Sura-2 [Al-Baqara medina 87]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s version:
وَلاَ
تَنكِحُواْ
الْمُشْرِكَاتِ
حَتَّى يُؤْمِنَّ...
2:221. Do not marry unbelieving women (idolaters), until they believe;
C245a. Literally "Pagan".
... وَلأَمَةٌ مُّؤْمِنَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِّن مُّشْرِكَةٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ ...
a slave woman who believes is better than an unbelieving woman, even though she allure you.
C245a. Literally "Pagan".
... وَلاَ تُنكِحُواْ الْمُشِرِكِينَ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنُواْ...
Nor marry (your girls) to unbelievers until they believe:
C245a. Literally "Pagan".
... وَلَعَبْدٌ مُّؤْمِنٌ خَيْرٌ مِّن مُّشْرِكٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكُمْ ...
a man slave who believes is better than an unbeliever, even though he allure you.
C246. Marriage is a most intimate communion, and the mystery of sex finds its highest fulfilment when intimate spiritual harmony is combined with the physical link. If religion is at all a real influence in life to both parties or to either party, a difference in this vital matter must affect the lives of both more profoundly than differences of birth, race, language, or position in life. It is therefore only right that the parties to be married should have the same spiritual outlook. If two person love each other, their outlook in the highest things of life must be the same.
Note that religion is not here a mere label or a matter of custom or birth. The two persons may have been born in different religions, but if, by their mutual influence, they come to see the truth in the same way, they must openly accept the same rites and the same social brotherhood. Otherwise the position will become impossible individually and socially.
... أُوْلَـئِكَ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى النَّارِ وَاللّهُ يَدْعُوَ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَالْمَغْفِرَةِ بِإِذْنِهِ...
Unbelievers do (but) beckon you to the fire. But Allah beckons by His grace to the Garden (of Bliss) and forgiveness,
... وَيُبَيِّنُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٢٢١﴾
and makes His Signs clear to mankind: that they may receive admonition..
Asad’s Version:
2: 221
Asad And do not marry women who ascribe divinity to aught beside God ere they attain to [true] belief: for any believing bondwoman [of God] is certainly better than a woman who ascribes divinity to aught beside God, even though she please you greatly. And do not give your women in marriage to men who ascribe divinity to aught beside God ere they attain to [true] belief: for any believing bondman…………[Such as] these invite unto the fire, whereas God invites unto paradise, and unto [the achievement of] forgiveness by His leave; and He makes clear His messages unto mankind, so that they might bear them in mind.
Yusuf Ali Do not marry unbelieving women (idolaters) until they believe; a slave woman who believes is better than an unbelieving woman even though she allure you. Nor marry (your girls) to unbelievers until they believe: a man slave who believes is better than an unbeliever even though he allures you. Unbelievers do (but) beckon you to the fire. But Allah beckons by His grace to the Garden (of Bliss) and forgiveness and makes His Signs clear to mankind: that they may celebrate His praise.
Pickthall Wed not idolatresses till they believe; for lo! a believing bondwoman is better than an idolatress though she please you; and give not your daughters in marriage to idolaters till they believe, for lo! a believing slave is better than an idolater though he please you. These invite unto the Fire, and Allah invites unto the Garden, and unto forgiveness by His grace, and expound thus His revelations to mankind that haply they may remember.
Wa la_ tankihul musyrika_ti hatta_ yu'minn(a), wa la'amatum mu'minatun khairum mim musyrikatiw wa lau a'jabatkum, wa la_ tunkihul musyrikina hatta_ yu'minu_, wa la'abdum ymu'minun khairum mim musyrikiw wa lau a'jabakum, ula_'ika yad'u_na ilan na_r(i), walla_hu yad'u_ ilal jannati wal magfirati bi iznih(i), wa yubayyinu a_ya_tihi linna_si la'allahum yatazakkaru_n(a).
[Ali’s note - 246 Marriage is a most intimate communion, and the mystery of sex finds its highest fulfillment when intimate spiritual harmony is combined with the physical link. If religion is at all a real influence in life to both parties or to either party, a difference in this vital matter must affect the lives of both more profoundly than differences of birth, race, language, or position in life. It is therefore only right that the parties to be married should have the same spiritual outlook. If two person love each other, their outlook in the highest things of life must be the same. Note that religion is not here a mere label or a matter of custom or birth. The two persons may have been born in different religions, but if, by their mutual influence, they come to see the truth in the same way, they must openly accept the same rites and the same social brotherhood. Otherwise the position will become impossible individually and socially. (2.221) ]
Sura-4 [Al Nissa Medina 92]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s version:
وَلاَ
تَنكِحُواْ
مَا
نَكَحَ
آبَاؤُكُم
مِّنَ
النِّسَاء
إِلاَّ
مَا
قَدْ
سَلَفَ...
