"Made lawful for you this day are At-Tayyibat (all kinds of lawful foods, which Allah has made lawful. The food (slaughter cattle etc.) of the people of the scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to you and yours is lawful to them. (Lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women from the believers and chaste women from those who were given the scripture (Jews & Christians) before your time."

The verse clarifies that the ‘Ahl-e-Kitaab’ are those people to whom the scripture has been revealed from Allah. It also lays down the stipulation for marrying them that they be chaste, and as can be derived from the following verse, marriage is permissible regardless of the contents of the scriptures being changed by the people.

For Allah says in the Qur’an:

‘Among those who are Jews, there are some who displace words from (their) places.’

On another occasion Allah says:

‘And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah, and the Christians say Messiah is the son of Allah.’

The Christian and Jew women who do not believe and practice their own religion can not be considered to be real Christians and Jews. They are either atheist or irreligious. So they are like idolaters and polytheists, these women are not lawful.

‘It has been stated in the books of jurisprudence that to marry Women of the Book is lawful, but it is better not to do so.’ (Shaami pg. 397 vol. 2)

In the aforementioned verses, it has been specified that Allah granted the Jews and Christians the title of ‘Ahl-e-Kitaab’ despite their accusations and slanders in relation to Jesus, and their performing of evil deeds. Until and unless they leave their respective religions, they will be included as ‘Ahl-e-Kitaab’. If they do by any chance, leave their religion, marriage will not be permissible unless they accept Islam, for Allah says:

‘Wed not idolaters, till they believe.’

Despite the above-mentioned concept, the majority of Ulamah’s are of the opinion that marriage is not permissible to a woman of the Ahl-e-Kitaab.

By something being permissible, it does not necessitate it being likened by Allah. There are many instances where Shari’ah has pronounced an act lawful, but mentioned its implementation undesirable, e.g. divorce, out of genuine necessity divorce has been made permissible, but it being highly disliked by Allah. The lawfulness of eating soil has also been mentioned, but this does not implicate it being praiseworthy and a must for everyone. Similarly, the permissibility to marry an Ahl-e-Kitaab does not imply that such an act is blessed in the eyes of Allah.

Whoever has his eyes set on marrying with an Ahl-e-Kitaab should first consider the consequences in respect to his faith and Islamic Beliefs. As husband and wife, they will both sleep under the same covers and sheets. Because of the wife not considering the importance of bathing after intercourse, the sharing of beds will result in the immersing in all forms of impurities. If she has a sudden passion of keeping a pet dog, in order to satisfy her whims he will allow her to keep one in the house, in order to prevent the marriage from deteriorating. The introduction of a dog to the household will culminate in the entire house, the furnishing and the appliances being fouled by dog excretion, urination and saliva. The Angels of Mercy will refrain from such a house and its residents will lose the inspiration for worship.

If the marriage, at the least, does not break down and the wife happens to bear a child, then the question arises whether the child will be brought up in an Islamic environment, around Islamic doctrines and values.

Every Muslim is ordered to develop through marriage sexual relationships with only those women who are religious and righteous, so that the offspring be of a good, pious nature and beneficial in the hereafter. What will be the sorry state of the offspring of a man married within the Ahl-e-Kitaab?

If the marriage fails and the circumstances lead to a divorce then the children will according to the law of this country will be in the care of the mother. This will lead to continuous influence of Kufr and the father will be held accountable on Judgement Day.

If one were to look with an impartial mind and a genuine desire for the truth, the disadvantages and drawbacks for this kind of marriage, the figure will prove to be so great that even our learned predecessors who disapprove of marital ties outside Islam, could not have possibly foreseen its dire consequences.

However, for the aforementioned reasons the majority of the Ulamah are strictly of the opinion that marriage to the women of Ahl-e-Kitaab is not permissible.

The great scholar Abu Bakr Jasass narrates in ‘Quranic Decrees’ through Hadhrat Shaqeeq bin Salmah that Hadhrat Huzaifah bin Al-Yaman radiyallahu anhu, during the Caliphate of Umar radiyallahu anhu travelled to an area known as Madain, where he married a Jewish woman. When this information was reported to Hadhrat Umar radiyallahu anhu he wrote a letter to him ordering him to divorce her.

Hadhrat Huzaifah radiyallahu anhu upon receiving the letter divorced the woman and wrote back enquiring whether the Jewish woman was unlawful for him. The Leader of the Faithful, Umar radiyallahu anhu replied, ‘I do not claim that the Ahl-e-Kitaab women are unlawful on Muslim men, but because chastity and modesty are rarely to be found within them I fear that their repulsive qualities will filter into Muslim homes.’

Imaam Tahawi has also stated, regarding this narration, through Imaam Abu Hanifah, concluding that the specialists in Islamic Jurisprudence are of the same opinion that this Nikah is not forbidden, but because of its repercussions it is extremely disliked (Makrooh-e-Tahrimi).

Allamaah ibn Humaam has stated in Fat’hul Qadeer that besides the case of Hazrat Huzaifa similar incidents of marriage with the ‘Ahl-e-Kitaab’ have also been reported in relation to Hazrat Kaab bin Malik radiyallahu anhu and Hazrat Talha radiyallahu anhu

Hazart Umar’s radiyallahu anhu time was renown for being one with hardly any form of corruption at all, but he still feared the women of Ahl-e-Kitaab as a source of corruption. We live in era where corruption is widespread and where the Ahl-e-Kitaab are anything but true Ahl-e-Kitaab. They who believe in no constraints in following more then one religion and say, ‘We are innocent, we can commit any sin we like because Jesus came into this world to repent for our sins, etc.’ They no longer believe in the Books of Allah and neither do they see Jesus as a Prophet, but rather as the Son of God.

The corruption is, however, not the only factor in deciding the ruling. The ‘Ahle-Kitaab’ of today cannot even be classified as such due to their mass conversion to atheism, many incidents of which newspapers have reported. Furthermore, to find a woman from the ‘Ahle-Kitaab’ who can be termed as chaste in Islamic ideology is also a virtual impossibility. Hazrat Umar’s radiyallahu anhu words regarding their modesty ring infinitely true in this age where corruption has accelerated to unbelievable heights.

Anyone who adopts such women in his family is certainly inviting Kufr and corruption within his home. Therefore it is imperative on Muslims not to marry such women if they wish to follow the ways of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam and the Sahabah.