people of Medina. Some poor Muslims therefore wished to marry them so that the women might support them financially. They sought the Messenger of Allah’s permission, and this verse was revealed: “And that is forbidden to the believers” (1)—that is, believers were forbidden to marry those prostitutes because they were polytheist women. This was the view of Mujahid, Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah, Qatadah, al-Zuhri, al-Sha‘bi, and al-‘Awfi’s narration from Ibn Abbas.

Ikrimah said: It was revealed concerning women in Mecca and Medina, among whom were nine who had banners like those of a farrier, by which they were recognized. Among them was Umm Mahzul, the slave-girl of al-Sa’ib ibn Abi al-Sa’ib al-Makhzumi. In the pre-Islamic era, a man would marry a fornicatress and make her a source of livelihood. Some Muslims wished to marry them on that same basis. One Muslim sought the Messenger of Allah’s permission to marry Umm Mahzul, and she stipulated that she would support him financially. Thereupon Allah revealed this verse (2).

Amr ibn Shu‘ayb narrated from his father, from his grandfather, that he said: There was a man called Marthad ibn Abi Marthad al-Ghanawi, who would transport captives from Mecca and bring them to Medina. In Mecca there was a prostitute called Anaq, who had been his companion in the pre-Islamic era. When he came to Mecca, Anaq invited him to herself, but Marthad said, “Allah has forbidden fornication.” She said, “Then marry me.” He replied, “Not until I ask the Messenger of Allah.” He said: So I came to the Prophet and asked, “O Messenger of Allah, should I marry Anaq?” The Messenger of Allah withheld his response and said nothing. Then the following was revealed: “None marries a fornicatress except a fornicator or a polytheist.” He then called me, recited it to me, and said, “Do not marry her” (3). According to the view of these scholars, the prohibition applied specifically to those individuals and not to all other people.

Others said that the intended meaning of marriage here is sexual intercourse; thus, the meaning is that a fornicator commits fornication only with a fornicatress or a polytheist woman, and a fornicatress commits fornication only with a fornicator or a polytheist man. This was the view of Sa‘id ibn Jubayr and al-Dahhak ibn Muzahim, as well as al-Walibi’s narration from Ibn Abbas. Yazid ibn Harun said: If he has intercourse with her while considering it lawful, then he is a polytheist; but if he has intercourse with her while recognizing it as unlawful, then he is a fornicator. Ibn Mas‘ud forbade marrying a fornicatress and would say, “When a fornicator marries a fornicatress, they remain fornicators forever.” Al-Hasan said: A fornicator who has been flogged may marry only a fornicatress who has been flogged, and a fornicatress who has been flogged may be married only by a fornicator who has been flogged. Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib and a group of scholars said that the ruling of the verse has been abrogated: marriage to a fornicatress had been forbidden by this verse, but it was abrogated by Allah Most High’s saying, “Marry off those among you who are unmarried.” Thus, the fornicatress is included among the unmarried Muslims (4).