the prophets from something permissible. How could that be, when some prophets’ wives were unbelievers, just as some believing women had unbelieving husbands? Allah Most High says:

“Allah sets forth an example for those who disbelieve: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were married to two of Our righteous servants, but betrayed them, so their husbands could not avail them at all against Allah. They were told, ‘Enter the Fire along with those who enter.’”

“And Allah sets forth an example for those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, ‘My Lord, build for me a house near You in Paradise, and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds, and save me from the wrongdoing people.’”

As for prostitutes, none of the prophets or the righteous married a prostitute, because prostitution corrupts a man’s marriage bed. Hence, a Muslim is permitted to marry a Jewish or Christian woman, provided that he is chaste, neither engaging in illicit intercourse nor taking a lover. Thus, marrying an unbelieving woman may be permissible, whereas marrying a prostitute is not: the harm of her religion does not extend to him, whereas the harm of her prostitution does. And Allah knows best.

Section: Taking Intention into Account in Marriage

This has been discussed at length elsewhere, where it was explained that the purpose underlying contracts must be taken into account.

In all these matters, legal stratagems should be invalidated, as should a marriage contracted to make a woman lawful again for her former husband when that is its intended purpose, and a compensatory divorce effected to circumvent a divorce oath. For the former did not intend