How can one refute the specious argument that the verse, "and a believing woman if she gives herself to the Prophet and if the Prophet wishes to marry her—[this is] only for you, excluding the [other] believers," implies fornication, based on interpreting "yankiḥu" in the verse "The fornicator does not marry except a [female] fornicator" to mean prostitution, and what is the advice for avoiding such specious arguments?

The term "nikah" is applied to marriage and its contract, and to intercourse alone, and the determination of its meaning depends on the context. In Surah An-Nur (The fornicator does not marry except a fornicatress), some scholars interpreted it as intercourse, because the context indicates the indecency of fornication, not marriage, and because the mention of the polytheist male and female in the verse is inconsistent with the marriage contract, which prohibits the marriage of a Muslim to a polytheist female and vice versa. As for Surah Al-Ahzab (If the Prophet desires to marry her), it refers to the marriage contract, due to its consistency with the context which addresses the rulings of marriage, and the use of the word "granted" which indicates ownership. This is the predominant usage of the term "nikah" in the Qur'an and Sunnah.

A Muslim must abandon those who spread doubts and their sources, because human hearts are weak and may be tempted, just as the Salaf used to forbid sitting with people of innovation and looking into their books. One must be keen on seeking knowledge and understanding, and supplicating for guidance and steadfastness.