Which is better: Marrying a Non-Muslim Woman and Receiving Reward for her Converting to Islam or Marrying a Muslim Woman?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
Marrying a Muslim woman is better as indicated in the following Hadith: Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUh) said, "A woman is married for four things: for her wealth, for her lineage, for her beauty or for her piety. Select the pious, may you be blessed!". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
On the other hand, marrying a non-Muslim woman under the condition that she converts to Islam involves some risks:
1-What if she refused to convert?
2-Her converting in greed of marriage means that it wasn`t purely intended for the sake of Allah while Allah doesn`t accept but that which is done purely for His sake.
3-She must remain influenced by some non-Islamic manners and customs, and it can`t be guaranteed that she abandons them.
However, if she converted before marriage and became a devout Muslim, then she is treated like any other Muslim woman. And Allah the Almighty knows best.