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An-Nisa (The Women)

Verse 25of 176

وَمَن لَّمْ يَسْتَطِعْ مِنكُمْ طَوْلًا أَن يَنكِحَ ٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ فَمِن مَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُكُم مِّن فَتَيَٰتِكُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِإِيمَٰنِكُم ۚ بَعْضُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ فَٱنكِحُوهُنَّ بِإِذْنِ أَهْلِهِنَّ وَءَاتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ مُحْصَنَٰتٍ غَيْرَ مُسَٰفِحَٰتٍۢ وَلَا مُتَّخِذَٰتِ أَخْدَانٍۢ ۚ فَإِذَآ أُحْصِنَّ فَإِنْ أَتَيْنَ بِفَٰحِشَةٍۢ فَعَلَيْهِنَّ نِصْفُ مَا عَلَى ٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتِ مِنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِىَ ٱلْعَنَتَ مِنكُمْ ۚ وَأَن تَصْبِرُوا۟ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ﴿٢٥

Translation (Sahih International)

And whoever among you cannot [find] the means to marry free, believing women, then [he may marry] from those whom your right hands possess of believing slave girls. And Allah is most knowing about your faith. You [believers] are of one another. So marry them with the permission of their people and give them their due compensation according to what is acceptable. [They should be] chaste, neither [of] those who commit unlawful intercourse randomly nor those who take [secret] lovers. But once they are sheltered in marriage, if they should commit adultery, then for them is half the punishment for free [unmarried] women. This [allowance] is for him among you who fears sin, but to be patient is better for you. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

Word-by-word meaning

وَمَنwamanAnd whoever
لَّمْlam(is) not
يَسْتَطِعْyastaṭiʿable to
مِنكُمْminkumamong you
طَوْلًاṭawlanafford
أَنanto
يَنكِحَyankiḥamarry
ٱلْمُحْصَنَـٰتِl-muḥ'ṣanātithe free chaste
ٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِl-mu'mināti[the] believing women
فَمِنfaminthen (marry) from
مَّاwhat
مَلَكَتْmalakatpossess[ed]
أَيْمَـٰنُكُمaymānukumyour right hands
مِّنminof
فَتَيَـٰتِكُمُfatayātikumuyour slave girls
ٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ ۚl-mu'mināti(of) the believers
وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
أَعْلَمُaʿlamuknows best
بِإِيمَـٰنِكُم ۚbiīmānikumabout your faith
بَعْضُكُمbaʿḍukumYou
مِّنۢmin(are) from
بَعْضٍۢ ۚbaʿḍin(one) another
فَٱنكِحُوهُنَّfa-inkiḥūhunnaSo marry them
بِإِذْنِbi-idh'niwith (the) permission
أَهْلِهِنَّahlihinna(of) their family
وَءَاتُوهُنَّwaātūhunnaand give them
أُجُورَهُنَّujūrahunnatheir bridal due
بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِbil-maʿrūfiin a fair manner
مُحْصَنَـٰتٍmuḥ'ṣanātin(They should be) chaste
غَيْرَghayranot
مُسَـٰفِحَـٰتٍۢmusāfiḥātinthose who commit immorality
وَلَاwalāand not
مُتَّخِذَٰتِmuttakhidhātithose who take
أَخْدَانٍۢ ۚakhdāninsecret lovers
فَإِذَآfa-idhāThen when
أُحْصِنَّuḥ'ṣinnathey are married
فَإِنْfa-inand if
أَتَيْنَataynathey commit
بِفَـٰحِشَةٍۢbifāḥishatinadultery
فَعَلَيْهِنَّfaʿalayhinnathen for them
نِصْفُniṣ'fu(is) half
مَا(of) what
عَلَىʿalā(is) on
ٱلْمُحْصَنَـٰتِl-muḥ'ṣanātithe free chaste women
مِنَminaof
ٱلْعَذَابِ ۚl-ʿadhābithe punishment
ذَٰلِكَdhālikaThat
لِمَنْliman(is) for whoever
خَشِىَkhashiyafears
ٱلْعَنَتَl-ʿanatacommitting sin
مِنكُمْ ۚminkumamong you
وَأَنwa-anand that
تَصْبِرُوا۟taṣbirūyou be patient
خَيْرٌۭkhayrun(is) better
لَّكُمْ ۗlakumfor you
وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
غَفُورٌۭghafūrun(is) Oft-Forgiving
رَّحِيمٌۭraḥīmunMost Merciful

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Marrying a Female Slave, if One Cannot Marry a Free WomanAllah said, those who do not have,مِنكُمْ طَوْلاً(the means), financial capability,أَن يَنكِحَ الْمُحْصَنَـتِ الْمُؤْمِنَـتِ(Wherewith to wed free believing women) meaning, free faithful, chaste women.فَمِنْ مَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـنُكُم مِّن فَتَيَـتِكُمُ الْمُؤْمِنَـتِ(They may wed believing girls from among those whom your right hands possess,) meaning, they are allowed to wed believing slave girls owned by the believers.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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