Surah 4. An-Nisa

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-14 [2], 15-22 [3], 23-25 [4], 26-33 [5], 34-42 [6], 43-50 [7], 51-56 [8], 57-70 [9], 71-76 [10], 77-87 [11], 88-91 [12], 92-96 [13], 97-100 [14], 101-104 [15], 105-112 [16], 113-115 [17], 116-126 [18], 127-134 [19], 135-141 [20], 142-152 [21], 153-162 [22], 163-171 [23], 172-176 [24]

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Quran Text of Verse 23-25حُرِّمَتْForbiddenعَلَیْكُمْto youاُمَّهٰتُكُمْ(are) your mothersوَ بَنٰتُكُمْand your daughtersوَ اَخَوٰتُكُمْand your sistersوَ عَمّٰتُكُمْand your father's sistersوَ خٰلٰتُكُمْand your mother's sistersوَ بَنٰتُand daughtersالْاَخِ(of) brothersوَ بَنٰتُand daughtersالْاُخْتِ(of) sistersوَ اُمَّهٰتُكُمُand (the) mothersالّٰتِیْۤwhoاَرْضَعْنَكُمْnursed youوَ اَخَوٰتُكُمْand your sistersمِّنَfromالرَّضَاعَةِthe nursingوَ اُمَّهٰتُand mothersنِسَآىِٕكُمْ(of) your wivesوَ رَبَآىِٕبُكُمُand your step daughtersالّٰتِیْwhoفِیْ(are) inحُجُوْرِكُمْyour guardianshipمِّنْofنِّسَآىِٕكُمُyour womenالّٰتِیْwhomدَخَلْتُمْyou had relationsبِهِنَّ ؗwith themفَاِنْbut ifلَّمْnotتَكُوْنُوْاyou hadدَخَلْتُمْrelationsبِهِنَّwith themفَلَاthen (there is) noجُنَاحَsinعَلَیْكُمْ ؗon youوَ حَلَآىِٕلُAnd wivesاَبْنَآىِٕكُمُ(of) your sonsالَّذِیْنَthose whoمِنْ(are) fromاَصْلَابِكُمْ ۙyour loinsوَ اَنْand thatتَجْمَعُوْاyou gather togetherبَیْنَ[between]الْاُخْتَیْنِtwo sistersاِلَّاexceptمَاwhatقَدْhasسَلَفَ ؕpassed beforeاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahكَانَisغَفُوْرًاOft-ForgivingرَّحِیْمًاۙMost-Merciful 4. An-Nisa Page 82وَّ الْمُحْصَنٰتُAnd (prohibited are) the ones who are marriedمِنَofالنِّسَآءِthe womenاِلَّاexceptمَاwhomمَلَكَتْyou possessاَیْمَانُكُمْ ۚrightfullyكِتٰبَDecreeاللّٰهِ(of) Allahعَلَیْكُمْ ۚupon youوَ اُحِلَّAnd are lawfulلَكُمْto youمَّاwhatوَرَآءَ(is) beyondذٰلِكُمْthatاَنْthatتَبْتَغُوْاyou seekبِاَمْوَالِكُمْwith your wealthمُّحْصِنِیْنَdesiring to be chasteغَیْرَnotمُسٰفِحِیْنَ ؕ(to be) lustfulفَمَاSo whatاسْتَمْتَعْتُمْyou benefit[ed]بِهٖof itمِنْهُنَّfrom themفَاٰتُوْهُنَّso you give themاُجُوْرَهُنَّtheir bridal dueفَرِیْضَةً ؕ(as) an obligationوَ لَاAnd (there is) noجُنَاحَsinعَلَیْكُمْon youفِیْمَاconcerning whatتَرٰضَیْتُمْyou mutually agreeبِهٖof itمِنْۢfromبَعْدِbeyondالْفَرِیْضَةِ ؕthe obligationاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahكَانَisعَلِیْمًاAll-Knowingحَكِیْمًا All-Wise وَ مَنْAnd whoeverلَّمْ(is) notیَسْتَطِعْable toمِنْكُمْamong youطَوْلًاaffordاَنْtoیَّنْكِحَmarryالْمُحْصَنٰتِthe free chasteالْمُؤْمِنٰتِ[the] believing womenفَمِنْthen (marry) fromمَّاwhatمَلَكَتْpossess[ed]اَیْمَانُكُمْyour right handsمِّنْofفَتَیٰتِكُمُyour girlsالْمُؤْمِنٰتِ ؕ(of) the believersوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahاَعْلَمُknows bestبِاِیْمَانِكُمْ ؕabout your faithبَعْضُكُمْYouمِّنْۢ(are) fromبَعْضٍ ۚ(one) anotherفَانْكِحُوْهُنَّSo marry themبِاِذْنِwith (the) permissionاَهْلِهِنَّ(of) their familyوَ اٰتُوْهُنَّand give themاُجُوْرَهُنَّtheir bridal dueبِالْمَعْرُوْفِin a fair mannerمُحْصَنٰتٍ(They should be) chasteغَیْرَnotمُسٰفِحٰتٍthose who commit immoralityوَّ لَاand notمُتَّخِذٰتِthose who takeاَخْدَانٍ ۚsecret loversفَاِذَاۤThen whenاُحْصِنَّthey are marriedفَاِنْand ifاَتَیْنَthey commitبِفَاحِشَةٍadulteryفَعَلَیْهِنَّthen for themنِصْفُ(is) halfمَا(of) whatعَلَی(is) onالْمُحْصَنٰتِthe free chaste womenمِنَofالْعَذَابِ ؕthe punishmentذٰلِكَThatلِمَنْ(is) for whoeverخَشِیَfearsالْعَنَتَcommitting sinمِنْكُمْ ؕamong youوَ اَنْand thatتَصْبِرُوْاyou be patientخَیْرٌ(is) betterلَّكُمْ ؕfor youوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahغَفُوْرٌ(is) Oft-Forgivingرَّحِیْمٌ۠Most Merciful

