Allah prohibited the believers from marrying Mushrik women who worship idols. Although the meaning is general and includes every Mushrik woman from among the idol worshippers and the People of the Scripture, Allah excluded the People of the Scripture from this ruling. Allah stated:

﴿ظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط£ظڈظˆطھظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ’ظƒظگطھظژظ€ط¨ظژ ظ…ظگظ† ظ‚ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ظگظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگط°ظژط¢ ط،ظژط§طھظژظٹظ’طھظڈظ…ظڈظˆظ‡ظڈظ†ظ‘ظژ ط£ظڈط¬ظڈظˆط±ظژظ‡ظڈظ†ظ‘ظژ ظ…ظڈط­ظ’طµظگظ†ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط؛ظژظٹظ’ط±ظژ ظ…ظڈط³ظژط§ظپظگط­ظگظٹظ†ظژ﴾

((Lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before your time when you have given their due dowry, desiring chastity (i.e., taking them in legal wedlock) not committing illegal sexual intercourse.) (5:5)

`Ali bin Abu Talhah said that Ibn `Abbas said about what Allah said:

﴿ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ طھظژظ†ظ’ظƒظگط­ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈط´ظ’ط±ظگظƒظژظ€طھظگ ط­ظژطھظ‘ظژظ‰ ظٹظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ﴾

(And do not marry Al-Mushrikat (female idolators) till they believe (worship Allah Alone).) "Allah has excluded the women of the People of the Scripture.'' This is also the explanation of Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Makhul, Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak, Zayd bin Aslam and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and others. Some scholars said that the Ayah is exclusively talking about idol worshippers and not the People of the Scripture, and this meaning is similar to the first meaning we mentioned. Allah knows best.

Abu Ja`far bin Jarir (At-Tabari) said, after mentioning that there is Ijma` that marrying women from the People of the Scripture is allowed, "`Umar disliked this practice so that the Muslims do not refrain from marrying Muslim women, or for similar reasons.'' An authentic chain of narrators stated that Shaqiq said: Once Hudhayfah married a Jewish woman and `Umar wrote to him, "Divorce her.'' He wrote back, "Do you claim that she is not allowed for me so that I divorce her'' He said, "No. But, I fear that you might marry the whores from among them.'' Ibn Jarir related that Zayd bin Wahb said that `Umar bin Khattab said, "The Muslim man marries the Christian woman, but the Christian man does not marry the Muslim woman.'' This Hadith has a stronger, authentic chain of narrators than the previous Hadith.

Ibn Abu Hatim said that Ibn `Umar disliked marrying the women from the People of the Scripture. He relied on his own explanation for the Ayah:

﴿ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ طھظژظ†ظ’ظƒظگط­ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈط´ظ’ط±ظگظƒظژظ€طھظگ ط­ظژطھظ‘ظژظ‰ ظٹظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ﴾

(And do not marry Al-Mushrikat (female idolators) till they believe (worship Allah Alone).)

Al-Bukhari also reported that Ibn `Umar said, "I do not know of a bigger Shirk than her saying that Jesus is her Lord!''

Allah said:

﴿ظˆظژظ„ط£ظژظ…ظژط©ظŒ ظ…ظ‘ظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظژط©ظŒ ط®ظژظٹظ’ط±ظŒ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ† ظ…ظ‘ظڈط´ظ’ط±ظگظƒظژط©ظچ ظˆظژظ„ظژظˆظ’ ط£ظژط¹ظ’ط¬ظژط¨ظژطھظ’ظƒظڈظ…ظ’﴾

(And indeed a slave woman who believes is better than a (free) Mushrikah (female idolators), even though she pleases you.)

It is recorded in the Two Sahihs that Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said:

آ«طھظڈظ†ظ’ظ€ظƒظژط­ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژط±ظ’ط£ظژط©ظڈ ظ„ظگط£ظژط±ظ’ط¨ظژط¹ظچ: ظ„ظگظ…ظژط§ظ„ظگظ‡ظژط§ ظˆظژظ„ظگط­ظژط³ظژط¨ظگظ‡ظژط§ ظˆظژظ„ظگط¬ظژظ…ظژط§ظ„ظگظ‡ظژط§ ظˆظژظ„ظگط¯ظگظٹظ†ظگظ‡ظژط§طŒ ظپظژط§ط¸ظ’ظپظژط±ظ’ ط¨ظگط°ظژط§طھظگ ط§ظ„ط¯ظ‘ظگظٹظ†ظگطŒ طھظژط±ظگط¨ظژطھظ’ ظٹظژط¯ظژط§ظƒآ»

(A woman is chosen for marriage for four reasons: her wealth, social status, beauty, and religion. So, marry the religious woman, may your hands be filled with sand (a statement of encouragement).)

Muslim reported this Hadith from Jabir. Muslim also reported that Ibn `Amr said that Allah's Messenger said:

آ«ط§ظ„ط¯ظ‘ظڈظ†ظ’ظٹظژط§ ظ…ظژطھظژط§ط¹ظŒطŒ ظˆظژط®ظژظٹظ’ط±ظڈ ظ…ظژطھظژط§ط¹ظگ ط§ظ„ط¯ظ‘ظڈظ†ظ’ظٹظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژط±ظ’ط£ظژط©ظڈ ط§ظ„طµظ‘ظژط§ظ„ظگط­ظژط©آ»

(The life of this world is but a delight, and the best of the delights of this earthly life is the righteous wife.)

