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Fatwa CenterWants explanation of Quran 2:221
Question
Dear Sirs, In the Sura "Al Baqarah" , Ayah #221 GOD said " do not marry unbelievingwoman until they beleive , a slave woman who believe is BETTER than an unbelieving woman even though she allures yu. nor marry (Girls)to unbelievivers untill believe , a man salve who believes is BETTER for yu than an unbeliever even though he allures yu" my QUESTION is: Why GOD said it is BETTER FOR YU " instead of it is FORBEDEEN" and Marriage will not be recognized if yu do so ? isn't the meaning behind it , is that a muslim woman BETTER for her to marry a Muslim so childerns would be muslims too? DOES GOD GIVE THE ADVICE OF WHAT IS BETTER AND WHAT IS NOT FOR WOMAN AND MEN ? AND THEN LET THEM CHOOSE? Why islam allows men to marry non-muslims and approve it and celebrate it all the Time especially in a forigen countries ? The Word better is "what is better and best for yu " if yu take my advice "God said..but the FATWA "it is not acceptable or recognized for a muslim woman to marry a none muslim or even a muslim by words only(shehaddah) ? pls explain as it came in Quran"Holly Book ?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
Our answer to the enquiring sister can be summed in the following:
· The Saying of Allaah (which means): {And give not (your daughters) in marriage to Al-Mushrikeen (disbelievers and atheists)…} [Quran 2:221] is a clear text that prohibits marrying a Muslim woman to a non Muslim man. The negation in the Sayings of Allaah (which mean): {And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse….} [Quran 17:32], {And do not kill the soul [i.e. person] which Allaah has forbidden…,}[Quran 17:33], denotes prohibition, as it denotes prohibition in the verse in question. All Muslim scholars have agreed in a consensus without any difference that marrying a Muslim woman to a non Muslim is forbidden.
· The Saying of Allaah (which means): { And a believing slave is better than a polytheist, …} [Quran 2:221] does not mean what the enquirer mentioned. The evidence is the Saying of Allaah directly following the above ruling in the same verse (what means): {Those (disbelievers) invite [you] to the Fire...,}. Would Allaah give us the choice to marry or not to those who invite to the Fire?!!
Moreover, the word “better” in the verse, is sometimes used (linguistically) to compare between a matter that is absolutely good and an evil matter that does not have any good, as in the Saying of Allaah (which means):{The companions of Paradise, that Day, are [in] a better settlement and better resting place.} [Quran 25:24]. Would this mean comparing to the inhabitants of the Fire to those of Paradise? It does not mean that the inhabitants of the Fire are in good settlement or a good resting place that is less than the level of the inhabitants of the Paradise, rather it clearly means that they are in absolute evil.
· Islam neither accepts nor approves of or encourages marrying a non Muslim woman, as the enquiring sister mentioned. We do not know the sources of her information. Islam prohibits marrying non-Muslim women except those who are excluded from this ruling. Allaah Says (what means): { And do not marry polytheistic women until they believe …} (Quran 2:221). This is a clear text that prohibits marrying to non Muslim woman but Allaah excluded marrying chaste women from the People of the Book only i.e. Jews and Christians. Allaah Says (what means): {…and chaste women from those who were given the scripture (Jews and Christians) before you…}[Quran 5:5]. Chaste here means women who never had illegal sexual relations from the Jews and the Christians. As for marrying other than these women like polytheists, Buddhists, Hindus, etc, then it is forbidden for the mentioned verse.
· The enquiring sister should know that the Book of Allaah may not be explained or understood without knowledge; it should not be interpreted based on understanding of minds. Allaah has prohibited in His Book, saying something on His behalf without having knowledge. It is also narrated in a prophetic narration that whoever says something in Quran based on his view, will find his abode in the Hell-Fire. So, one should avoid explaining Quran without having the proper knowledge.
For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 81220, 83101 and Fatwa 92602.
Allaah Knows best.
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