His statement, “except for a free woman from the People of the Scripture”: this is an exception to the prohibition on a Muslim marrying a disbelieving woman. It is permissible for him to marry her on two conditions: that she be free and that she be from the People of the Scripture. The evidence is Allah’s saying:

“And lawful in marriage are chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you, provided you give them their bridal due.” [Al-Ma’idah 5:5]

The scholars said that “chaste women” here means free women. In the Quran, the term “chaste women” is used with several meanings, including:

First: married women—that is, women with husbands.

Second: women who abstain from adultery.

Third: free women.

Thus, in Allah’s saying:

“Those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses—flog them.” [Al-Nur 24:4]

“Chaste women” here means women who abstain from adultery.

And in His saying:

“And married women are also forbidden to you, except those whom your right hands possess.” [Al-Nisa’ 4:24]

according to one interpretation, it means married women. As for “chaste women” in the sense of free women, an example is this verse:

“And chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture.”

His statement, “a woman from the People of the Scripture,” means a Jewish or Christian woman. Must it be stipulated that she

وقوله: «ولو عبداً» «لو» هل هي إشارة خلاف، أو رفع توهم بأنه لما نقص في الحرية صار يجوز له أن يتزوج الكافرة؛ لأنها تفوقه في الحرية، وهو يفوقها في الدين فيتقابلان؟ لا أدري إن كان أحد من أهل العلم قال بذلك أو لا؟ فإن كان فيه خلاف فالخلاف لا شك أنه ضعيف، وإن كان رفع توهم فقد يتوهم بعض الناس أن حريتها تقابل إسلامه، ورِقُّه يقابل كفرها، فيكون كل واحد منهما له مزية على الآخر. قوله: «إلا حرة كتابية» هذا مستثنى من نكاح المسلم بالكافرة، فيجوز نِكاحها بشرطين: أن تكون حرة، وأن تكون كتابية، والدليل قوله تعالى: ﴿وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ إِذَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ﴾ [المائدة: ٥]، قال أهل العلم: المراد بالمحصنات هنا الحرائر، والمحصنات تطلق في القرآن على معانٍ، منها: أولاً: المتزوجات يعني ذوات الأزواج. ثانياً: العفيفات عن الزنا. ثالثاً: الحرائر. فقوله تعالى: ﴿وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاءَ فَاجْلِدُوهُمْ﴾ [النور: ٤]، المراد بالمحصنات هنا العفيفات. وقوله: ﴿وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلاَّ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ﴾ [النساء: ٢٤] على قول فيها، إن المراد المتزوجات، وأما المحصنات الحرائر، فمثل هذه الآية: ﴿وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ﴾. وقوله: «كتابية» هي اليهودية أو النصرانية، وهل يشترط أن