وَالزَّانِيَةُ لاَ يَنكِحُهَآ إِلاَّ زَانٍ
(and the Zaniyah, none marries her except a Zani) a sinful man who is guilty of fornication,
أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً
(or a Mushrik) (a man) who does not think it is unlawful.
وَحُرِّمَ ذلِكَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
(Such a thing is forbidden to the believers.) meaning, indulging in this, or marrying prostitutes, or marrying chaste women to immoral men. Qatadah and Muqatil bin Hayyan said: "Allah forbade the believers from marrying prostitutes." This Ayah is like the Ayah (about marrying slave-girls):
مُحْصَنَـت غَيْرَ مُسَـفِحَـتٍ وَلاَ مُتَّخِذَاتِ أَخْدَانٍ
(they should be chaste, not committing illegal sex, nor taking boyfriends.) 4:25 And His saying:
مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحِينَ وَلاَ مُتَّخِذِى أَخْدَانٍ
(desiring chastity not committing illegal sexual intercourse, nor taking them as girlfriends) 5:5. Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, said that a man among the believers asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for permission (to marry) a woman known as Umm Mahzul, who used to commit adultery, and who had stated the condition that she should spend on him. So he asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for permission, or he mentioned the matter to him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited to him:
الزَّانِى لاَ يَنكِحُ إِلاَّ زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً وَالزَّانِيَةُ لاَ يَنكِحُهَآ إِلاَّ زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ وَحُرِّمَ ذلِكَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
(The Zani marries not but a Zaniyah or a Mushrikah; and the Zaniyah, none marries her except Zani or a Mushrik. Such a thing is forbidden to the believers.) 24:3 Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said,
«لَا يَنْكِحُ الزَّانِي الْمَجْلُودُ إِلَّا مِثْلَهُ»
(A Zani who has been flogged should not marry anyone except someone who is like him.) A similar report was recorded by Abu Dawud in his Sunan.