"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.
﴿الْيَوْمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَكُمْ﴾ يَعْنِي: ذَبَائِحَهُمْ ﴿وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلٌّ لَهُمْ وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ﴾ الْمُحْصنَات هَا هُنَا: الْحَرَائِرُ، وَلَا يَحِلُّ نِكَاحُ إِمَاءِ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ ﴿إِذَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ﴾ يَعْنِي: الصَّدَاقَ إِذَا [سُمِّيَ] لَهَا، وَلَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ عَلَيْهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يُعْطِيَهَا إِيَّاهُ.
﴿مُحْصِنِينَ غير مسافحين﴾ يَعْنِي: نَاكِحِينَ غَيْرَ زَانِينَ ﴿وَلا متخذي أخدان﴾ يَعْنِي: الْخَلِيلَ وَالْخَلِيلَةَ فِي السِّرِّ.
﴿وَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالإِيمَانِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عمله﴾ قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: لَمَّا نَزَلَ تَحْلِيلُ نِسَاءِ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ؛ ذُكِرَ لَنَا أَنَّ رِجَالًا قَالُوا: كَيْفَ نَتَزَوَّجُ نِسَاءً عَلَى غَيْرِ دِينِنَا؟ فَأَنْزَلَ الله: ﴿وَمن يكفر بِالْإِيمَان﴾ الْآيَة. سُورَة الْمَائِدَة من الْآيَة (٦) فَقَط.
