Transliteration:( Wa laatankihul mushrikaati hattaa yu'minn; wa la amatum mu'minatun khairum mim mushrikatinw wa law a'jabatkum; wa laa tunkihul mushrikeena hattaa yu'minoo; wa la'abdummu'minun khairum mimmushrikinw wa law 'ajabakum; ulaaa'ika yad'oona ilan Naari wallaahu yad'ooo ilal Jannati walmaghfirati biiznihee wa yubaiyinu Aayaatihee linnaasi la'allahum yatazakkaroon )
221. And do not marry polytheistic women until they believe, and a believing slave woman is better than a polytheist, even though she might please you. And do not accept polytheistic men to marry your women until they believe [525], and a believing slave is better than a polytheist, even though he might please you. They invite you to Hell [526], and Allah invites you to Paradise and to forgiveness by His command [527]. And He makes clear His verses to the people so that perhaps they may remember.
This verse was revealed in the context of Hazrat Murthad Ghanawi (RA), who was involved in an affair with a woman named Inaaq before embracing Islam.
🔹 After converting, he migrated to Madinah, and when he returned to Makkah on a mission to secretly rescue Muslims, Inaaq requested marriage.
🔹 Murthad (RA) consulted the Prophet ﷺ, and this verse was revealed to clarify the guidelines for marriage with non-believers, especially polytheists.
🔹 Marriage with polytheistic women who are not from People of the Book (Ahle-Kitaab) is forbidden, while marriage to a woman from People of the Book is permissible.
The word “Mushrik” here refers to any non-believer who rejects the Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
🔹 This verse emphasizes that a believing woman cannot marry a polytheistic man, even if he is from the People of the Book.
🔹 Shirk (idolatry) is specifically mentioned to denote paganism and non-belief, hence it is forbidden for a Muslim woman to marry a polytheist, even if he believes in the oneness of Allah.
A non-believer who marries a believing woman may impose his beliefs and pagan lifestyle upon her.
🔹 This presents a religious danger for the Muslim woman, as her faith may be weakened or compromised in a marriage with someone whose beliefs are in direct contradiction to Islam.
From this verse, several important points emerge:
Muslims and non-Muslims cannot be considered as kindred in terms of marriage, even if they are relatives.
Marriage to a polytheist is forbidden, but if the polytheist becomes a follower of Ahle-Kitaab, a Muslim man may marry her, as marriage to People of the Book is permissible.
A Muslim woman cannot marry a polytheist or even if he turns to Christianity.
Allah’s laws are based on Divine wisdom, even if some of them may seem beyond our understanding, and they are always aimed at inviting us towards Paradise and eternal forgiveness.
The tafsir of Surah Baqarah verse 220 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Baqarah ayat 219 which provides the complete commentary from verse 219 through 220.
(2:221) Marry not the women who associate others with Allah in His Divinity until they believe; for a believing slave-girl is better than a (free, respectable) woman who associates others with Allah in His Divinity, even though she might please you. Likewise, do not give your women in marriage to men who associate others with Allah in His Divinity until they believe; for a believing slave is better than a (free, respectable) man who associates others with Allah in His Divinity, even though he might please you. Such people call you towards the Fire,[237] and Allah calls you, by His leave, towards Paradise and forgiveness; and He makes His injunctions clear to people so that they may take heed.
237. This is the reason for, and the wisdom underlying the injunction mentioned above prohibiting marriage links with polytheists. Marriage does not consist merely of sexual relations between a man and a woman. It is a relationship which has deep social, moral and emotional implications. If established between a believer and a polytheist, this kind of relationship has many possible outcomes. On the one hand, it is possible that because of the influence of the believing spouse, the other partner, the family and the future generations may become receptive to Islamic beliefs and to the Islamic wav of life. On the other hand, it is also possible that the spouse who is a polytheist may influence the thinking and mode of living of the believing spouse, the family and the future generations. Moreover this relationship may promote in that family a hotchpotch of Islam, downright atheism, and polytheism which, however welcome to non-Muslims, is in no way acceptable to Islam. No true believer can run the risk that either the ideas and life-styles which are organically related to atheism and polytheism may flourish among the members of his family, or that some aspect of his own life may bear the impress of atheism or polytheism.
[81]- i.e., worship and obey Allāh alone.
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