Is it permissible for a man to marry a woman with whom he committed adultery, and what is the interpretation of the verse, "The fornicator does not marry except a fornicatress," and is the marriage between two people who had an unlawful relationship before marriage valid?

It is permissible for the fornicator to marry the woman with whom he committed fornication if they both repent. This is the view of Imam Ahmad and those who agreed with him. They cited Ibn Kathir's interpretation of the verse, "The fornicator does not marry except a fornicatress," stating that marriage to an immoral woman or a dissolute man is not valid until repentance occurs. On the other hand, the majority of scholars hold the view that it is permissible to marry a fornicatress even if she has not repented, interpreting the verse as a description of the condition of fornicators. The more preponderant view is that of Imam Ahmad, which states that marrying a fornicatress is unlawful until she repents.