Nikah with a Woman of the People of the Book out of Necessity

Question

The Jews and Christians who claim to be People of the Book: is it permissible or impermissible for a Muslim to marry their girls without making them Muslims?

Answer

If a person is in a place where there are no Muslim women and he fears falling into trial (sin), he is permitted to marry a woman of the People of the Book. For them to count as People of the Book, their claim that they are People of the Book is also sufficient, as ‘Allama Shami ﵀ has explicitly stated. Without necessity, nikah should not be contracted with them.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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