Understanding the Prohibition of Marrying Fornicators and Idolators in Islam

Why Believers Are Forbidden to Marry Fornicators and Idolators

THE BELIEVERS ARE FORBIDDEN FROM MARRIAGES TO FORNICATORS OR IDOLATORS.

ALLĀH says,

ٱلزَّانِى لَا يَنكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوۡ مُشۡرِكَةً وَٱلزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنكِحُهَآ إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوۡ مُشۡرِكٌۚ

The male fornicator would only marry a female fornicator or idolatress. And a female fornicator would only be married to a fornicator or idolater.

This highlights the abhorrent nature of fornication, for it tarnishes the honour of the one who does it and that of the one with whom he does it, in a manner that is not shared by other sins. So ALLĀH tells us that no woman would marry a fornicator except one who commits the same deed, so that they will be a match for one another, or a female polytheist who does not believe in the resurrection or requital, and does not adhere to the commands of ALLĀH.

By the same token, no man would marry a woman who commits fornication except a fornicator or a polytheist.

وَحُرِّمَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ

Such a thing is forbidden to the believers.

That is, ALLĀH has prohibited them to marry fornicators. What this verse means is that if a person – man or woman – characteristically commits fornication, and does not repent from it, the one who wants to marry such a person, despite the fact that ALLĀH has forbidden that, must either not be adhering to the rulings of ALLĀH and HIS Messenger (ﷺ), and such a person can only be a polytheist; or he or she is adhering to the rulings of ALLĀH and HIS Messenger (ﷺ), but goes ahead with this marriage despite being aware of the other person’s fornication. In that case, the marriage is fornication and the individual is a fornicator and is immoral, for if he truly believed in ALLĀH, he would not do that. This clearly indicates that it is prohibited to marry a woman who fornicates unless she repents, and it is prohibited to marry a man who fornicates unless he repents. That is because the connection between a husband and wife is the strongest form of companionship and bonds between people.

ALLĀH says (in another surah):

ٱحۡشُرُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ وَأَزۡوَٰجَهُمۡ

˹ALLĀH will command˺: Gather together those who did wrong, and others of their ilk... {as-Saffat: Verse 22} ...that is, their spouses.

ALLĀH has forbidden that because of what it leads to of great evil, for it reflects a lack of protective jealousy and leads to the attribution to the husband of children who are not his; moreover, the fornicator or adulterer will be unable to keep his wife chaste because he is distracted by other women. Any one of these reasons on its own is sufficient to make it prohibited. This indicates that the fornicator or adulterer is not a believer, as the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The fornicator is not a believer at the time when he is committing fornication.” {Bukhari}

Even if he is not a polytheist, he cannot be given the praiseworthy description of being a believer in general terms.

{Tafsi‌r As-Sa’di}

#sadi #nur (24:3)