4:22. And marry not women whom your fathers married, except what is past:
... إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَمَقْتًا وَسَاء سَبِيلاً ﴿٢٢﴾
it was shameful and odious, an abominable custom indeed.
C530. See above: 4:19, n. 527.
Section 4
حُرِّمَتْ
عَلَيْكُمْ
...
4:23. Prohibited to you (for marriage) are:
C531. This Table of Prohibited Degrees agrees in the main with what is usually accepted among all nations, except in minor details. It begins in the last verse (with father's widows or divorcees).
The scheme is drawn up on the assumption that the person who proposes to marry is a man: if it is a woman, the same scheme will apply, mutatis mutandis: it will read: "your fathers, sons, brothers," etc.; or
you can always read it from the husband's view of relationship, as there must always be a husband in a marriage.
... أُمَّهَاتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُمْ...
your mother, daughters, sisters,
C532.
"Mother" includes grandmother (through the father or mother), great grandmother, etc.;
"daughter" includes grand-daughter (through son or daughter), great grand daughter, etc.;
"sister," includes full-sister and half-sister.
"Father's sister" includes grandfather's sister, etc., and
"mother's sister" includes grandmother's sister, etc.
... وَعَمَّاتُكُمْ وَخَالاَتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُ الأَخِ وَبَنَاتُ الأُخْتِ ...
father's sisters, mother's sisters; brother's daughters, sister's daughters,
... وَأُمَّهَاتُكُمُ اللاَّتِي أَرْضَعْنَكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُم مِّنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ...
foster-mothers (who gave you suck), foster-sisters;
C533. "Fosterage" or milk-relationships play an important part in Muslim Law, and count like blood-relationships:
it would therefore seem that not only foster-mothers and foster-sisters, but foster-mother's sister, etc., all come within the prohibited degrees.
... وَأُمَّهَاتُ نِسَآئِكُمْ وَرَبَائِبُكُمُ اللاَّتِي فِي حُجُورِكُم مِّن نِّسَآئِكُمُ اللاَّتِي دَخَلْتُم بِهِنَّ ...
your wives' mothers; your step-daughters under your guardianship, born of your wives to whom ye have gone in,
C534. It is generally held that "under your guardianship" is a description, not a condition. (R).
... فَإِن لَّمْ تَكُونُواْ دَخَلْتُم بِهِنَّ فَلاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ...
no prohibition if ye have not gone in; (those who have been)
... وَحَلاَئِلُ أَبْنَائِكُمُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ أَصْلاَبِكُمْ ...
wives of your sons proceeding from your loins;
C535. "Sons" includes grandsons, but excludes adopted sons, or persons treated as such of the words "proceeding from your loins."
... وَأَن تَجْمَعُواْ بَيْنَ الأُخْتَيْنِ إَلاَّ مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ...
and two sisters in wedlock at one and the same time, except for what is past;
C536. The bar against two sisters in marriage together applies to aunt and niece together, but not to deceased wife's sister after the wife dies.
... إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا ﴿٢٣﴾
for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ
مِنَ
النِّسَاء
إِلاَّ
مَا
مَلَكَتْ
أَيْمَانُكُمْ
...
4:24. Also (prohibited are) women already married, except those whom your right hands possess.
C537. Whom your right hands possess: i.e., captives in a Jihad. (R).
... كِتَابَ اللّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ...
Thus hath Allah ordained (prohibitions) against you:
... وَأُحِلَّ لَكُم مَّا وَرَاء ذَلِكُمْ أَن تَبْتَغُواْ بِأَمْوَالِكُم مُّحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحِينَ...
except for these, all others are lawful, provided ye seek (them in marriage) with gifts from your property, desiring chastity, not lust.
C538. After defining the prohibited degrees, the verse proceeds to say that women other than those specified may be sought in marriage, but even so, not from motives of lust, but in order to promote chastity between the sexes.
Marriage in the original Arabic is here described by a word which suggests a fortress (hisn): marriage is, therefore, the fortress of chastity.
