Marriage in the Writ of God

[saidmirza]

And among His proofs is that He created for you spouses from yourselves that you might be reassured thereby, and made between you love and mercy; in that are proofs for people who reflect.
(30:21)

Allowed and forbidden marriage candidates​

And marry not idolatresses until they believe. And a believing slave girl is better than an idolatress, though she impress you. And give not in marriage to idolaters until they believe. And a believing slave is better than an idolater, though he impress you. Those invite to the Fire; and God invites to the Garden and forgiveness, by His leave. And He makes plain His proofs to men, that they might take heed.
(2:221)

The unchaste man shall not marry save an unchaste woman or an idolatress; and an unchaste woman shall not marry save an unchaste man or an idolater — and
that is unlawful to the believers — (24:3)

And give in marriage the unmarried among you, and the righteous among your male slaves and your female slaves; if they be poor, God will enrich them out of His
bounty; and God is encompassing and knowing. And let abstain those who find not marriage until God enriches them out of His bounty. And those who seek the writ from among those your right hands possess: contract with them if you know good to be in them; and give to them out of the wealth God has given you. And
compel not your slave-girls to whoredom, if they desire chastity[...] — seeking the enjoyment of the life of this world. And whoso compels them, then God, after their
compulsion, is forgiving and merciful.
(24:32-33)

And marry not what your fathers married among women save what is past; it was sexual immorality, and hateful, and an evil path.
Forbidden to you are your mothers, and your daughters, and your sisters, and your paternal aunts, and your maternal aunts, and the daughters of your brother, and the daughters of your sister, and your milk-mothers, and your milk-sisters, and the mothers of your wives, and your step-daughters under your protection from your wives unto whom you have gone in (and if you have gone not in unto them, then there is no wrong upon you) and the wives of your sons of your loins, and that you bring two sisters together, save what is past; God is forgiving and merciful;
And married chaste women save what your right hands possess. The Writ of God is over you. But lawful to you is what is beyond that, if you seek with your wealth
in chastity, not being fornicators. And what you enjoy thereby of them: give them their rewards as an obligation. And there is no wrong upon you in what you do by mutual agreement after the obligation; God is knowing and wise.
And whoso among you has not the means to marry free chaste believing women, then from what your right hands possess of believing maids; and God best knows
your faith. You are of one another, so marry them with the leave of their people; and give them their rewards according to what is fitting, they being chaste and not
fornicators, nor taking secret friends. But when they are in wedlock, then if they commit sexual immorality: upon them is half what is due the free chaste women of
punishment; that is for him who fears hardship among you. And that you be patient is best for you; and God is forgiving and merciful.
(4:22-25)

We cannot marry chaste women of the common-folk​

While Brother Gerrans has translated muhsanatu as married women in verse 4:24, I have opted to use chaste to keep its meaning consistently in line with its usage throughout the Qur’an. Verse 24:3 forbids unchaste women to the believers and verse 4:24 also forbids chaste women of the common folk to the believers, effectively leaving only chaste believing women or chaste women of those given the Writ before as possible candidates for a believing man. The below verse confirms this understanding.

This day are good things made lawful for you; and the food of those given the Writ is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them, as are chaste women among the believing women and chaste women among those given the Writ before you, when you have given them their dowries, being chaste and not fornicators, nor taking secret friends. And whoso denies the faith: his work has been in vain, and he in the Hereafter is among the losers.
(5:5)

Marriage procedure​

O you who heed warning: when the believing women come to you as emigrees: examine them. God best knows their faith. And if you know them to be believing women, then return them not to the atheists. Such women are not lawful for them, and they are not lawful for such women. And give them what they spent. And you do no wrong to marry such women when you give them their rewards. And hold not by tie denying women; and ask for what you have spent, and let them ask for what they have spent. That is the judgment of God; He judges between you; and God is knowing and wise.
And if any of your wives slip away from you to the atheists, then you are met with the same: give those whose wives have gone the like of what they spent; and be in prudent fear of God in whom you are believers.
(60:10-11)

Marrying a believing widow​

And those of you who die and leave behind wives: they shall wait by themselves four months and ten. And when they have reached their term, then you do no
wrong in what they do concerning themselves according to what is fitting. And God is aware of what you do.
And you do no wrong in what you intimate to women of proposal, or hide within yourselves; God knows that you will remember them. But make not nor take an oath with them secretly save that you speak a fitting word. And do not decide upon the knot of marriage until the writ reaches its term. And know that God knows what is within your souls, so fear Him. And know that God is forgiving and clement.
(2:234-235)

Taking of oaths​

Although the above verses are in the context of marrying women whose husbands have died, a close reading of 2:235 makes it clear that an oath must be taken as part of the due process of marriage. This is also referred to obliquely in 4:21.

In conclusion, a believing man can only marry a believing woman or a woman from the people of the Writ (communities that implement God’s Writ). The mechanics of getting married are straight-forward; they involve the man giving the woman a payment, and the taking of oaths.