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Translation of Verse 23-25

23. Forbidden⁵⁴ to you (for marriage) are: your mothers⁵⁵, daughters ⁵⁶, sisters ⁵⁷, father’s sisters, mother’s sisters, brother’s daughters, sister’s daughters, foster – mothers ( who breast - fed you ⁵⁸) foster-sisters, your wives mother, your step daughters which are your wards, born of your wives to whom you have gone in – no prohibition if you have not gone in;⁵⁹ and the wives of your sons who are from your loins ⁶⁰; and also that you have two sisters together ( in wedlock ⁶¹), except that which has ⁶² already passed. Verily, Allah is Oft - Forgiving , Most Merciful.

24. And (prohibited are) women already married⁶³, except those who come in your possession⁶⁴ (as captives in wars). It is the law of Allah to be obeyed by you⁶⁵ with the exception of these women, all others are lawful for you, provided you seek them with⁶⁶ (gifts from) your wealth taking them in marriage, not committing fornication. Then to those whom you have enjoyed (of conjugal life) given them their dowers as an obligation, but if after a dower is prescribed, you agree mutually (to vary it) there is no sin for you.⁶⁷Verily Allah is All-knowing, All-Wise.

25. And if any of you have not the means where with to wed free believing women, he may wed from among the believing slave-girls that have come into your possession. Allah has full knowledge of your faith.⁶⁸ You are one from the other. ⁶⁹ So marry them with the leave of their masters and give them their dowers⁷⁰ according to what is reasonable, (However, it is necessary that) they should be in honest wedlock, not fornicating nor taking secret paramours, if they commit indecency after being married, their punishment is half that of free women⁷¹.This (permission of wedlock with slave-girls) is for those among you who fear of committing sin, but it is better for you if you practise self-restraint,⁷² and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

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Commentary

54. In this verse marriage with the nearest relative women has been declared haram (forbidden).This prohibition is based on this demand of the human nature that these relationships with the nearest relatives should be established on nobler passions of love and regard and there should be no trace of any sexual feelings in this relationship otherwise there will be a great disturbance in the human society.

55. Mother, whether real or step is haram (prohibited) for purposes of marriage. So also the father’s mother and mother’s mother.

56. Daughter of the son and daughter of the daughter are included under the command concerning daughter .

57. Sister, whether full or consanguine or uterine, all are equally haram (forbidden).

58. The woman who breast-feeds a child is like a mother to that child therefore, Islam has given due regard to this consideration. Accordingly the Prophet (sallal lahu alaihi wa sallam.) has said:

“The relationship that has been forbidden on account of blood is also forbidden on account of sucking (foster ship).”–( Tafseer Ibn katheer p.469 with ref.to Muslim)

59. The daughter of the wife from her former husband. Such a daughter is forbidden if the man has established sexual relation with the mother of this girl. But if the daughter is from such a mother with whom the man has not been able to consummate marriage and has divorced her before the sex act, then marriage with the daughter of such a woman is allowed, As regards growing up under the guardianship is not the necessary condition but only to remind of the delicacy of the relationship. If the step daughter is of the wife with whom the man has established a sexual relationship she in all circumstances is haram whether she had been under his guardianship or not.

