Verse 4:20 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

16 وَٱلَّذَانِ یَأۡتِیَـٰنِهَا مِنكُمۡ فَءَاذُوهُمَاۖ فَإِن تَابَا وَأَصۡلَحَا فَأَعۡرِضُوا۟ عَنۡهُمَاۤۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ تَوَّابࣰا رَّحِیمًا ۝١٦ wa-alladhāni yatiyānihā minkum faādhūhumā fa-in tābā wa-aṣlaḥā fa-aʿriḍū ʿanhumā inna l-laha kāna tawwāban raḥīma If two men commit a lewd act, punish them both; if they repent and mend their ways, leave them alone- God is always ready to accept repentance, He is full of mercy 17 إِنَّمَا ٱلتَّوۡبَةُ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ لِلَّذِینَ یَعۡمَلُونَ ٱلسُّوۤءَ بِجَهَـٰلَةࣲ ثُمَّ یَتُوبُونَ مِن قَرِیبࣲ فَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ یَتُوبُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَیۡهِمۡۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِیمًا حَكِیمࣰا ۝١٧ innamā l-tawbatu ʿalā l-lahi lilladhīna yaʿmalūna l-sūa bijahālatin thumma yatūbūna min qarībin fa-ulāika yatūbu l-lahu ʿalayhim wakāna l-lahu ʿalīman ḥakīma But God only undertakes to accept repentance from those who do evil out of ignorance and soon afterwards repent: these are the ones God will forgive, He is all knowing, all wise 18 وَلَیۡسَتِ ٱلتَّوۡبَةُ لِلَّذِینَ یَعۡمَلُونَ ٱلسَّیِّءَاتِ حَتَّىٰۤ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ قَالَ إِنِّی تُبۡتُ ٱلۡءَـٰنَ وَلَا ٱلَّذِینَ یَمُوتُونَ وَهُمۡ كُفَّارٌۚ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ أَعۡتَدۡنَا لَهُمۡ عَذَابًا أَلِیمࣰا ۝١٨ walaysati l-tawbatu lilladhīna yaʿmalūna l-sayiāti ḥattā idhā ḥaḍara aḥadahumu l-mawtu qāla innī tub'tu l-āna walā alladhīna yamūtūna wahum kuffārun ulāika aʿtadnā lahum ʿadhāban alīma It is not true repentance when people continue to do evil until death confronts them and then say, ‘Now I repent,’ nor when they die defiant: We have prepared a painful torment for these 19 یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا یَحِلُّ لَكُمۡ أَن تَرِثُوا۟ ٱلنِّسَاۤءَ كَرۡهࣰاۖ وَلَا تَعۡضُلُوهُنَّ لِتَذۡهَبُوا۟ بِبَعۡضِ مَاۤ ءَاتَیۡتُمُوهُنَّ إِلَّاۤ أَن یَأۡتِینَ بِفَـٰحِشَةࣲ مُّبَیِّنَةࣲۚ وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۚ فَإِن كَرِهۡتُمُوهُنَّ فَعَسَىٰۤ أَن تَكۡرَهُوا۟ شَیۡءࣰا وَیَجۡعَلَ ٱللَّهُ فِیهِ خَیۡرࣰا كَثِیرࣰا ۝١٩ yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū lā yaḥillu lakum an tarithū l-nisāa karhan walā taʿḍulūhunna litadhhabū bibaʿḍi mā ātaytumūhunna illā an yatīna bifāḥishatin mubayyinatin waʿāshirūhunna bil-maʿrūfi fa-in karih'tumūhunna faʿasā an takrahū shayan wayajʿala l-lahu fīhi khayran kathīra You who believe, it is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will, nor should you treat your wives harshly, hoping to take back some of the bride-gift you gave them, unless they are guilty of something clearly outrageous. Live with them in accordance with what is fair and kind: if you dislike them, it may well be that you dislike something in which God has put much good

20 وَإِنۡ أَرَدتُّمُ ٱسۡتِبۡدَالَ زَوۡجࣲ مَّكَانَ زَوۡجࣲ وَءَاتَیۡتُمۡ إِحۡدَىٰهُنَّ قِنطَارࣰا فَلَا تَأۡخُذُوا۟ مِنۡهُ شَیۡءًاۚ أَتَأۡخُذُونَهُۥ بُهۡتَـٰنࣰا وَإِثۡمࣰا مُّبِینࣰا ۝٢٠ wa-in aradttumu is'tib'dāla zawjin makāna zawjin waātaytum iḥ'dāhunna qinṭāran falā takhudhū min'hu shayan atakhudhūnahu buh'tānan wa-ith'man mubīna If you wish to replace one wife with another, do not take any of her bride-gift back, even if you have given her a great amount of gold

