Question:
What is the ruling on marrying a non Muslim woman?
Answer:
Marriage to a non Muslim woman has particular circumstances connected to it. As for marrying the idol worshipers or the communists then this is not permissible, it is also not permissible to marry the Buddhists.
As for the women of the book (Jewish and Christian) who are chaste and known for their chastity, abstinence and virtue and they are far away from all the means of fornication and they are chaste and uncorrupted, then it is permissible for the Muslim man to marry the chaste and uncorrupted woman from the people of the book.
But to not marry them is better and more befitting and farther away from evil, because his marrying her could lead to him becoming a Christian and it could lead to her children becoming Christian. And for this reason, this was hated by Umar (ibn Khattab) as well as a group (of companions) fearing this evil for the person.
But the principle is that it is permissible, As Allah the Exalted and Mighty said in His Glorious book in Surah Al Maida: ‘Made lawful to you this day are At¬Tayyibât [all kinds of Halaal (lawful) foods, which Allah has made lawful. The food 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 and Christians) before your time, when you have given their due Mahr (bridal money), desiring chastity (i.e. taking them in legal wedlock) not committing illegal sexual intercourse, nor taking them as girl-friends.’(Chapter 5 verse 5)
Therefore the chaste women from the people of the book are permissible to marry. And the chaste woman is the woman who is free, and pure and uncorrupted and known for her chastity (not taking boyfriends), so when have they been known for this?!
When has it been known that there are chaste, (non Muslim women) in America, or in England or in any place? This is very dangerous.
So the advice is not to marry them, but if you were to find a chaste woman, and it has been witnessed that she is chaste then it is permissible to marry her; but it is better not to marry her because it is a means for the man to become a Christian due to his love for her and his children may become Christian after him during his lifetime or after his death; and there is no might or power except with Allah.
Fatwa by Sheikh Bin Baz
Translated by Rasheed Barbee
Link: http://www.sahab.net/forums/showthread.php?t=347432
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