Verse 4:24 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

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

25 وَمَن لَّمۡ یَسۡتَطِعۡ مِنكُمۡ طَوۡلًا أَن یَنكِحَ ٱلۡمُحۡصَنَـٰتِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِ فَمِن مَّا مَلَكَتۡ أَیۡمَـٰنُكُم مِّن فَتَیَـٰتِكُمُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِۚ وَٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِإِیمَـٰنِكُمۚ بَعۡضُكُم مِّنۢ بَعۡضࣲۚ فَٱنكِحُوهُنَّ بِإِذۡنِ أَهۡلِهِنَّ وَءَاتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ مُحۡصَنَـٰتٍ غَیۡرَ مُسَـٰفِحَـٰتࣲ وَلَا مُتَّخِذَ ٰتِ أَخۡدَانࣲۚ فَإِذَاۤ أُحۡصِنَّ فَإِنۡ أَتَیۡنَ بِفَـٰحِشَةࣲ فَعَلَیۡهِنَّ نِصۡفُ مَا عَلَى ٱلۡمُحۡصَنَـٰتِ مِنَ ٱلۡعَذَابِۚ ذَ ٰلِكَ لِمَنۡ خَشِیَ ٱلۡعَنَتَ مِنكُمۡۚ وَأَن تَصۡبِرُوا۟ خَیۡرࣱ لَّكُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِیمࣱ ۝٢٥ waman lam yastaṭiʿ minkum ṭawlan an yankiḥa l-muḥ'ṣanāti l-mu'mināti famin mā malakat aymānukum min fatayātikumu l-mu'mināti wal-lahu aʿlamu biīmānikum baʿḍukum min baʿḍin fa-inkiḥūhunna bi-idh'ni ahlihinna waātūhunna ujūrahunna bil-maʿrūfi muḥ'ṣanātin ghayra musāfiḥātin walā muttakhidhāti akhdānin fa-idhā uḥ'ṣinna fa-in atayna bifāḥishatin faʿalayhinna niṣ'fu mā ʿalā l-muḥ'ṣanāti mina l-ʿadhābi dhālika liman khashiya l-ʿanata minkum wa-an taṣbirū khayrun lakum wal-lahu ghafūrun raḥīmu If any of you does not have the means to marry a believing free woman, then marry a believing slave- God knows best [the depth of] your faith: you are [all] part of the same family- so marry them with their people’s consent and their proper bride-gifts. [Make them] married women, not adulteresses or lovers. If they commit adultery when they are married, their punishment will be half that of free women. This is for those of you who fear that you will sin; it is better for you to practise selfrestraint. God is most forgiving and merciful 26 یُرِیدُ ٱللَّهُ لِیُبَیِّنَ لَكُمۡ وَیَهۡدِیَكُمۡ سُنَنَ ٱلَّذِینَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ وَیَتُوبَ عَلَیۡكُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِیمٌ حَكِیمࣱ ۝٢٦ yurīdu l-lahu liyubayyina lakum wayahdiyakum sunana alladhīna min qablikum wayatūba ʿalaykum wal-lahu ʿalīmun ḥakīmu He wishes to make His laws clear to you and guide you to the righteous ways of those who went before you. He wishes to turn towards you in mercy- He is all knowing, all wise 27 وَٱللَّهُ یُرِیدُ أَن یَتُوبَ عَلَیۡكُمۡ وَیُرِیدُ ٱلَّذِینَ یَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلشَّهَوَ ٰتِ أَن تَمِیلُوا۟ مَیۡلًا عَظِیمࣰا ۝٢٧ wal-lahu yurīdu an yatūba ʿalaykum wayurīdu alladhīna yattabiʿūna l-shahawāti an tamīlū maylan ʿaẓīma He wishes to turn towards you, but those who follow their lusts want you to go far astray 28 یُرِیدُ ٱللَّهُ أَن یُخَفِّفَ عَنكُمۡۚ وَخُلِقَ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنُ ضَعِیفࣰا ۝٢٨ yurīdu l-lahu an yukhaffifa ʿankum wakhuliqa l-insānu ḍaʿīfa God wishes to lighten your burden; man was created weak