Quran 4:25 — An-Nisaa, verse 25
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
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,
وَمَنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ مِنْكُمْ طَوْلًا أَنْ يَنْكِحَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ فَمِنْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ مِنْ فَتَيَاتِكُمُ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِإِيمَانِكُمْ ۚ بَعْضُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْضٍ ۚ فَانْكِحُوهُنَّ بِإِذْنِ أَهْلِهِنَّ وَآتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ مُحْصَنَاتٍ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحَاتٍ وَلَا مُتَّخِذَاتِ أَخْدَانٍ ۚ فَإِذَا أُحْصِنَّ فَإِنْ أَتَيْنَ بِفَاحِشَةٍ فَعَلَيْهِنَّ نِصْفُ مَا عَلَى الْمُحْصَنَاتِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِيَ الْعَنَتَ مِنْكُمْ ۚ وَأَنْ تَصْبِرُوا خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
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 raḥīmun
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- Any one of you who has not the affluence to be able to marry believing freewomen in wedlock, let him take believing handmaids that your right hands own; God knows very well your faith; the one of you is as the other. So marry them, with their people's leave, and give them their wages honourably as women in wedlock, not as in licence or taking lovers. But when they are in wedlock, if they commit indecency, they shall be liable to half the chastisement of freewomen. That provision is for those of you who fear fornication; yet it is better for you to be patient. God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.
- Muhammad Asad
- And as for those of you who, owing to circumstances, are not in a position to marry free believing women, [let them marry] believing maidens from among those whom you rightfully possess. And God knows all about your faith; each one of you is an issue of the other. Marry them, then, with their people's leave, and give them their dowers in an equitable manner - they being women who give themselves in honest wedlock, not in fornication, nor as secret love-companions. And when they are married, and thereafter become guilty of immoral conduct, they shall be liable to half the penalty to which free married women are liable. This [permission to marry slave-girls applies] to those of you who fear lest they stumble into evil. But it is for your own good to persevere in patience [and to abstain from such marriages]: and God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.
- Sahih International
- And whoever among you cannot [find] the means to marry free, believing women, then [he may marry] from those whom your right hands possess of believing slave girls. And Allāh is most knowing about your faith. You [believers] are of one another. So marry them with the permission of their people and give them their due compensation [i.e., mahr] according to what is acceptable. [They should be] chaste, neither [of] those who commit unlawful intercourse randomly nor those who take [secret] lovers. But once they are sheltered in marriage, if they should commit adultery, then for them is half the punishment for free [unmarried] women. This [allowance] is for him among you who fears affliction [i.e., sin], but to be patient is better for you. And Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَمَنwaman | And whoever | — |
| 2 | لَّمْlam | (is) not | — |
| 3 | يَسْتَطِعْyastaṭiʿ | able to | طوع |
| 4 | مِنكُمْminkum | among you | — |
| 5 | طَوْلًاṭawlan | afford | طول |
| 6 | أَنan | to | — |
| 7 | يَنكِحَyankiḥa | marry | نكح |
| 8 | ٱلْمُحْصَنَـٰتِl-muḥ'ṣanāti | the free chaste | حصن |
| 9 | ٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِl-mu'mināti | [the] believing women | أمن |
| 10 | فَمِنfamin | then (marry) from | — |
| 11 | مَّاmā | what | — |
| 12 | مَلَكَتْmalakat | possess[ed] | ملك |
| 13 | أَيْمَـٰنُكُمaymānukum | your right hands | يمن |
| 14 | مِّنmin | of | — |
| 15 | فَتَيَـٰتِكُمُfatayātikumu | your slave girls | فتي |
| 16 | ٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ ۚl-mu'mināti | (of) the believers | أمن |
| 17 | وَٱللَّهُwal-lahu | And Allah | أله |
| 18 | أَعْلَمُaʿlamu | knows best | علم |
| 19 | بِإِيمَـٰنِكُم ۚbiīmānikum | about your faith | أمن |
| 20 | بَعْضُكُمbaʿḍukum | You | بعض |
| 21 | مِّنۢmin | (are) from | — |
| 22 | بَعْضٍۢ ۚbaʿḍin | (one) another | بعض |
| 23 | فَٱنكِحُوهُنَّfa-inkiḥūhunna | So marry them | نكح |
| 24 | بِإِذْنِbi-idh'ni | with (the) permission | أذن |
| 25 | أَهْلِهِنَّahlihinna | (of) their family | أهل |
| 26 | وَءَاتُوهُنَّwaātūhunna | and give them | أتي |
| 27 | أُجُورَهُنَّujūrahunna | their bridal due | أجر |
| 28 | بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِbil-maʿrūfi | in a fair manner | عرف |
| 29 | مُحْصَنَـٰتٍmuḥ'ṣanātin | (They should be) chaste | حصن |
| 30 | غَيْرَghayra | not | غير |
| 31 | مُسَـٰفِحَـٰتٍۢmusāfiḥātin | those who commit immorality | سفح |
| 32 | وَلَاwalā | and not | — |
| 33 | مُتَّخِذَٰتِmuttakhidhāti | those who take | أخذ |
| 34 | أَخْدَانٍۢ ۚakhdānin | secret lovers | خدن |
| 35 | فَإِذَآfa-idhā | Then when | — |
| 36 | أُحْصِنَّuḥ'ṣinna | they are married | حصن |
| 37 | فَإِنْfa-in | and if | — |
| 38 | أَتَيْنَatayna | they commit | أتي |
| 39 | بِفَـٰحِشَةٍۢbifāḥishatin | adultery | فحش |
| 40 | فَعَلَيْهِنَّfaʿalayhinna | then for them | — |
| 41 | نِصْفُniṣ'fu | (is) half | نصف |
| 42 | مَاmā | (of) what | — |
| 43 | عَلَىʿalā | (is) on | — |
| 44 | ٱلْمُحْصَنَـٰتِl-muḥ'ṣanāti | the free chaste women | حصن |
| 45 | مِنَmina | of | — |
| 46 | ٱلْعَذَابِ ۚl-ʿadhābi | the punishment | عذب |
| 47 | ذَٰلِكَdhālika | That | — |
| 48 | لِمَنْliman | (is) for whoever | — |
| 49 | خَشِىَkhashiya | fears | خشي |
| 50 | ٱلْعَنَتَl-ʿanata | committing sin | عنت |
| 51 | مِنكُمْ ۚminkum | among you | — |
| 52 | وَأَنwa-an | and that | — |
| 53 | تَصْبِرُوا۟taṣbirū | you be patient | صبر |
| 54 | خَيْرٌۭkhayrun | (is) better | خير |
| 55 | لَّكُمْ ۗlakum | for you | — |
| 56 | وَٱللَّهُwal-lahu | And Allah | أله |
| 57 | غَفُورٌۭghafūrun | (is) Oft-Forgiving | غفر |
| 58 | رَّحِيمٌۭraḥīmun | Most Merciful | رحم |