21 وَكَیۡفَ تَأۡخُذُونَهُۥ وَقَدۡ أَفۡضَىٰ بَعۡضُكُمۡ إِلَىٰ بَعۡضࣲ وَأَخَذۡنَ مِنكُم مِّیثَـٰقًا غَلِیظࣰا ۝٢١ wakayfa takhudhūnahu waqad afḍā baʿḍukum ilā baʿḍin wa-akhadhna minkum mīthāqan ghalīẓa How could you take it when this is unjust and a blatant sin? How could you take it when you have lain with each other and they have taken a solemn pledge from you 22 وَلَا تَنكِحُوا۟ مَا نَكَحَ ءَابَاۤؤُكُم مِّنَ ٱلنِّسَاۤءِ إِلَّا مَا قَدۡ سَلَفَۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ فَـٰحِشَةࣰ وَمَقۡتࣰا وَسَاۤءَ سَبِیلًا ۝٢٢ walā tankiḥū mā nakaḥa ābāukum mina l-nisāi illā mā qad salafa innahu kāna fāḥishatan wamaqtan wasāa sabīla Do not marry women that your fathers married- with the exception of what is past- this is indeed a shameful thing to do, loathsome and leading to evil 23 حُرِّمَتۡ عَلَیۡكُمۡ أُمَّهَـٰتُكُمۡ وَبَنَاتُكُمۡ وَأَخَوَ ٰتُكُمۡ وَعَمَّـٰتُكُمۡ وَخَـٰلَـٰتُكُمۡ وَبَنَاتُ ٱلۡأَخِ وَبَنَاتُ ٱلۡأُخۡتِ وَأُمَّهَـٰتُكُمُ ٱلَّـٰتِیۤ أَرۡضَعۡنَكُمۡ وَأَخَوَ ٰتُكُم مِّنَ ٱلرَّضَـٰعَةِ وَأُمَّهَـٰتُ نِسَاۤىِٕكُمۡ وَرَبَـٰۤىِٕبُكُمُ ٱلَّـٰتِی فِی حُجُورِكُم مِّن نِّسَاۤىِٕكُمُ ٱلَّـٰتِی دَخَلۡتُم بِهِنَّ فَإِن لَّمۡ تَكُونُوا۟ دَخَلۡتُم بِهِنَّ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَیۡكُمۡ وَحَلَـٰۤىِٕلُ أَبۡنَاۤىِٕكُمُ ٱلَّذِینَ مِنۡ أَصۡلَـٰبِكُمۡ وَأَن تَجۡمَعُوا۟ بَیۡنَ ٱلۡأُخۡتَیۡنِ إِلَّا مَا قَدۡ سَلَفَۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورࣰا رَّحِیمࣰا ۝٢٣ ḥurrimat ʿalaykum ummahātukum wabanātukum wa-akhawātukum waʿammātukum wakhālātukum wabanātu l-akhi wabanātu l-ukh'ti wa-ummahātukumu allātī arḍaʿnakum wa-akhawātukum mina l-raḍāʿati wa-ummahātu nisāikum warabāibukumu allātī fī ḥujūrikum min nisāikumu allātī dakhaltum bihinna fa-in lam takūnū dakhaltum bihinna falā junāḥa ʿalaykum waḥalāilu abnāikumu alladhīna min aṣlābikum wa-an tajmaʿū bayna l-ukh'tayni illā mā qad salafa inna l-laha kāna ghafūran raḥīma You are forbidden to take as wives your mothers, daughters, sisters, paternal and maternal aunts, the daughters of brothers and daughters of sisters, your milk-mothers and milk-sisters, your wives’ mothers, the stepdaughters in your care- those born of women with whom you have consummated marriage, if you have not consummated the marriage, then you will not be blamed- wives of your begotten sons, two sisters simultaneously- with the exception of what is past: God is most forgiving and merciful 24 ۞ وَٱلۡمُحۡصَنَـٰتُ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَاۤءِ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَیۡمَـٰنُكُمۡۖ كِتَـٰبَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَیۡكُمۡۚ وَأُحِلَّ لَكُم مَّا وَرَاۤءَ ذَ ٰلِكُمۡ أَن تَبۡتَغُوا۟ بِأَمۡوَ ٰلِكُم مُّحۡصِنِینَ غَیۡرَ مُسَـٰفِحِینَۚ فَمَا ٱسۡتَمۡتَعۡتُم بِهِۦ مِنۡهُنَّ فَءَاتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ فَرِیضَةࣰۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَیۡكُمۡ فِیمَا تَرَ ٰضَیۡتُم بِهِۦ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ ٱلۡفَرِیضَةِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِیمًا حَكِیمࣰا ۝٢٤ wal-muḥ'ṣanātu mina l-nisāi illā mā malakat aymānukum kitāba l-lahi ʿalaykum wa-uḥilla lakum mā warāa dhālikum an tabtaghū bi-amwālikum muḥ'ṣinīna ghayra musāfiḥīna famā is'tamtaʿtum bihi min'hunna faātūhunna ujūrahunna farīḍatan walā junāḥa ʿalaykum fīmā tarāḍaytum bihi min baʿdi l-farīḍati inna l-laha kāna ʿalīman ḥakīma women already married, other than your slaves.God has ordained all this for you. Other women are lawful to you, so long as you seek them in marriage, with gifts from your property, looking for wedlock rather than fornication. If you wish to enjoy women through marriage, give them their bride-gift- this is obligatory- though if you should choose mutually, after fulfilling this obligation, to do otherwise [with the bride-gift], you will not be blamed: God is all knowing and all wise