Short answer
Yes, a Muslim man may marry a chaste Christian or Jewish woman who truly holds to her faith, and the four schools agree. In the Hanafi school it is makruh, and strongly so when living outside Muslim lands, because of the risk to the children's faith. A Muslim woman may not marry a Christian or Jewish man.
Marriage to a kitabiyyah (a Christian or Jewish woman who believes in her religion) is valid but makruh, and makruh tahrimi in a non-Muslim country where the children may follow the mother's faith or the law may give her custody. A woman who is Christian only in name but is in fact an atheist is not a kitabiyyah.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Valid but disliked, with an added condition of lineage: if she is not of the Children of Israel, her forebears must have entered the religion before it was abrogated or altered.
Explanation
Allah says in Surah al-Ma'idah that chaste women of the people of the Book are lawful in marriage. On this the four schools agree. A Muslim woman marrying a non-Muslim man, though, is not allowed in any school. See why a Muslim woman may not marry a non-Muslim.
The permission has conditions:
- She must truly be a Christian or a Jew. Many people from a Christian background today do not believe in God or any scripture. Such a woman is not a kitabiyyah, and a nikah with her is not valid.
- Chastity. The ayah says chaste women, not women in open relationships.
- A proper nikah. Offer and acceptance, mahr and two witnesses. Abu Hanifa and Abu Yusuf accepted Christian or Jewish witnesses for this marriage, but Muslim witnesses are safer and accepted by all.
Why is it disliked? The children are the main reason. In the West, children often grow up with their mother's culture, and family courts may give the mother custody and the right to raise them in her faith. Umar ibn al-Khattab discouraged Companions from such marriages. For these reasons Hanafi scholars today advise strongly against it unless the man is confident about his own deen and the children's upbringing.
She keeps her own religion, and he may not force her to change. He must treat her with kindness and give her all a wife's rights. For a short overview of the two faiths, see Islam and Christianity.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Maaida 5:5
ٱلْيَوْمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتُ ۖ وَطَعَامُ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ حِلٌّۭ لَّكُمْ وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلٌّۭ لَّهُمْ ۖ وَٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ وَٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ إِذَآ ءَاتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَٰفِحِينَ وَلَا مُتَّخِذِىٓ أَخْدَانٍۢ ۗ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِٱلْإِيمَٰنِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُۥ وَهُوَ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ مِنَ ٱلْخَٰسِرِينَ ﴿٥﴾
This day [all] good foods have been made lawful, and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them. And [lawful in marriage are] chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you, when you have given them their due compensation, desiring chastity, not unlawful sexual intercourse or taking [secret] lovers. And whoever denies the faith - his work has become worthless, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.
The explicit permission to marry Christian and Jewish women.
Quran, Surah Al-Baqara 2:221
وَلَا تَنكِحُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكَٰتِ حَتَّىٰ يُؤْمِنَّ ۚ وَلَأَمَةٌۭ مُّؤْمِنَةٌ خَيْرٌۭ مِّن مُّشْرِكَةٍۢ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ ۗ وَلَا تُنكِحُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ حَتَّىٰ يُؤْمِنُوا۟ ۚ وَلَعَبْدٌۭ مُّؤْمِنٌ خَيْرٌۭ مِّن مُّشْرِكٍۢ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكُمْ ۗ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَدْعُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلْجَنَّةِ وَٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۖ وَيُبَيِّنُ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٢٢١﴾
And do not marry polytheistic women until they believe. And a believing slave woman is better than a polytheist, even though she might please you. And do not marry polytheistic men [to your women] until they believe. And a believing slave is better than a polytheist, even though he might please you. Those invite [you] to the Fire, but Allah invites to Paradise and to forgiveness, by His permission. And He makes clear His verses to the people that perhaps they may remember.
The permission does not extend to women of other religions.
Sahih Muslim 1466
Sahih... تنكح المرأة لأربع لمالها ولحسبها ولجمالها ولدينها ...
"A woman is married for four things: her wealth, her lineage, her beauty and her religion. Choose the one with religion."
Even where marriage is allowed, the Prophet ﷺ advised choosing for faith.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Nikah, Fasl fi Bayan al-Muharramat. Marriage to a kitabiyyah is valid.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Nikah, Fasl fi al-Muharramat. It is makruh, and more so outside Muslim lands, and a woman with no real belief in her scripture is not a kitabiyyah.
- al-Mughni (Ibn Qudama), Kitab al-Nikah, on marrying women of the Book. The Hanbali permission with dislike.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.