1 The Virtues of Surah Al-Ma'idah; When It was Revealed Surah to ...

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Malik Al-Ghifari said
that Ibn Abbas said that;
وَلاَ‏ تَنكِحُواْ‏ الْمُشْرِآَاتِ‏ revealed, when this Ayah was
(And do not marry idolatresses till they حَت َّى يُؤْمِ‏ َّن
believe), the people did not marry the pagan
women. When the following Ayah was revealed,
وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ‏ مِنَ‏ ال َّذِینَ‏ أُوتُواْ‏ الْكِتَابَ‏ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ‏ ...
(Lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women
from the believers and chaste women from those
who were given the Scripture before your time)
they married women from the People of the
Book.''
Some of the Companions married Christian women and
did not see any problem in this, relying on the honorable
Ayah, وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ‏ مِنَ‏ ال َّذِينَ‏ أُوتُواْ‏ الْكِتَابَ‏ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ‏ ((Lawful to you
in marriage) are chaste women from those who were
given the Scripture before your time), therefore, they
made this Ayah an exception to the Ayah in Surah Al-
Baqarah, وَلاَ‏ تَنكِحُواْ‏ الْمُشْرِآَاتِ‏ حَت َّى يُؤْمِن َّ (And do not marry
the idolatresses till they believe), considering the latter
Ayah to include the People of the Book in its general
meaning. Otherwise, there is no contradiction here, since
the People of the Book were mentioned alone when
mentioning the rest of the idolators. Allah said,
لَمْ‏ یَكُنِ‏ ال َّذِینَ‏ آَفَرُوا مِنْ‏ أَهْلِ‏ الْكِتَابِ‏ وَالْمُشْرِآِينَ‏ مُنفَك ِّينَ‏ حَت َّى
تَأْتِيَهُمُ‏ الْبَي ِّنَةُ‏
Those who disbelieve from among the People of
the Scripture and the idolators, were not going to
leave (their disbelief) until there came to them
clear evidence. (98:1)
وَقُل ل ِّل َّذِینَ‏ أُوْتُواْ‏ الْكِتَابَ‏ وَالأُم ِّي ِّينَ‏ أَأَسْلَمْتُمْ‏ فَإِنْ‏ أَسْلَمُواْ‏ فَقَ‏ ‏ِد
اهْتَدَواْ‏
And say to those who were given the Scripture
and to those who are illiterates: "Do you (also)
submit yourselves!'' If they do, they are rightly
guided. (3:20)
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