Unlike Judaism, Islam is passed down through the father. The Qur’an even grants a Muslim man permission to marry a Jewish or Christian woman, so long as she is chaste. “A believing maid is better than an idolatrous woman,” the holy text says. Thus it was for centuries: Muslim men married other women of the Book, who were permitted to practice their own religion but were absorbed into their husband’s family along with their Muslim children.
About The Author
Lisa Miller
Lisa Miller is a domestic correspondent for the New York Times. She is a former contributing editor to New York magazine, the former religion columnist for the Washington Post, and former senior editor of Newsweek magazine. She is the author of “Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife" and a co-author of "Take Up Space: The Unprecedented AOC."