How could you take it back, after you have been intimate with each other, and they had taken from you a solemn pledge?
وَكَيفَ تَأخُذونَهُ وَقَد أَفضىٰ بَعضُكُم إِلىٰ بَعضٍ وَأَخَذنَ مِنكُم ميثٰقًا غَليظًا
wa kaifa ta’khuzoonahoo wa qad afdaa ba’dukum ilaa ba’dinw wa akhazna minkum meesaaqan ghaleezaa
(Respect for the Father)
Do not marry the women who were previously married to your fathers – existing marriages are exempted and shall not be broken – for it is a gross offense, and an abominable act.
وَلا تَنكِحوا ما نَكَحَ ءاباؤُكُم مِنَ النِّساءِ إِلّا ما قَد سَلَفَ إِنَّهُ كانَ فٰحِشَةً وَمَقتًا وَساءَ سَبيلًا
wa laa tankihoo maa nakaha aabaaa’ukum minan nisaaa’i illaa maa qad salaf; innahoo kaana faahishatanw wa maqtanw wa saaa’a sabeelaa
(Incest Forbidden)
Prohibited for you (in marriage) are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, the sisters of your fathers, the sisters of your mothers, the daughters of your brother, the daughters of your sister, your nursing mothers, the girls who nursed from the same woman as you, the mothers of your wives, the daughters of your wives with whom you have consummated the marriage – if the marriage has not been consummated, you may marry the daughter. Also prohibited for you are the women who were married to your genetic sons. Also, you shall not be married to two sisters at the same time – but do not break up existing marriages. God is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
حُرِّمَت عَلَيكُم أُمَّهٰتُكُم وَبَناتُكُم وَأَخَوٰتُكُم وَعَمّٰتُكُم وَخٰلٰتُكُم وَبَناتُ الأَخِ وَبَناتُ الأُختِ وَأُمَّهٰتُكُمُ الّٰتى أَرضَعنَكُم وَأَخَوٰتُكُم مِنَ الرَّضٰعَةِ وَأُمَّهٰتُ نِسائِكُم وَرَبٰئِبُكُمُ الّٰتى فى حُجورِكُم مِن نِسائِكُمُ الّٰتى دَخَلتُم بِهِنَّ فَإِن لَم تَكونوا دَخَلتُم بِهِنَّ فَلا جُناحَ عَلَيكُم وَحَلٰئِلُ أَبنائِكُمُ الَّذينَ مِن أَصلٰبِكُم وَأَن تَجمَعوا بَينَ الأُختَينِ إِلّا ما قَد سَلَفَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ غَفورًا رَحيمًا
hurrimat ‘alaikum umma haatukum wa banaatukum wa akhawaatukum wa ‘ammaatukum wa khaalaatukum wa banaatul akhi wa banaatul ukhti wa ummahaatu kumul laateee arda’ nakum wa akhawaatukum minarradaa’ati wa ummahaatu nisaaa’ikum wa rabaaa’i bukumul laatee fee hujoorikum min nisaaa’ikumul laatee dakhaltum bihinna Fa il lam takoonoo dakhaltum bihinna falaa junaaha ‘alaikum wa halaaa’ilu abnaaa’ikumul lazeena min aslaabikum wa an tajma’oo bainal ukhtaini illaa maa qad salaf; innallaaha kaana Ghafoorar Raheema
(Mutual Attraction And Dowry Required)
Also prohibited are the women who are already married, unless they flee their disbelieving husbands who are at war with you.* These are God’s commandments to you. All other categories are permitted for you in marriage, so long as you pay them their due dowries. You shall maintain your morality, by not committing adultery. Thus, whoever you like among them, you shall pay them the dowry decreed for them. You commit no error by mutually agreeing to any adjustments to the dowry. God is Omniscient, Most Wise.
وَالمُحصَنٰتُ مِنَ النِّساءِ إِلّا ما مَلَكَت أَيمٰنُكُم كِتٰبَ اللَّهِ عَلَيكُم وَأُحِلَّ لَكُم ما وَراءَ ذٰلِكُم أَن تَبتَغوا بِأَموٰلِكُم مُحصِنينَ غَيرَ مُسٰفِحينَ فَمَا استَمتَعتُم بِهِ مِنهُنَّ فَـٔاتوهُنَّ أُجورَهُنَّ فَريضَةً وَلا جُناحَ عَلَيكُم فيما تَرٰضَيتُم بِهِ مِن بَعدِ الفَريضَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ عَليمًا حَكيمًا
walmuhsanaatu minan nisaaa’i illaa maa malakat aimaanukum kitaabal laahi ‘alaikum; wa uhilla lakum maa waraaa’a zaalikum an tabtaghoo bi’amwaalikum muhsineena ghaira musaa fiheen; famastamta’tum bihee minhunna fa aatoohunna ujoorahunna fareedah; wa laa junaaha ‘alaikum feemaa taraadaitum bihee mim ba’dil fareedah; innal laaha kaana ‘Aleeman Hakeemaa
*4:24 If believing women flee their disbelieving husbands who are at war with the believers, they do not have to obtain a divorce before remarriage. See 60:10.
Those among you who cannot afford to marry free believing women, may marry believing slave women. God knows best about your belief, and you are equal to one another, as far as belief is concerned. You shall obtain permission from their guardians before you marry them, and pay them their due dowry equitably. They shall maintain moral behavior, by not committing adultery, or having secret lovers. Once they are freed through marriage, if they commit adultery, their punishment shall be half of that for the free women.* Marrying a slave shall be a last resort for those unable to wait. To be patient is better for you. God is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
وَمَن لَم يَستَطِع مِنكُم طَولًا أَن يَنكِحَ المُحصَنٰتِ المُؤمِنٰتِ فَمِن ما مَلَكَت أَيمٰنُكُم مِن فَتَيٰتِكُمُ المُؤمِنٰتِ وَاللَّهُ أَعلَمُ بِإيمٰنِكُم بَعضُكُم مِن بَعضٍ فَانكِحوهُنَّ بِإِذنِ أَهلِهِنَّ وَءاتوهُنَّ أُجورَهُنَّ بِالمَعروفِ مُحصَنٰتٍ غَيرَ مُسٰفِحٰتٍ وَلا مُتَّخِذٰتِ أَخدانٍ فَإِذا أُحصِنَّ فَإِن أَتَينَ بِفٰحِشَةٍ فَعَلَيهِنَّ نِصفُ ما عَلَى المُحصَنٰتِ مِنَ العَذابِ ذٰلِكَ لِمَن خَشِىَ العَنَتَ مِنكُم وَأَن تَصبِروا خَيرٌ لَكُم وَاللَّهُ غَفورٌ رَحيمٌ
wa mal lam yastati’ minkum tawlan ai yankihal muhsanaatil mu’minaati famimmaa malakat aimaanukum min fatayaatikumul mu’minaat; wallaahu a’lamu bi eemaanikum; ba’dukum mim ba’d; fankihoohunna bi izni ahlihinna wa aatoohunna ujoorahunna bilma’roofi muhsanaatin ghaira musaa fihaatinw wa laa muttakhizaati akhdaan; fa izaaa uhsinna fa in ataina bifaahi shatin fa’alaihinnna nisfu maa ‘alal muhsanaati minal ‘azaab; zaalika liman khashiyal ‘anata minkum; wa an tasbiroo khairul lakum; wallaahu Ghafoorur Raheem
*4:25 This law proves that the punishment for adultery could not possibly be stoning to death as stated in the laws of corrupted Muslims (see 24:2).
God wills to explain things for you, and to guide you through past precedents, and to redeem you. God is Omniscient, Most Wise.
يُريدُ اللَّهُ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَكُم وَيَهدِيَكُم سُنَنَ الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِكُم وَيَتوبَ عَلَيكُم وَاللَّهُ عَليمٌ حَكيمٌ
yureedul laahu liyubai yina lakum wa yahdiyakum sunanal lazeena min qablikum wa yatooba ‘alaikum; wallaahu ‘Aleemun Hakeem
(God’s Mercy)
God wishes to redeem you, while those who pursue their lusts wish that you deviate a great deviation.
وَاللَّهُ يُريدُ أَن يَتوبَ عَلَيكُم وَيُريدُ الَّذينَ يَتَّبِعونَ الشَّهَوٰتِ أَن تَميلوا مَيلًا عَظيمًا
wallaahu yureedu ai yatooba ‘alaikum wa yureedul lazeena yattabi ‘oonash shahawaati an tameeloo mailan ‘azeemaa
God wishes to lighten your burden, for the human being is created weak.
يُريدُ اللَّهُ أَن يُخَفِّفَ عَنكُم وَخُلِقَ الإِنسٰنُ ضَعيفًا
yureedul laahu ai yukhaffifa ‘ankum; wa khuliqal insaanu da’eefaa
(Murder, Suicide, and Illicit Gains Prohibited)
O you who believe, do not consume each others’ properties illicitly – only mutually acceptable transactions are permitted. You shall not kill yourselves. God is Merciful towards you.
يٰأَيُّهَا الَّذينَ ءامَنوا لا تَأكُلوا أَموٰلَكُم بَينَكُم بِالبٰطِلِ إِلّا أَن تَكونَ تِجٰرَةً عَن تَراضٍ مِنكُم وَلا تَقتُلوا أَنفُسَكُم إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ بِكُم رَحيمًا
yaaa aiyuhal lazeena aamanoo laa ta’kulooo amwaalakum bainakum bilbaatili ‘illaaa an takoona tijaaratan ‘an taraadim minkum; wa laa taqtulooo anfusakum; innal laaha kaana bikum Raheemaa
Anyone who commits these transgressions, maliciously and deliberately, we will condemn him to Hell. This is easy for God to do.
وَمَن يَفعَل ذٰلِكَ عُدوٰنًا وَظُلمًا فَسَوفَ نُصليهِ نارًا وَكانَ ذٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسيرًا
wa mai yaf’al zaalika ‘udwaananw wa zulman fasawfa nusleehi Naaraa; wa kaana zaalika ‘alal laahi yaseeraa