...the Almighty: "Those who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists were not to be parted [from disbelief]" [Quran 98:1]. And He said: "Indeed, they who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists" [Quran 98:6]. And He said: "You will surely find the most intense of the people in animosity toward the believers [to be] the Jews and those who associate others with Allah" [Quran 5:82]. And He said: "Neither those who disbelieve from the People of the Scripture nor the polytheists wish that any good should be sent down to you" [Quran 2:105]. The rest of the verses of the Quran distinguish between them, which proves that the term "polytheists" (al-mushrikin) in its general usage does not include the People of the Book. This is the meaning of the statement of Sa'id ibn Jubayr and Qatadah. Furthermore, what they used as evidence is general, applying to every female disbeliever, whereas our verse is specific regarding the lawfulness of the People of the Book, and the specific must be given precedence.

Once this is established, it is better not to marry a woman of the People of the Book; for Umar said to those who married women from the People of the Book: "Divorce them." So they divorced them, except for Hudhayfah. Umar said to him: "Divorce her." He replied: "Do you testify that she is unlawful?" He said: "She is a burning coal (jamrah), divorce her." He said: "Do you testify that she is unlawful?" He said: "She is a burning coal." He said: "I have already known that she is a burning coal, [but she is to me] lawful." Later, he did divorce her. When asked, "Why did you not divorce her when Umar ordered you?" he said: "I disliked that people should see that I undertook an action that is not appropriate for me." Moreover, it is possible that his heart might incline toward her and she might tempt him, and it is possible that there might be a child between them, and he would incline toward her.

Section: The People of the Book to whom this ruling applies are the people of the Torah and the Gospel. The Almighty said: "Lest you say, 'The Scripture was only sent down to two groups before us'" [Quran 6:156]. Thus, the people of the Torah are the Jews and the Samaritans, and the people of the Gospel are the Christians, and those who agree with them in the fundamentals of their religion, such as the Franks, the Armenians, and others. As for the Sabians, the predecessors differed greatly concerning them; it was narrated from Ahmad that they are...