Is it permissible for a Muslim man to marry a non-Muslim woman?

It is not permissible for a Muslim man to marry a non-Muslim woman, unless she is a woman of the Book (Jewish or Christian), provided she is chaste, based on the Almighty's saying: "and the chaste women from those who were given the Scripture before you" [Al-Ma'idah:5]. However, marrying a righteous Muslim woman is preferable due to the potential pitfalls associated with marrying a woman of the Book. Some scholars have explicitly stated that marrying women from the People of the Book is disliked. As for disbelievers who are not from the People of the Book, it is not permissible to marry their women.