Quran Verses about Interfaith marriage
Al-Baqarah 221 forbids the believers to marry polytheist women, and to marry believing women to polytheist men, until they believe, because the polytheists invite to the Fire while Allah invites to Paradise and forgiveness; the verse also says that a believing slave is better than a polytheist, however attractive. Al-Ma'idah 5 states that chaste free women of the People of the Book are lawful in marriage upon paying their dowry. Al-Mumtahanah 10 states that believing women who emigrate are not lawful for the disbelievers, and forbids holding on to marriage ties with disbelieving women.
Not marrying polytheists
وَلَا تَنكِحُواْ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكَٰتِ حَتَّىٰ يُؤۡمِنَّۚ وَلَأَمَةٞ مُّؤۡمِنَةٌ خَيۡرٞ مِّن مُّشۡرِكَةٖ وَلَوۡ أَعۡجَبَتۡكُمۡۗ وَلَا تُنكِحُواْ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ حَتَّىٰ يُؤۡمِنُواْۚ وَلَعَبۡدٞ مُّؤۡمِنٌ خَيۡرٞ مِّن مُّشۡرِكٖ وَلَوۡ أَعۡجَبَكُمۡۗ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ يَدۡعُونَ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَدۡعُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱلۡجَنَّةِ وَٱلۡمَغۡفِرَةِ بِإِذۡنِهِۦۖ وَيُبَيِّنُ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ٢٢١
Wa lā tankiḥul-mushrikāti ḥattā yuʾminn, wa laʾamatum muʾminatun khayrum mim mushrikatiw wa law aʿjabatkum, wa lā tunkiḥul-mushrikīna ḥattā yuʾminū, wa laʿabdum muʾminun khayrum mim mushrikiw wa law aʿjabakum, ulāʾika yadʿūna ilan-nār, wallāhu yadʿū ilal-jannati wal-maghfirati biʾidhnih, wa yubayyinu āyātihī lin-nāsi laʿallahum yatadhakkarūn.
And do not marry polytheistic women until they believe.1 And a believing slave woman is better than a polytheist, even though she might please you. And do not marry polytheistic men [to your women] until they believe. And a believing slave is better than a polytheist, even though he might please you. Those invite [you] to the Fire, but Allāh invites to Paradise and to forgiveness, by His permission. And He makes clear His verses [i.e., ordinances] to the people that perhaps they may remember.
Footnotes (1)
- i.e., worship and obey Allāh alone.
Chaste women of the People of the Book
ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتُۖ وَطَعَامُ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ حِلّٞ لَّكُمۡ وَطَعَامُكُمۡ حِلّٞ لَّهُمۡۖ وَٱلۡمُحۡصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِ وَٱلۡمُحۡصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ إِذَآ ءَاتَيۡتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ مُحۡصِنِينَ غَيۡرَ مُسَٰفِحِينَ وَلَا مُتَّخِذِيٓ أَخۡدَانٖۗ وَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِٱلۡإِيمَٰنِ فَقَدۡ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُۥ وَهُوَ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ مِنَ ٱلۡخَٰسِرِينَ ٥
Al-yawma uḥilla lakumuṭ-ṭayyibāt, wa ṭaʿāmul-ladhīna ūtul-kitāba ḥillul lakum wa ṭaʿāmukum ḥillul lahum, wal-muḥṣanātu minal-muʾmināti wal-muḥṣanātu minal-ladhīna ūtul-kitāba min qablikum idhā ātaytumūhunna ujūrahunna muḥṣinīna ghayra musāfiḥīna wa lā muttakhidhī akhdān, wa may yakfur bil-īmāni faqad ḥabiṭa ʿamaluhū wa huwa fil-ākhirati minal-khāsirīn.
This day [all] good foods have been made lawful, and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them. And [lawful in marriage are] chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you, when you have given them their due compensation,1 desiring chastity, not unlawful sexual intercourse or taking [secret] lovers. And whoever denies the faith - his work has become worthless, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.
Footnotes (1)
- The specified bridal gift (mahr).
Believing women who emigrate, and disbelieving husbands
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا جَآءَكُمُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتُ مُهَٰجِرَٰتٖ فَٱمۡتَحِنُوهُنَّۖ ٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِإِيمَٰنِهِنَّۖ فَإِنۡ عَلِمۡتُمُوهُنَّ مُؤۡمِنَٰتٖ فَلَا تَرۡجِعُوهُنَّ إِلَى ٱلۡكُفَّارِۖ لَا هُنَّ حِلّٞ لَّهُمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحِلُّونَ لَهُنَّۖ وَءَاتُوهُم مَّآ أَنفَقُواْۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ أَن تَنكِحُوهُنَّ إِذَآ ءَاتَيۡتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّۚ وَلَا تُمۡسِكُواْ بِعِصَمِ ٱلۡكَوَافِرِ وَسۡـَٔلُواْ مَآ أَنفَقۡتُمۡ وَلۡيَسۡـَٔلُواْ مَآ أَنفَقُواْۚ ذَٰلِكُمۡ حُكۡمُ ٱللَّهِ يَحۡكُمُ بَيۡنَكُمۡۖ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٞ ١٠
Yāʾayyuhal-ladhīna āmanū idhā jāʾakumul-muʾminātu muhājirātin famtaḥinūhunn, allāhu aʿlamu biʾīmānihinn, fa in ʿalimtumūhunna muʾminātin falā tarjiʿūhunna ilal-kuffār, lā hunna ḥillul lahum wa lā hum yaḥillūna lahunn, wa ātūhum mā anfaqū, wa lā junāḥa ʿalaykum an tankiḥūhunna idhā ātaytumūhunna ujūrahunn, wa lā tumsikū biʿiṣamil-kawāfiri wasʾalū mā anfaqtum walyasʾalū mā anfaqū, dhālikum ḥukmullāhi yaḥkumu baynakum, wallāhu ʿalīmun ḥakīm.
O you who have believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, examine [i.e., test] them. Allāh is most knowing as to their faith. And if you know them to be believers, then do not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful [husbands] for them. But give them [i.e., the disbelievers] what they have spent.1 And there is no blame upon you if you marry them when you have given them their due compensation [i.e., mahr]. And hold not to marriage bonds with disbelieving women, but ask for what you have spent and let them [i.e., the disbelievers] ask for what they have spent.2 That is the judgement of Allāh; He judges between you. And Allāh is Knowing and Wise.
Footnotes (2)
- For marriage, i.e., compensate their loss.
- When a disbelieving wife chose to join the disbelievers, a Muslim husband could demand in return the equivalent of her mahr. Likewise, the disbelievers had a similar right when a believing woman joined the Muslims. This and the following verses were revealed subsequent to the Treaty of al-Ḥudaybiyyah.