Quran 24:33 — An-Noor, verse 33
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
Those who are unable to marry should keep chaste until God gives them enough out of His bounty. If any of your slaves wish to pay for their freedom, make a contract with them accordingly, if you know they have good in them, and give them some of the wealth God has given you. Do not force your slave-girls into prostitution, when they themselves wish to remain honourable, in your quest for the short-term gains of this world, although, if they are forced, God will be forgiving and merciful to them.
وَلْيَسْتَعْفِفِ الَّذِينَ لَا يَجِدُونَ نِكَاحًا حَتَّىٰ يُغْنِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ ۗ وَالَّذِينَ يَبْتَغُونَ الْكِتَابَ مِمَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ فَكَاتِبُوهُمْ إِنْ عَلِمْتُمْ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا ۖ وَآتُوهُمْ مِنْ مَالِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي آتَاكُمْ ۚ وَلَا تُكْرِهُوا فَتَيَاتِكُمْ عَلَى الْبِغَاءِ إِنْ أَرَدْنَ تَحَصُّنًا لِتَبْتَغُوا عَرَضَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۚ وَمَنْ يُكْرِهْهُنَّ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ مِنْ بَعْدِ إِكْرَاهِهِنَّ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
walyastaʿfifi alladhīna lā yajidūna nikāḥan ḥattā yugh'niyahumu l-lahu min faḍlihi wa-alladhīna yabtaghūna l-kitāba mimmā malakat aymānukum fakātibūhum in ʿalim'tum fīhim khayran waātūhum min māli l-lahi alladhī ātākum walā tuk'rihū fatayātikum ʿalā l-bighāi in aradna taḥaṣṣunan litabtaghū ʿaraḍa l-ḥayati l-dun'yā waman yuk'rihhunna fa-inna l-laha min baʿdi ik'rāhihinna ghafūrun raḥīmun
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And let those who find not the means to marry be abstinent till God enriches them of His bounty. Those your right hands own who seek emancipation, contract with them accordingly, if you know some good in them; and give them of the wealth of God that He has given you. And constrain not your slave-girls to prostitution, if they desire to live in chastity, that you may seek the chance goods of the present life. Whosoever constrains them, surely God, after their being constrained, is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.
- Muhammad Asad
- And as for those who are unable to marry, let them live in continence until God grants them sufficiency out of His bounty, And if any of those whom you rightfully possess desire [to obtain] a deed of freedom, write it out for them if you are aware of any good in them: and give them [their share of the wealth of God which He has given you. And do not, in order to gain some of the fleeting pleasures of this worldly life, coerce your [slave] maidens into whoredom if they happen to be desirous of marriage; and if anyone should coerce them, then, verily, after they have been compelled [to submit in their helplessness], God will be much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!
- Sahih International
- But let them who find not [the means for] marriage abstain [from sexual relations] until Allāh enriches them from His bounty. And those who seek a contract [for eventual emancipation] from among whom your right hands possess - then make a contract with them if you know there is within them goodness and give them from the wealth of Allāh which He has given you. And do not compel your slave girls to prostitution, if they desire chastity, to seek [thereby] the temporary interests of worldly life. And if someone should compel them, then indeed, Allāh is [to them], after their compulsion, Forgiving and Merciful.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَلْيَسْتَعْفِفِwalyastaʿfifi | And let be chaste | عفف |
| 2 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | those who | — |
| 3 | لَاlā | (do) not | — |
| 4 | يَجِدُونَyajidūna | find | وجد |
| 5 | نِكَاحًاnikāḥan | (means for) marriage | نكح |
| 6 | حَتَّىٰḥattā | until | — |
| 7 | يُغْنِيَهُمُyugh'niyahumu | Allah enriches them | غني |
| 8 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah enriches them | أله |
| 9 | مِنmin | from | — |
| 10 | فَضْلِهِۦ ۗfaḍlihi | His Bounty | فضل |
| 11 | وَٱلَّذِينَwa-alladhīna | And those who | — |
| 12 | يَبْتَغُونَyabtaghūna | seek | بغي |
| 13 | ٱلْكِتَـٰبَl-kitāba | the writing | كتب |
| 14 | مِمَّاmimmā | from (those) whom | — |
| 15 | مَلَكَتْmalakat | possess | ملك |
| 16 | أَيْمَـٰنُكُمْaymānukum | your right hands | يمن |
| 17 | فَكَاتِبُوهُمْfakātibūhum | then give them (the) writing | كتب |
| 18 | إِنْin | if | — |
| 19 | عَلِمْتُمْʿalim'tum | you know | علم |
| 20 | فِيهِمْfīhim | in them | — |
| 21 | خَيْرًۭا ۖkhayran | any good | خير |
| 22 | وَءَاتُوهُمwaātūhum | and give them | أتي |
| 23 | مِّنmin | from | — |
| 24 | مَّالِmāli | the wealth of Allah | مول |
| 25 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | the wealth of Allah | أله |
| 26 | ٱلَّذِىٓalladhī | which | — |
| 27 | ءَاتَىٰكُمْ ۚātākum | He has given you | أتي |
| 28 | وَلَاwalā | And (do) not | — |
| 29 | تُكْرِهُوا۟tuk'rihū | compel | كره |
| 30 | فَتَيَـٰتِكُمْfatayātikum | your slave girls | فتي |
| 31 | عَلَىʿalā | to | — |
| 32 | ٱلْبِغَآءِl-bighāi | [the] prostitution | بغي |
| 33 | إِنْin | if | — |
| 34 | أَرَدْنَaradna | they desire | رود |
| 35 | تَحَصُّنًۭاtaḥaṣṣunan | chastity | حصن |
| 36 | لِّتَبْتَغُوا۟litabtaghū | that you may seek | بغي |
| 37 | عَرَضَʿaraḍa | temporary gain | عرض |
| 38 | ٱلْحَيَوٰةِl-ḥayati | (of) the life | حيي |
| 39 | ٱلدُّنْيَا ۚl-dun'yā | (of) the world | دنو |
| 40 | وَمَنwaman | And whoever | — |
| 41 | يُكْرِههُّنَّyuk'rihhunna | compels them | كره |
| 42 | فَإِنَّfa-inna | then indeed | — |
| 43 | ٱللَّهَl-laha | Allah | أله |
| 44 | مِنۢmin | after | — |
| 45 | بَعْدِbaʿdi | after | بعد |
| 46 | إِكْرَٰهِهِنَّik'rāhihinna | their compulsion | كره |
| 47 | غَفُورٌۭghafūrun | (is) Oft-Forgiving | غفر |
| 48 | رَّحِيمٌۭraḥīmun | Most Merciful | رحم |