He replied:

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Ahmad and others graded this hadith as weak. Some have interpreted it to mean that she does not turn away anyone asking for money, but the apparent meaning and context of the hadith indicate otherwise.

Others have held that it is established and that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—commanded the man to keep her as his wife even though she did not refuse men. Several leading scholars rejected this, for Allah says in His Mighty Book:

“A man who commits illicit intercourse marries none but a woman who commits illicit intercourse or a polytheist, and a woman who commits illicit intercourse is married by none but a man who commits illicit intercourse or a polytheist. This has been forbidden to the believers.”

In Sunan Abī Dāwūd and elsewhere, it is reported:

“A man had a prostitute named ‘Anāq as his companion during the pre-Islamic period. He asked the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—about marrying her, whereupon Allah revealed this verse.”

He—glorified and exalted be He—also says:

“And whoever among you cannot afford to marry free believing women may marry believing slave women from among those whom your right hands possess. Allah knows best your faith; you are of one another. So marry them with their owners’ permission and give them their dowries in a fair manner, provided they are chaste, neither promiscuous nor taking lovers.”

Allah permitted marriage to slave women only when they are neither promiscuous nor taking lovers. A promiscuous woman is one who engages in illicit intercourse with anyone, whereas a woman who takes a lover has a single intimate companion. If a woman in this condition may not be married, then what of one who does not repel the hand of anyone who touches her, but instead engages in illicit intercourse with whoever comes along? And if this is the ruling concerning slave women in such a condition, then what of free women?

Allah Most High also says:

“And chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you, when you give them their dowries, being chaste yourselves, neither promiscuous nor taking lovers.”

Thus He stipulated these conditions for men here,