Muslim men marrying Jewish and Christian women

Common factors shared between the Muslims and Ahle Kitaab was that both believed in Tawheed, Nabuwwat and Wahi. The Jews and Christians may have been sinful in their actions and they may have over-exaggerated in certain matters of Aqeedah, but in essence they too, believed in the oneness of Allah, Nabuwwat and Wahi. These are some of the most important aspects in the chapter of Aqeedah. Hence, in principle, the permissibility for a Muslim man to marry a Kitaabiyyah woman is found.

Ibn Humaam Rahimahullah has written in Fathul Qadeer,

Although marrying a Kitaabiyyah women is fundamentally permitted, majority of the Sahaaba and Tabi’een have considered it as Makrooh due to the various forms of evil and corruption attached to it. Abu Bakr Jassaas Rahimahullah has quoted in Ahkaam-ul-Quraan the narration of Shaqeeq Bin Salama Radiallahu Anhu wherein he states that when Huzaifa Bin Yamaam Radiallahu Anhu reached Madaa’in, then he married a Jewish woman. When Hadrat Umar Radiallahu Anhu was informed of it, he wrote a letter instructing him to divorce her. Huzaifa Bin Yamaam Radiallahu Anhu responded to Umar Radiallahu Anhu, “Is she Haraam for me?” Umar I replied, “I am not saying that she is Haraam, but the women of Ahle Kitaab are generally unchaste, therefore I fear that their evil practices will enter your homes.

Imaam Muhammad Rahimahullah quoting from Imaam Abu Hanifa Rahimahullah narrates this incident in Kitaab-ul-Aathaar in the following manner: When Umar Radiallahu Anhu responded to Huzaifa Radiallahu Anhu the second time, he stated, “I give you an oath that before putting down this letter of mine divorce her and free her, for verily I fear that the Muslims will follow you and give preference to the Dhimmi women (Ahle Kitaab) due to their beauty (over our believing women.) That itself is sufficient as a Fitna for the believing women.”

Keeping these harms before him, Umar R.A instructed him to divorce her. Many of the Ahle Kitaab in this day and age may be referred to as Jews and Christians by name but are atheists in reality. They neither believe in the Torah nor the Injeel, how can it be permissible to marry them? And if they are practicing on their religion, then there exists a fear of them bringing their evil and corrupt customs into our homes, hence it is totally discouraged.