"This day [all] good foods have been made lawful, and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you." It means: their slaughtered animals. "And your food is lawful for them. And [lawful to you are] chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you." The term 'chaste women' here refers to free women; it is not lawful to marry the slave women of the People of the Scripture. "When you have given them their due compensation [dowries]"—meaning the dower, when it is [specified] for her; and there is no harm in having intimate relations with her before giving it to her.

"Desiring chastity, not unlawful sexual intercourse"—meaning marrying, not committing fornication. "Nor taking secret lovers"—meaning a male or female lover in secret.

"And whoever denies the faith, his work has become worthless." Qatadah said: When the lawfulness of marrying women of the People of the Scripture was revealed, it was mentioned to us that some men said: 'How can we marry women who are not of our religion?' So Allah revealed: "And whoever denies the faith"—the rest of the verse. Surah Al-Ma'idah from verse (6) only.