... فَمَا اسْتَمْتَعْتُم بِهِ مِنْهُنَّ فَآتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةً ...
Seeing that ye derive benefit from them, give them their dowers (at least) as prescribed;
C539. As the woman in marriage surrenders her person, so the man also must surrender. at least some of his property according to his means. And this gives rise to the law of Dower.
A minimum dower is prescribed, but it is not necessary to stick to the minimum, and in the new relationship created, the parties are recommended to act towards each other with the greatest confidence and liberality.
... وَلاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِيمَا تَرَاضَيْتُم بِهِ مِن بَعْدِ الْفَرِيضَةِ ...
but if after a dower is prescribed, ye agree mutually (to vary it), there is no blame on you,
... إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا ﴿٢٤﴾
and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
Other versions:
4: 22
Yusuf Ali And marry not women whom your fathers married except what is past: it was shameful and odious an abominable custom indeed.
Pickthall And marry not those women whom your fathers married, except what hath already happened (of that nature) in the past. Lo! it was ever lewdness and abomination, and an evil way.
Transliteration Wala_ tankihu_ ma_ nakaha a_ba_'ukum minan nisa_'i illa_ ma_ qad salaf(a), innahu_ ka_na fa_hisyataw wa maqta_(n), wa sa_'a sabila_(n).
4: 23
Yusuf Ali Prohibited to you (for marriage) are: your mother daughters sisters father's sisters mother's sisters; brother's daughters sister's daughters foster-mothers (who gave you suck) foster-sisters; your wives' mothers; your step-daughters under your guardianship born of your wives to whom ye have gone in no prohibition if ye have not gone in; (those who have been) wives of your sons proceeding from your loins; and two sisters in wedlock at one and the same time except for what is past; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.
Pickthall Forbidden unto you are your mothers, and your daughters, and your sisters, and your father's sisters, and your mother's sisters, and your brother's daughters and your sister's daughters, and your foster mothers, and your foster sisters, and your mothers-in-law, and your stepdaughters who are under your protection (born) of your women unto whom ye have gone in but if ye have not gone in unto them, then it is no sin for you (to marry their daughters) and the wives of your sons who (spring) from your own loins. And (it is forbidden unto you) that ye should have two sisters together, except what hath already happened (of that nature) in the past. Lo! Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.
Transliteration Hurrimat 'alaikum ummaha_tukum wa bana_tukum wa akhawa_tukum wa 'amma_tukum wa kha_la_tukum wa bana_tul akhi wa bana_tul ukhti wa ummaha_tukumul la_ti ard'nakum wa akhawa_tukum minar rada_'ati wa ummaha_tu nisa_'ikum wa raba_'ibukumul la_ti fi huju_rikum minnisa_'ikumul la_ti dakhaltum bihinn(a), fa illam taku_nu_ dakhaltum bihinna fala_juna_ha 'alaikum, wa hala_'ilu abna_'ikumul lazina min asla_bikum, wa an tajma'u_ bainal ukhtaini illa_ ma_ qad salaf(a), innalla_ha ka_na gafu_rar rahim(a_).
4: 24
Yusuf Ali Also (prohibited are) women already married except those whom your right hands possess. Thus hath Allah ordained (prohibitions) against you: except for these all others are lawful provided ye seek (them in marriage) with gifts from your property desiring chastity not lust. Seeing that ye derive benefit from them give them their dowers (at least) as prescribed; but if after a dower is prescribed ye agree mutually (to vary it) there is no blame on you and Allah is All-Knowing All-Wise.
Pickthall And all married women (are forbidden unto you save those (captives) whom your right hands possess. It is a decree of Allah for you. Lawful unto you are all beyond those mentioned, so that ye seek them with your wealth in honest wedlock, not debauchery. And those of whom ye seek content (by marrying them), give unto them their portions as a duty. And there is no sin for you in what ye do by mutual agreement after the duty (hath been done). Lo! Allah is ever Knower, Wise.
Transliteration Wal muhsana_tu minan nisa_'i illa_ ma_ malakat aima_nukum, kita_balla_hi 'alaikum, wa uhilla lakum ma_ wara_'a za_likum an tabtagu_ bi amwa_likum muhisinan gaira musa_fihin(a), famastamta'tum bihi minhunna fa a_tu_hunna uju_rahunna faridah(tan), wa la_ juna_ha 'alaikum fima_ tara_daitum bihi mim ba'dil faridah(ti), innalla_ha ka_na'aliman hakima_(n).