Surah An-Nisa, ayah 25
وَمَن لَّمْ يَسْتَطِعْ مِنكُمْ طَوْلًا أَن يَنكِحَ ٱلْمُحْصَنَـٰتِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ فَمِن مَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُكُم مِّن فَتَيَـٰتِكُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِإِيمَـٰنِكُم ۚ بَعْضُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْضٍ ۚ فَٱنكِحُوهُنَّ بِإِذْنِ أَهْلِهِنَّ وَءَاتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ مُحْصَنَـٰتٍ غَيْرَ مُسَـٰفِحَـٰتٍ وَلَا مُتَّخِذَٰتِ أَخْدَانٍ ۚ فَإِذَآ أُحْصِنَّ فَإِنْ أَتَيْنَ بِفَـٰحِشَةٍ فَعَلَيْهِنَّ نِصْفُ مَا عَلَى ٱلْمُحْصَنَـٰتِ مِنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِىَ ٱلْعَنَتَ مِنكُمْ ۚ وَأَن تَصْبِرُوا۟ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
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.
Word by word
- وَمَنwamanAnd whoever
- لَّمْlam(is) not
- يَسْتَطِعْyastaṭiʿable to
- مِنكُمْminkumamong you
- طَوْلًاṭawlanafford
- أَنanto
- يَنكِحَyankiḥamarry
- ٱلْمُحْصَنَـٰتِl-muḥ'ṣanātithe free chaste
- ٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِl-mu'mināti[the] believing women
- فَمِنfaminthen (marry) from
- مَّاmāwhat
- مَلَكَتْmalakatpossess[ed]
- أَيْمَـٰنُكُمaymānukumyour right hands
- مِّنminof
- فَتَيَـٰتِكُمُfatayātikumuyour slave girls
- ٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ ۚl-mu'mināti(of) the believers
- وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
- أَعْلَمُaʿlamuknows best
- بِإِيمَـٰنِكُم ۚbiīmānikumabout your faith
- بَعْضُكُمbaʿḍukumYou
- مِّنۢmin(are) from
- بَعْضٍۢ ۚbaʿḍin(one) another
- فَٱنكِحُوهُنَّfa-inkiḥūhunnaSo marry them
- بِإِذْنِbi-idh'niwith (the) permission
- أَهْلِهِنَّahlihinna(of) their family
- وَءَاتُوهُنَّwaātūhunnaand give them
- أُجُورَهُنَّujūrahunnatheir bridal due
- بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِbil-maʿrūfiin a fair manner
- مُحْصَنَـٰتٍmuḥ'ṣanātin(They should be) chaste
- غَيْرَghayranot
- مُسَـٰفِحَـٰتٍۢmusāfiḥātinthose who commit immorality
- وَلَاwalāand not
- مُتَّخِذَٰتِmuttakhidhātithose who take
- أَخْدَانٍۢ ۚakhdāninsecret lovers
- فَإِذَآfa-idhāThen when
- أُحْصِنَّuḥ'ṣinnathey are married
- فَإِنْfa-inand if
- أَتَيْنَataynathey commit
- بِفَـٰحِشَةٍۢbifāḥishatinadultery
- فَعَلَيْهِنَّfaʿalayhinnathen for them
- نِصْفُniṣ'fu(is) half
- مَاmā(of) what
- عَلَىʿalā(is) on
- ٱلْمُحْصَنَـٰتِl-muḥ'ṣanātithe free chaste women
- مِنَminaof
- ٱلْعَذَابِ ۚl-ʿadhābithe punishment
- ذَٰلِكَdhālikaThat
- لِمَنْliman(is) for whoever
- خَشِىَkhashiyafears
- ٱلْعَنَتَl-ʿanatacommitting sin
- مِنكُمْ ۚminkumamong you
- وَأَنwa-anand that
- تَصْبِرُوا۟taṣbirūyou be patient
- خَيْرٌۭkhayrun(is) better
- لَّكُمْ ۗlakumfor you
- وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
- غَفُورٌۭghafūrun(is) Oft-Forgiving
- رَّحِيمٌۭraḥīmunMost Merciful
A layered explanation of this ayah has not been written yet. Explore the topics for ayahs we have explained in depth.