Allah then said:

﴿ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ طھظڈظ†ظƒظگط­ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈط´ظگط±ظگظƒظگظٹظ†ظژ ط­ظژطھظ‘ظژظ‰ ظٹظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’﴾

(And give not (your daughters) in marriage to Al-Mushrikin till they believe (in Allah Alone).) meaning, do not marry Mushrik men to believing women. This statement is similar to Allah's statement:

﴿ظ„ط§ظژ ظ‡ظڈظ†ظ‘ظژ ط­ظگظ„ظ‘ظŒ ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظٹظژط­ظگظ„ظ‘ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈظ†ظ‘ظژ﴾

(They are not lawful (wives) for them, nor are they lawful (husbands) for them.) (60:10)

Next, Allah said:

﴿ظˆظژظ„ظژط¹ظژط¨ظ’ط¯ظŒ ظ…ظ‘ظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظŒ ط®ظژظٹظ’ط±ظŒ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ† ظ…ظ‘ظڈط´ظ’ط±ظگظƒظچ ظˆظژظ„ظژظˆظ’ ط£ظژط¹ظ’ط¬ظژط¨ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’﴾

(. ..and verily, a believing servant is better than a (free) Mushrik (idolator), even though he pleases you.)

This Ayah indicates that a believing man, even an Abyssinian servant, is better than a Mushrik man, even if he was a rich master.

﴿ط£ظڈظˆظ’ظ„ظژظ€ط¦ظگظƒظژ ظٹظژط¯ظ’ط¹ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژط§ط±ظگ﴾

(Those (Al-Mushrikun) invite you to the Fire) meaning, associating and mingling with the disbelievers makes one love this life and prefer it over the Hereafter, leading to the severest repercussions. Allah said:

﴿ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظٹظژط¯ظ’ط¹ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¬ظژظ†ظ‘ظژط©ظگ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژط؛ظ’ظپظگط±ظژط©ظگ ط¨ظگط¥ظگط°ظ’ظ†ظگظ‡ظگ﴾

(...but Allah invites (you) to Paradise and forgiveness by His leave) meaning, by His Law, commandments and prohibitions. Allah said:

﴿ظˆظژظٹظڈط¨ظژظٹظ‘ظگظ†ظڈ ط¢ظٹظژظ€طھظگظ‡ظگ ظ„ظگظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژط§ط³ظگ ظ„ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظٹظژطھظژط°ظژظƒظ‘ظژط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(...and makes His Ayat clear to mankind that they may remember.)

﴿ظˆظژظٹظژط³ظ’ظ€ظژظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژظƒظژ ط¹ظژظ†ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژط­ظگظٹط¶ظگ ظ‚ظڈظ„ظ’ ظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ط£ظژط°ظ‹ظ‰ ظپظژط§ط¹ظ’طھظژط²ظگظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظگط³ظژط¢ط،ظژ ظپظگظٹ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژط­ظگظٹط¶ظگ ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ طھظژظ‚ظ’ط±ظژط¨ظڈظˆظ‡ظڈظ†ظ‘ظژ ط­ظژطھظ‘ظژظ‰ ظٹظژط·ظ’ظ‡ظڈط±ظ’ظ†ظژ ظپظژط¥ظگط°ظژط§ طھظژط·ظژظ‡ظ‘ظژط±ظ’ظ†ظژ ظپظژط£ظ’طھظڈظˆظ‡ظڈظ†ظ‘ظژ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ ط­ظژظٹظ’ط«ظڈ ط£ظژظ…ظژط±ظژظƒظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ ظٹظڈط­ظگط¨ظ‘ظڈ ط§ظ„طھظ‘ظژظˆظژط¨ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظˆظژظٹظڈط­ظگط¨ظ‘ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈطھظژط·ظژظ‡ظ‘ظگط±ظگظٹظ†ظژ - ظ†ظگط³ظژط¢ط¤ظڈظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط­ظژط±ظ’ط«ظŒ ظ„ظ‘ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظژط£ظ’طھظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط­ظژط±ظ’ط«ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظژظ‰ ط´ظگط¦ظ’طھظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظ‚ظژط¯ظ‘ظگظ…ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ„ط§ظ‘ظ‹ظ†ظپظڈط³ظگظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژط§طھظ‘ظژظ‚ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ ظˆظژط§ط¹ظ’ظ„ظژظ…ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظژظƒظڈظ… ظ…ظ‘ظڈظ„ظژظ€ظ‚ظڈظˆظ‡ظڈ ظˆظژط¨ظژط´ظ‘ظگط±ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظگظٹظ†ظژ ﴾

(222. They ask you concerning menstruation. Say: "That is an Adha, therefore, keep away from women during menses and go not in unto them till they are purified.'' And when they have purified themselves, then go in unto them as Allah has ordained for you. Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves.) (223. Your wives are a tilth for you, so go to your tilth, when or how you will, and send (good deeds, or ask Allah to bestow upon you pious offspring) for your own selves beforehand. And fear Allah, and know that you are to meet Him (in the Hereafter), and give good tidings to the believers (O Muhammad ).)