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Fatwa CenterMuslim Wants Help in Choosing a Wife
Question
I'm originally Muslim Arab. I'm living in North America. I want to marry. Is it better to take who is originally a Muslimah, or who reverted to Islam, or who wants to become a Muslim? I need an advice.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
No doubt that marrying a Muslim woman is better than marrying a woman from the People of the Book as Allah Says (what means): {And a believing slave woman is better than a polytheist, even though she might please you.} [Quran 2: 221]
So, the believing woman is better for the believing man than any other woman as she shares with her husband the faith and the way of life according to the religion. She helps him abide by Allah's orders, and with her, the man feels safe for himself, his children, his wealth, … etc., and many more things that help in keeping good company.
So, a Muslim man should not leave the Muslim woman if available and choose a woman from the People of the Book.
“Although there is a consensus among all Muslim scholars that it is lawful for the Muslim man to marry a chaste woman from the People of the Book, there is a similar consensus that marrying a Muslim woman is much better than marrying a woman from the People of the Book.” [Quotation from the book entitled Fiqh of minorities, Page: 142]
When marrying a woman from the People of the Book is done at the expense of a Muslim woman, then there are reasons for the scholars to deny such a marriage.
Imam Ibn Katheer 
reported that Huthayfah 
married a Jewish woman. Then, ‘Umar wrote to him saying: “Divorce her.” Huthayfah replied by asking: “Do you claim that she is forbidden?” ‘Umar answered: “No, but I fear that you take the whores (unchaste ones) from them.” Ibn Katheer commented by saying: “The chain of this narration is sound and ‘Umar dislikes this act so that Muslim men do not leave the Muslim women, or maybe for other reasons.”
This is about who we should prefer: the Muslim woman or the woman from the People of the Book, even if the latter wants to become Muslim as mentioned in the question. In fact, guidance is in the Hands of Allah and not in the hands of anyone else. Allah Says (what means): {Indeed, [O Muhammad], you do not guide whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.} [Quran 28: 56]
As for the comparison between a new Muslim woman and an originally Muslim one, it should be on the basis of piety. So, the man should choose the more pious amongst the two; i.e., the one that fears Allah most and applies His Orders firmly.
The Prophet said: “A woman is married for four things: for her wealth, her family lineage, her beauty and her religion. So choose the religious one, you will prosper.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
So, religion is the most important characteristic. This does not mean that the other characteristics are not important. Indeed, beauty, knowledge, and nobility are all-important. But one should not be blinded by them and then neglect religion, which should be his first requirement but not the only one.
Allah knows best.
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