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 )
524. This verse was revealed concerning Hazrat Murthad Ghanawi (on whom be peace) who, during the Period of Jahiliyya, had an affair with a lady named Inaaq. After coming into the fold of Islam he migrated to Madina Tayyibah from where he was sent to Makkah to get the Muslims secretly out of there. When Inaaq heard of his arrival, she went up to him and requested her conjugal rights. He replied that I have become a Muslim and in Islam adultery is forbidden. On hearing this, she asked him to marry her. To this he replied that he will do so after seeking advice of the Holy Prophet. On returning to Madina he related the incident to the Messenger of Allah.
As a reply Allah Almighty revealed this verse It should be remembered by polytheist woman is meant all non-believing women who do not belong to Ahle-Kitaab (People of the Scriptures). Marriage with women belonging to the Ahle-Kitaab is permissible, but with all other non-believers it is totally forbidden. Even marriage to a Muslim woman who becomes a Christian is forbidden as she is now an apostate, not one belonging to Ahle-Kitaah
525. In this verse the word Mushrik indicates a non-believer as the marriage of a believing woman to a non-believer is totally forbidden. Likewise in the verse:
"Allah forgives not that anyone he associated with Him" (S4: VI16).
Shirk (idolatry) is used to indicate paganism. Thus, one who rejects the Prophethood of our Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, is an infidel even though he believes in the oneness of Allah.
526. It is possible that a non-believer after marrying a believing woman will impose his pianistic life upon her. Hence there is a religious danger for her.
527. From this entire verse a few issues have emerged:
1. Muslims and non-Muslims can never be regarded as kindred, even though they may be relatives.
2. If a polytheist woman becomes a follower of Ahle-Kitaab, a Muslim male may marry her because marriage to women from Ahle Kitaab is permissible.
3. Even if a polytheist male turns to Christianity, a Muslim woman cannot marry him.
4. The Laws of Allah are thousand times based on Divine wisdom even though they may be beyond our understanding. He is always inviting us towards Paradise.
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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.
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.
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