Does Imam Al-Shafi'i hold the view that an Arab Muslim woman cannot marry non-Arab Muslim men, and is there any racism in that?
It is permissible for a Muslim Arab woman to marry a non-Arab Muslim man. This is the view of Imam Al-Shafi'i and others, as competence (kafa'ah) is not a condition for the validity of the marriage contract, but rather a right for the wife and her guardians. The Shafi'is believe that competence is considered in terms of religion, lineage, freedom, and earning, while the preponderant view is that it is considered in terms of religion only. Thus, a Muslim woman should not marry a disbeliever or a fasiq (transgressor). The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, married a Qurayshi woman to a non-Qurayshi man, and he married a Qurayshi woman to a mawla (freed slave), and he married Bilal the Abyssinian to the sister of Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf, who was from Quraysh. This supports the view that what is considered in competence is religion only, and not lineage, wealth, or profession.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/5035