Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Accoding to sharia,Allah has given permission for a believer to marry a chris or jew without them having to convert to islam.  Does this apply to the christians of today whom I believe worship Jesus as the son of God Or does surah bakrah v221 apply

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Answer:

Can one marry Christians of Today

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol,  no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah  verse 5:

Likewise you are permitted to marry believing chaste women,  and chaste women from among the people of the Book (Jews and Christians),  provided that you give them their due ‘mahr’ and desire chastity,  not lewdness,  nor secret intrigues.

The verse 221 of the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah does not apply to the Jews and the Christians women,  but to the ‘mushriks’ like Hindus,  Buddhists, etc.   

Your Question:  Does this apply to the christians of today whom I believe worship Jesus as the son of God.

Allah Subhanah gave special allowance to the People of the Book (Jews and Christians),  and gave permission, and made it legal and valid for a believer to marry a chaste woman from among the People of the Book.   

When the above aayah giving the permission for the believers to marry the women from the People of the Book was revealed in the Glorious Quran,  the Christians of the time,  used to believe in Prophet Jesus (a.s.) as the son of God,  and in the Doctrine of Trinity.    Allah Subhanah admonished them for their this dis-belief and shirk in the Glorious Quran itself!   But still,  the permission to marry their chaste women was given to the believers.     Thus,  to say that the above verse of Surah Maidah,  whereby Allah gives explicit permission for the believers to marry the chaste women of the People of the Book,  does not apply in today’s time;  is incorrect.   

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 19 Surah Maryam verses 88-92:

They say that the Merciful has begotten a son!   What an absurd thing that you have invented!   It  is well near that the skies are ready to burst,  and the earth to split asunder,  and the mountains to crumble down in utter ruin at this hideous thing that they should ascribe a son to the Most Merciful!   For it is not consonant with the Majesty of (Allah) the Most Merciful that He should beget a son!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 72:

Most certainly they committed blasphemy who said,  “Allah,  He is indeed the Messiah,  son of Mary!”,  whereas the Messiah (Jesus) had said, “O children of Israel!   Worship Allah Alone,  Who is my Lord and your Lord as well”.   Whoever does ‘shirk’ with Allah,  Allah shall forbid for him Paradise,  and Hell shall be his abode.   Such workers of iniquity shall have no helpers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 73:

Most certainly they committed blasphemy,  who said, “God is one of the three”;  whereas,  there is no deity other than the One Deity.   And if these people do not desist from uttering such words,  a painful chastisement shall be inflicted on all those from among them who have been guilty of blasphemy.   Will they not,  then,  turn to Allah and ask His Pardon?   Allah is very Forgiving and Compassionate.

Even though Allah has severely admonished the Christians for their shirk of ascribing a son to the Majestic Lord,  and their doctrine of Trinity;   Allah has still allowed the believers to marry the women from the People of the Book.   It is not like the Christians started believing in Jesus as the son of God,  or in the doctrine of Trinity after the Quran was revealed!    They used to believe in it,  even as the Quran was being revealed.   

All the scholars of Islam are unanimous in their opinion,  that if a believer marries a woman from among the People of the Book;  the marriage will be deemed legal and valid in Islamic Law and Shariah.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan