Quran 24:3 — An-Noor, verse 3
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
The adulterer is only [fit] to marry an adulteress or an idolatress, and the adulteress is only [fit] to marry an adulterer or an idolater: such behaviour is forbidden to believers.
الزَّانِي لَا يَنْكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً وَالزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنْكِحُهَا إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ ۚ وَحُرِّمَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
al-zānī lā yankiḥu illā zāniyatan aw mush'rikatan wal-zāniyatu lā yankiḥuhā illā zānin aw mush'rikun waḥurrima dhālika ʿalā l-mu'minīna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- The fornicator shall marry none but a fornicatress or an idolatress, and the fornicatress -- none shall marry her but a fornicator or an idolator; that is forbidden to the believers.
- Muhammad Asad
- [Both are equally guilty:] the adulterer couples with none other than an adulteress - that is, a woman who accords [to her own lust] a place side by side with God; and with the adulteress couples none other than an adulterer - that is, a man who accords [to his own lust] a place side by side with God: and this is forbidden unto the believers.
- Sahih International
- The fornicator does not marry except a [female] fornicator or polytheist, and none marries her except a fornicator or a polytheist, and that [i.e., marriage to such persons] has been made unlawful to the believers.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ٱلزَّانِىal-zānī | The fornicator | زني |
| 2 | لَاlā | (will) not | — |
| 3 | يَنكِحُyankiḥu | marry | نكح |
| 4 | إِلَّاillā | except | — |
| 5 | زَانِيَةًzāniyatan | a fornicatress | زني |
| 6 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 7 | مُشْرِكَةًۭmush'rikatan | a polytheist woman | شرك |
| 8 | وَٱلزَّانِيَةُwal-zāniyatu | and the fornicatress | زني |
| 9 | لَاlā | (will) not | — |
| 10 | يَنكِحُهَآyankiḥuhā | marry her | نكح |
| 11 | إِلَّاillā | except | — |
| 12 | زَانٍzānin | a fornicator | زني |
| 13 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 14 | مُشْرِكٌۭ ۚmush'rikun | a polytheist man | شرك |
| 15 | وَحُرِّمَwaḥurrima | And is forbidden | حرم |
| 16 | ذَٰلِكَdhālika | that | — |
| 17 | عَلَىʿalā | to | — |
| 18 | ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَl-mu'minīna | the believers | أمن |