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An-Nisa (The Women)

Verse 24of 176

۞ وَٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُكُمْ ۖ كِتَٰبَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَأُحِلَّ لَكُم مَّا وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَن تَبْتَغُوا۟ بِأَمْوَٰلِكُم مُّحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَٰفِحِينَ ۚ فَمَا ٱسْتَمْتَعْتُم بِهِۦ مِنْهُنَّ فَـَٔاتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةًۭ ۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِيمَا تَرَٰضَيْتُم بِهِۦ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلْفَرِيضَةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًۭا﴿٢٤

Translation (Sahih International)

And [also prohibited to you are all] married women except those your right hands possess. [This is] the decree of Allah upon you. And lawful to you are [all others] beyond these, [provided] that you seek them [in marriage] with [gifts from] your property, desiring chastity, not unlawful sexual intercourse. So for whatever you enjoy [of marriage] from them, give them their due compensation as an obligation. And there is no blame upon you for what you mutually agree to beyond the obligation. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.

Word-by-word meaning

۞ وَٱلْمُحْصَنَـٰتُwal-muḥ'ṣanātuAnd (prohibited are) the ones who are married
مِنَminaof
ٱلنِّسَآءِl-nisāithe women
إِلَّاillāexcept
مَاwhom
مَلَكَتْmalakatyou possess
أَيْمَـٰنُكُمْ ۖaymānukumrightfully
كِتَـٰبَkitābaDecree
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
عَلَيْكُمْ ۚʿalaykumupon you
وَأُحِلَّwa-uḥillaAnd are lawful
لَكُمlakumto you
مَّاwhat
وَرَآءَwarāa(is) beyond
ذَٰلِكُمْdhālikumthat
أَنanthat
تَبْتَغُوا۟tabtaghūyou seek
بِأَمْوَٰلِكُمbi-amwālikumwith your wealth
مُّحْصِنِينَmuḥ'ṣinīnadesiring to be chaste
غَيْرَghayranot
مُسَـٰفِحِينَ ۚmusāfiḥīna(to be) lustful
فَمَاfamāSo what
ٱسْتَمْتَعْتُمis'tamtaʿtumyou benefit[ed]
بِهِۦbihiof it
مِنْهُنَّmin'hunnafrom them
فَـَٔاتُوهُنَّfaātūhunnaso you give them
أُجُورَهُنَّujūrahunnatheir bridal due
فَرِيضَةًۭ ۚfarīḍatan(as) an obligation
وَلَاwalāAnd (there is) no
جُنَاحَjunāḥasin
عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykumon you
فِيمَاfīmāconcerning what
تَرَٰضَيْتُمtarāḍaytumyou mutually agree
بِهِۦbihiof it
مِنۢminfrom
بَعْدِbaʿdibeyond
ٱلْفَرِيضَةِ ۚl-farīḍatithe obligation
إِنَّinnaIndeed
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
كَانَkānais
عَلِيمًاʿalīmanAll-Knowing
حَكِيمًۭاḥakīmanAll-Wise

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Forbidding Women Already Married, Except for Female SlavesAllah said,وَالْمُحْصَنَـتُ مِنَ النِّسَآءِ إِلاَّ مَا مَلَكْتَ أَيْمَـنُكُمْ(Also (forbidden are) women already married, except those whom your right hands possess.) The Ayah means, you are prohibited from marrying women who are already married,إِلاَّ مَا مَلَكْتَ أَيْمَـنُكُمْ(except those whom your right hands possess) except those whom you acquire through war, for you are allowed such women after making sure they are not pregnant.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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