My Christian wife is asking: Why is it not permissible for a Muslim woman to marry someone from among the people of the Book – Christians and Jews – whilst that is permitted to Muslim men?.
Praise be to Allaah.
One of the
names of Allaah in which we believe – and we do not think that anyone who
believes that he has a Lord will doubt that – is al-Hakeem (the All-Wise).
In this manner the noble angels praised Him, because they understood His
wisdom in His command to them to prostrate to Adam:“They
(angels) said: ‘Glory is to You, we have no knowledge except what you have
taught us. Verily, it is You, the All-Knower, the All-Wise’”[al-Baqarah 2:32]
He has also
testified to this, as have His angels and the people of knowledge:“Allaah
bears witness that Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped
but He), and the angels, and those having knowledge (also give this
witness); (He always) maintains His creation in justice. Laa ilaaha illa
Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the All‑Mighty, the
All-Wise”[Aal
‘Imraan 3:18]Thus He has
established proof against His creation, as He says (interpretation of the
meaning):“Say:
‘With Allaah is the perfect proof and argument, (i.e. the Oneness of Allaah,
the sending of His Messengers and His Holy Books, to mankind); had He so
willed, He would indeed have guided you all’”[al-An’aam 6:149]
Thus it is
known that the All-Wise does not do anything in vain, and He does not do
anything that is inappropriate. He does not issue any command but that which
is better for His creation than any other, as Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):“Allaah
has sent down the Best Statement, a Book (this Qur’aan), its parts
resembling each other (in goodness and truth) (and) oft‑repeated. The skins
of those who fear their Lord shiver from it (when they recite it or hear
it). Then their skin and their heart soften to the remembrance of Allaah.
That is the Guidance of Allaah. He guides therewith whom He wills; and
whomever Allaah sends astray, for him there is no guide”[al-Zumar
39:23]Just as this
is implied by His being All-Wise, it is also implied by His being the only
Creator. The one who makes a thing knows best what is suited for it, so how
about the All-Knowing Creator?“Should
not He Who has created know? And He is the Most Kind and Courteous (to His
slaves), All‑Aware (of everything)”[al-Mulk
67:14]With regard
to the wisdom behind the matter that you are asking about, perhaps you know
that Islam is the last religion that was revealed from Allaah, hence it
abrogates all other religions, as Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):“It is He
Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad) with guidance and the religion of
truth (Islam), to make it superior over all religions even though the
Mushrikoon (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of
Allaah) hate (it)”[al-Tawbah 9:33]
“And
never will Allaah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the
believers”[al-Nisa’
4:141]The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said;
“Islam prevails and is not prevailed over.” Narrated by al-Daaraqutni and
others; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ (2778).It is well
known that the husband is in charge of his wife (qawaamah) and his status
within the family is higher than that of his wife. Perhaps this higher
position may make him force his wife to leave her religion and follow his,
or it may influence her to do that, and this is something that Islam cannot
accept.The higher
status held by the husband may also cause the children of this woman to
follow their father’s religion, which is a great error, if these offspring
grow up and do not follow the final religion of Allaah.This is the
important reason which Allaah mentioned when He forbade Muslim women to
marry non-Muslim men. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):“And give
not (your daughters) in marriage to Al‑Mushrikoon till they believe (in
Allaah Alone) and verily, a believing slave is better than a (free) Mushrik
(idolater), even though he pleases you. Those (Al-Mushrikoon) invite you to
the Fire, but Allaah invites (you) to Paradise and forgiveness by His Leave,
and makes His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations,
etc.) clear to mankind that they may remember”[al-Baqarah 2:221]
Moreover, if
a kitaabi woman (a Jewish or Christian woman) marries a Muslim man, she is
marrying someone who believes in her Prophet and all the Prophets of Allaah,
because he cannot be a Muslim otherwise, and it is not permissible for him
to differentiate between them. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):“The
Messenger (Muhammad) believes in what has been sent down to him from his
Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allaah, His Angels,
His Books, and His Messengers. (They say,) ‘We make no distinction between
one another of His Messengers’”[al-Baqarah 2:285]
Whereas the
kitaabi – whether Jewish or Christian – does not believe in Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or that he is the Seal of the
Prophets, so how can the two matters be equal, and how can Muslim women
marry men who do not believe in their Prophet?But we
should point out here that although it is permissible for a Muslim man to
marry a kitaabi woman, because of the interests that it is hoped may be
served by that, and to avoid burdening people with too many restrictions, it
is blameworthy, as Imam Maalik (may Allaah have mercy on him) said. (Tafseer
al-Qurtubi, 3/67).This
permission serves as a hint to the people of the Book, so that they might
realize that Islam has made exceptions for the people of the Book in some
rulings that it has not made for other kuffaar. Allaah has permitted us to
eat meat slaughtered by the people of the Book, and He has permitted us to
marry their women out of respect for the origin of their religions which
were based on Tawheed, and out of respect for the Messengers of those
religions in whom we are commanded to believe and respect, and to
demonstrate the difference between the attitude of the followers of Judaism
and Christianity towards our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) and the attitude of our religion towards their Prophets.Finally,
this ruling should not be strange for other religions, and it is not
something odd that is applied by Islam alone. Why should some of those who
attack our religion find it strange that Islam forbids our women to marry
non-Muslim men, when they do not marry one another even though they are
followers of one religion? A Catholic cannot marry a Protestant woman and if
he does so he is punished by the church, and vice versa.According to
the canon of the Egyptian Orthodox Coptic Church published in 1938 CE,
article 6 states that “difference in religion is an impediment to
marriage.”And Allaah
knows best.
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