وَلَا تَنكِحُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكَٰتِ حَتَّىٰ يُؤْمِنَّ ۚ وَلَأَمَةٌۭ مُّؤْمِنَةٌ خَيْرٌۭ مِّن مُّشْرِكَةٍۢ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ ۗ وَلَا تُنكِحُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ حَتَّىٰ يُؤْمِنُوا۟ ۚ وَلَعَبْدٌۭ مُّؤْمِنٌ خَيْرٌۭ مِّن مُّشْرِكٍۢ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكُمْ ۗ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَدْعُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلْجَنَّةِ وَٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۖ وَيُبَيِّنُ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
And do not marry polytheistic women until they believe. And a believing slave woman is better than a polytheist, even though she might please you. And do not marry polytheistic men [to your women] until they believe. And a believing slave is better than a polytheist, even though he might please you. Those invite [you] to the Fire, but Allah invites to Paradise and to forgiveness, by His permission. And He makes clear His verses to the people that perhaps they may remember.
Introduction
This is āyah 221 of Sūrat Al-Baqara (The Cow), the 87th sūrah in the traditional order of revelation. It was revealed in the Medinan period and sits within Juzʾ 2. Medinan verses often address community life, law, and the building of society.
This introduction is a starting point — the community and Bilal will enrich it over time.
Revelation & occasion
- Period
- Medinan
- Order revealed
- 87 of 114
- Surah
- Al-Baqara (2)
(Wed not idolatresses till they believe�) [2:221]. Abu 'Uthman ibn 'Amr al-Hafiz informed us> his grandfather> Abu 'Amr Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Jurashi> Isma'il ibn Qutaybah> Abu Khalid> Bukayr ibn Ma'ruf> Muqatil ibn Hayyan who said: �This verse was revealed about Abu Marthad al-Ghanawi who sought the permission of the Prophet, Allah, bless him and give him peace, to marry 'Anaq, who was a poor, fairly beautiful woman from Quraysh. But this woman was an idolatress whereas Marthad was Muslim. Marthad said to the prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace: 'O prophet of Allah! I like her!' Allah then revealed this verse (Wed not idolatresses till they believe�)�. Abu 'Uthman informed us> his grandfather> Abu 'Amr> Muhammad ibn Yahya> 'Amr ibn Hammad> Asbat> al-Suddi> Abu Malik> ibn 'Abbas who said regarding this verse: �This verse was revealed about 'Abd Allah ibn Rawahah who owned a black slave. It happened that 'Abd Allah punched this slave because he got angry with her. But then he became worried as a result of what he had done which made him rush to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, to inform him of what had happened. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, asked him: 'And what is it that is really making you worried?' 'Abd Allah said: 'O Messenger of Allah! She fast and prays and performs the ritual ablution in the proper way and she bears witness that there is no god but Allah and that you are His Messenger'. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: 'O 'Abd Allah! She is a believer!' 'Abd Allah said: 'By Him who has sent you with the truth, I will set her free and marry her'. And he did. A group of Muslims reproached him for doing so, saying: 'He married a slave!' This is because Muslims were still looking forward to marry idolatresses and marry their own daughters to idolaters, out of desire for their noble lineages. Allah, exalted is He, therefore revealed about them (for lo! a believing bondwoman is better than an idolatress though she please you�)�. Ibn 'Abbas is reported to have said according to the narration of al-Kalbi from Abu Salih: �The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, sent a man from Ghaniyy called Marthad ibn Abi Marthad, an ally of Banu Hashim, to Mecca to try to free some Muslims who were held prisoners there.
Tafsir
Hafiz Ibn Kathir
Chains of transmission
Oral — isnād
- ~610–632 CERevelation & memorisation
Received by the Prophet ﷺ and preserved by the ḥuffāẓ (memorisers) among the Companions.
- 1st century AHMutawātir transmissionawaiting curation
Carried by mass-transmission through the generations of qurrāʾ.
- TodayLiving chainsawaiting curation
Continuous ijāzah chains link reciters today back to the Prophet ﷺ.
Verified isnād chains for this āyah will be added by curators.
Written — the manuscript record
- ~650 CEʿUthmānic codicesawaiting curation
The standardised muṣḥaf sent to the great cities (e.g. the Topkapı and Samarqand codices).
- 8th–10th c.Early Ḥijāzī & Kūfic foliosawaiting curation
Surviving leaves in Birmingham, Sanaa, Paris (BnF) and beyond.
- Modern printModern printawaiting curation
The 1924 Cairo edition → today: the standard printed muṣḥaf used worldwide.
A curated chain of manuscript images for this exact āyah — roughly one per century — is coming. Help us source and verify them.
And now — what do you think?
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