In the present article, the author discusses “marriage” with women from the people of the book (′Ahl al-Kitāb) only from a Quranic view and apart from hadiths quoted from the Infallible Imams (A.S.) in this regard. Of course, hadiths in which the Quranic verses have been mentioned will be referred to, if necessary. From such studies, it becomes clear that, from among the verses of lawfulness, it is only the verse 5 of the Chapter al-Ma’idah (And [lawful in marriage are] chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you) in which a perfect permission may be found; in what the verses suggesting unlawfulness signify, however, may be doubted.
Apart from objections which may be put forth against referring to the verses suggesting unlawfulness, what that solves our problem is that all these verses are general ones, while the verse in the Chapter al-Ma’idah is a particular one. On the other hand, in absolute generality and peculiarity, peculiar is conventionally prior to general. Thus, generalities about prohibition of marriage with all disbelievers are limited (specified) by the above verse and the phrase “chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture” according to which marriage is permitted with a group of disbelievers (those who were given the Scripture before Muslims); and now that there are a conventional agreement, there is no need to search for abrogated verses or to discuss “conflict” between verses; and, lawfulness of marriage with the women from the people of the book may be inferred without any problem.