This verse thus indicates the prohibition on marrying someone who engages in unlawful sexual intercourse. Marriage is a particular form of association, pairing, intimacy, and companionship. Hence each spouse is called the other’s mate, companion, partner, and intimate associate. In its original linguistic sense, marriage denotes coming together and joining. Their hearts come together when the marriage contract is concluded, and mutual affection and compassion arise between them that did not exist before. The contract alone establishes the marriage prohibitions arising from affinity—except in the case of a stepdaughter—as well as mutual inheritance rights, the widow’s waiting period, and other consequences.

The intermediate stage is their being alone together in one place. This form of marital association establishes entitlement to the full bridal gift, as the caliphs ruled. The final stage is their coming together in sexual intercourse. Even if this occurs without a marriage contract, it is a weak union; indeed, the union of hearts is greater than the mere union of two bodies through unlawful intercourse.

His words:

“Pure women are for pure men”

indicate this through both their meaning and their wording. They also indicate the prohibition on associating and pairing with the wicked, as do other texts, such as His words:

“Gather those who committed wrongdoing and their mates,”

meaning those like them and their counterparts. The term zawj (mate or pair) has a broader scope than marriage in its familiar sense. Allah Most High says:

“He grants daughters to whom He wills, and grants sons to whom He wills.”

“Or He grants them both sons and daughters.”

He also says:

“And when souls are paired.”

He also says:

“Of every delightful kind,”

and “noble.”

He also says:

“And of all things We created pairs.”

He also says:

“He placed in it two of each kind.”

He also says:

“And We created you in pairs.”

He also says: “Take aboard it, of every kind, a pair