Quran 2:221 — Al-Baqara, verse 221
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
Do not marry idolatresses until they believe: a believing slave woman is certainly better than an idolatress, even though she may please you. And do not give your women in marriage to idolaters until they believe: a believing slave is certainly better than an idolater, even though he may please you. Such people call [you] to the Fire, while God calls [you] to the Garden and forgiveness by His leave. He makes His messages clear to people, so that they may bear them in mind.
وَلَا تَنْكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكَاتِ حَتَّىٰ يُؤْمِنَّ ۚ وَلَأَمَةٌ مُؤْمِنَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ مُشْرِكَةٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ ۗ وَلَا تُنْكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَتَّىٰ يُؤْمِنُوا ۚ وَلَعَبْدٌ مُؤْمِنٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ مُشْرِكٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكُمْ ۗ أُولَـٰئِكَ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى النَّارِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَالْمَغْفِرَةِ بِإِذْنِهِ ۖ وَيُبَيِّنُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
walā tankiḥū l-mush'rikāti ḥattā yu'minna wala-amatun mu'minatun khayrun min mush'rikatin walaw aʿjabatkum walā tunkiḥū l-mush'rikīna ḥattā yu'minū walaʿabdun mu'minun khayrun min mush'rikin walaw aʿjabakum ulāika yadʿūna ilā l-nāri wal-lahu yadʿū ilā l-janati wal-maghfirati bi-idh'nihi wayubayyinu āyātihi lilnnāsi laʿallahum yatadhakkarūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- Do not marry idolatresses, until they believe; a believing slavegirl is better than an idolatress, though you may admire her. And do not marry idolaters, until they believe. A believing slave is better than an idolater, though you may admire him. Those call unto the Fire; and God calls unto Paradise, and pardon, by His leave, and He makes clear His signs to the people; haply they will remember.
- Muhammad Asad
- AND DO NOT marry women who ascribe divinity to aught beside God ere they attain to [true] belief: for any believing bondwoman [of God] is certainly better than a woman who ascribes divinity to aught beside God, even though she please you greatly. And do not give your women in marriage to men who ascribe divinity to aught beside God ere they attain to [true] belief: for- any believing bondman [of God] is certainly better than a man who ascribes divinity to aught beside God, even though he please you greatly. [Such as] these invite unto the fire, whereas God invites unto paradise, and unto [the achievement of] forgiveness by His leave; and He makes clear His messages unto mankind, so that they might bear them in mind.
- Sahih International
- And do not marry polytheistic women until they believe. And a believing slave woman is better than a polytheist, even though she might please you. And do not marry polytheistic men [to your women] until they believe. And a believing slave is better than a polytheist, even though he might please you. Those invite [you] to the Fire, but Allāh invites to Paradise and to forgiveness, by His permission. And He makes clear His verses [i.e., ordinances] to the people that perhaps they may remember.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَلَاwalā | And (do) not | — |
| 2 | تَنكِحُوا۟tankiḥū | [you] marry | نكح |
| 3 | ٱلْمُشْرِكَـٰتِl-mush'rikāti | [the] polytheistic women | شرك |
| 4 | حَتَّىٰḥattā | until | — |
| 5 | يُؤْمِنَّ ۚyu'minna | they believe | أمن |
| 6 | وَلَأَمَةٌۭwala-amatun | And a bondwoman | أمو |
| 7 | مُّؤْمِنَةٌmu'minatun | (who is) believing | أمن |
| 8 | خَيْرٌۭkhayrun | (is) better | خير |
| 9 | مِّنmin | than | — |
| 10 | مُّشْرِكَةٍۢmush'rikatin | a polytheistic woman | شرك |
| 11 | وَلَوْwalaw | [and] even if | — |
| 12 | أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ ۗaʿjabatkum | she pleases you | عجب |
| 13 | وَلَاwalā | And (do) not | — |
| 14 | تُنكِحُوا۟tunkiḥū | give in marriage (your women) | نكح |
| 15 | ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَl-mush'rikīna | (to) [the] polytheistic men | شرك |
| 16 | حَتَّىٰḥattā | until | — |
| 17 | يُؤْمِنُوا۟ ۚyu'minū | they believe | أمن |
| 18 | وَلَعَبْدٌۭwalaʿabdun | and a bondman | عبد |
| 19 | مُّؤْمِنٌmu'minun | (who is) believing | أمن |
| 20 | خَيْرٌۭkhayrun | (is) better | خير |
| 21 | مِّنmin | than | — |
| 22 | مُّشْرِكٍۢmush'rikin | a polytheistic man | شرك |
| 23 | وَلَوْwalaw | [and] even if | — |
| 24 | أَعْجَبَكُمْ ۗaʿjabakum | he pleases you | عجب |
| 25 | أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَulāika | [Those] | — |
| 26 | يَدْعُونَyadʿūna | they invite | دعو |
| 27 | إِلَىilā | to | — |
| 28 | ٱلنَّارِ ۖl-nāri | the Fire | نور |
| 29 | وَٱللَّهُwal-lahu | and Allah | أله |
| 30 | يَدْعُوٓا۟yadʿū | invites | دعو |
| 31 | إِلَىilā | to | — |
| 32 | ٱلْجَنَّةِl-janati | Paradise | جنن |
| 33 | وَٱلْمَغْفِرَةِwal-maghfirati | and [the] forgiveness | غفر |
| 34 | بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۖbi-idh'nihi | by His permission | أذن |
| 35 | وَيُبَيِّنُwayubayyinu | And He makes clear | بين |
| 36 | ءَايَـٰتِهِۦāyātihi | His Verses | أيي |
| 37 | لِلنَّاسِlilnnāsi | for the people | نوس |
| 38 | لَعَلَّهُمْlaʿallahum | so that they may | — |
| 39 | يَتَذَكَّرُونَyatadhakkarūna | take heed | ذكر |