Let us now come to Verse 60:10. Translated, it reads, 'O you who believe! When believing women come to you as refugees, examine them. Allah knows about the status of their belief. Then if you find them to be believers, then do not turn them back to the non-believers! They are not lawful to them (the non-believers). Neither are the non-believers lawful to the believing women. And give them (the non-believers) what they had spent on the believing women. And no blame on you if you marry them on paying them their due marriage gifts. And do not hold on to marriage ties with non-believing women, and ask them for what you have spent on them, and let them ask for what they have spent. This is Allah's Order! HE rightly decides between you. And Allah is Knowledgeable, Wise!'
After the initial exodus of the Prophet and the few believers with him, there was a continual trickle of refugees from Makkah to Medina. There were some women too among those. And there were cases of believing men leaving non-believing wives behind. Both such cases have been referred to, in the Verse.
The lesson to be derived is that a believing person is incompatible with a non-believing spouse, in Islam. Such a marriage is Divinely disapproved!
Mohammad Shafi
13th December 2021