(221) “Do not marry polytheistic women until they believe. A believing slave woman is better than a polytheistic woman, even though she may please you. Nor give women in marriage to polytheistic men until they believe. A believing slave man is better than a polytheistic man, even though he may please you. Those people invite to the Fire, whereas Allah invites to Paradise and forgiveness by His permission. He makes His verses clear to people so that they may take heed.”

That is: “Do not marry” women who are “polytheistic” so long as they persist in their polytheism, “until they believe,” for a believing woman, regardless of how unattractive she may be, is better than a polytheistic woman, regardless of how beautiful she may be. This ruling applies generally to all polytheistic women, but the verse in al-Mā’idah makes an exception permitting women from among the People of the Scripture, as Allah Most High says: “And the chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture.”

“Nor give women in marriage to polytheistic men until they believe.” This is general and admits no exception.

Allah Most High then stated the wisdom behind prohibiting a Muslim man or woman from marrying someone of another religion, saying: “Those people invite to the Fire”—that is, through their words, actions, and ways. Association with them therefore exposes one to danger from them, and this is not merely a worldly danger; rather, it is eternal misery.

The reasoning given in the verse also indicates that close association with every polytheist and religious innovator is prohibited. For if marriage is impermissible even though (1) it brings many benefits, mere association is all the more so—particularly association that places a polytheist or the like in a position of superiority over a Muslim, such as serving him and similar arrangements.

The words, “Nor give women in marriage to polytheistic men,” establish that a guardian [in marriage] must be involved.

“Whereas Allah invites to Paradise and forgiveness”—that is, He calls His servants to attain Paradise and forgiveness, one effect of which is the removal of punishment. He does so by calling them to the means leading to these: righteous deeds, sincere repentance, beneficial knowledge, and righteous action.

“He makes His verses clear”—that is, His rulings and the wisdom behind them—“to people so that they may take heed.” This taking heed causes them to remember what they had forgotten, learn what they did not know, and comply with what they had neglected.

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Then Allah Most High said: