Significance of Consummation

Sura-4 [Al Nissa Medina 92]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s version:

وَإِنْ أَرَدتُّمُ اسْتِبْدَالَ زَوْجٍ مَّكَانَ زَوْجٍ وَآتَيْتُمْ إِحْدَاهُنَّ قِنطَارًا فَلاَ تَأْخُذُواْ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا...   

4:20.  But if ye decide to take one wife in place of another, even if ye had given the latter a whole treasure for dower, take not the least bit of it back:

C529. Treasure: Qintar;  a Talent of gold:

see 3:14, first note.

... أَتَأْخُذُونَهُ بُهْتَاناً وَإِثْماً مُّبِيناً ﴿٢٠﴾

would ye take it by slander and a manifest wrong?

وَكَيْفَ تَأْخُذُونَهُ وَقَدْ أَفْضَى بَعْضُكُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ وَأَخَذْنَ مِنكُم مِّيثَاقًا غَلِيظًا ﴿٢١﴾

4:21.  And how could ye take it when ye have gone in unto each other, and they have taken from you a solemn covenant?

Asad’s Version:

4: 20 But if you desire to give up a wife and to take another in her stead, do not take away anything of what you have given the first one, however much it may have been [note 21]. Would you, perchance, take it away by slandering her and thus committing a manifest sin [note 22]. And how could you take it away after you have given yourselves to one another, and she has [note 23] received a most solemn pledge from you?

Other versions:

Yusuf Ali But if ye decide to take one wife in place of another even if ye had given the latter a whole treasure for dower take not the least bit of it back: would ye take it by slander and a manifest wrong?

Pickthall And if ye wish to exchange one wife for another and ye have given unto one of them a sum of money (however great), take nothing from it. Would ye take it by the way of calumny and open wrong?

Transliteration Wa in arattumustibda_la zaujim maka_na zauj(iw), wa a_taitum ihda_hunna qinta_ran fala_ ta'khuzu_ minhu syai'a_(n), ata'khuzu_nahu_ buhta_naw wa ismam mubina_(n).

4: 21

Asad And how could you take it away after you have given yourselves to one another, and she has received a most solemn pledge from you?

Yusuf Ali And how could ye take it when ye have gone in unto each other and they have taken from you a solemn covenant?

Pickthall How can ye take it (back) after one of you hath gone in unto the other, and they have taken a strong pledge from you?

Transliteration Wa kaifa ta'khuzu_nahu_ wa qad afda_ ba'dukum ila_ ba'diw wa akhazna minkum misa_qan galiza_(n).