60. This restriction has excluded, the divorced wife of the adopted son from the list of forbidden women. Marriage is haram only with the divorced wife of one’s own begotten son.

61. To have two sisters at one and the same time as wives has been forbidden so that there may not arise jealousy between them, which is quite inevitable and that would cause disruption of the blood relation. Accordingly such an act has also been declared haram. The same disruptive element is present in collecting in marriage a woman and her sister’s daughter i.e. aunt and niece so also a woman and her brother’s daughter. Through in the hadith, the Prophet has prohibited it.

62. That is: Whatever has happened before the revealing of this command has happened but from now onwards if you desist from it, Allah would forgive your sins commited in the past.

63. A woman who is married to another man is haram. because she cannot be allowed to be the wife of two persons at one and the same time. Polyandry is against human nature therefore the revealed Divine commands always declared it forbidden. The system of polyandry was practised either by the wild tribes or else the modern apostate civilization appears to favour its adoption.

64. That is: Those women who have been taken captive in the war and their husbands are in Darul Harab (Country at war) are not haram because in such a case their earlier marriage is annulled.

To understand properly the Islamic injunctions concerning slaves – male and female the conditions prevailing at the time be kept in mind. During those days the custom of taking prisoners of war as slaves was common on international level. There was no practice of confining them to prisons or at least it was not common. It was not possible to make arrangements for accommodating and feeding war prisoners. Therefore, they used to be handed over to the individuals as slaves. In these circumstances, Islam which encouraged freeing of slaves, and not making more slaves, and which considered this as a virtuous act, tolerated taking prisoners of wars as slaves as it was an international problem. However, the general directions were that the war prisoners be freed as an act of virtue or they may be released against taking some ransom amount as is clear from Verse No. 4 of surah ‘Muhammad’.

In the wars that were fought during the time of the prophet, generally this very procedure was followed in the case of war prisoners; Since this was an international problem which could not be done away with immediately. Islam prescribed some rights for the male and female slaves and issued the necessary commands. One such command has been mentioned here, which means that the earlier marriages with the disbeliver husbands of those women who have been taken as captives in the war and who have been officially handed over to the Muslim individuals will be annulled and the man to whom such a captive woman has been handed over and who is responsible for maintaining her will also have the right to have sex with her and moreover he will also have the right to give her in marriage to any other needy Muslim, if she had become a Muslim. But as is clear from the subsequent verse none will be permitted to make these women a prey of lust or a means of prostitution.

Here one reality cannot be overlooked and that is as a result of the policy adopted by Islam in the matter of slaves quite a large number of people were enriched by the wealth of faith, and a great many persons achieved a very high position in the Islamic society.

65. That is: These commands regarding the family life have the status of the Divine Law, which must essentially be obeyed. The obvious demand of it is that in the Muslim Society only the family laws prescribed by Islam should be enforced and the question of any other family laws being acceptable to Muslims does not at all arise.

66. In the text the word used is ‘Ehsan’which means that man should take the woman under his protection with the intention of making her his wife and the woman should also enter the tie of wedlock with the same good intention. This purpose is not achieved by establishing a temporary and passing relationship. Therefore, by putting this condition, Quran has once and for all ended the abominable system of “Muta’h” which was in vogue in the pre-Islamic days.

67. That is: The husband and the wife can mutually agree to increase or reduce the amount of the dower, that was earlier prescribed.

In this direction there is a solution of the present day exaggerated problem of the dower. In some societies, there is a custom of fixing a very large amount as the dower, the main idea or purpose of this custom is to reflect their importance or high rank, but ordinarily the financial condition of the husband does not allow of such a high fixation like paying the amount equivalent to 40 tolas of gold. Therefore, generally the question of payment of the dower does not arise at all while the Mehr or the dower is meant to be actually paid and not merely to be fixed. Therefore, those persons whose dowers are fixed so unreasonably high and whose payment may be absolutely out of their power, can request their wives to review the position and by mutual agreement the amount of the dower can be refixed.

68. The main basis of honour and respectability is faith and it is very likely that a slave girl may be better than a free woman, on account of her Faith.

69. That is : By birth all are descendents of Adam and Hawwa ( Eve), whether he may be a free man or a slave. Therefore there is nothing wrong in marrying a slave-girl:

70. The command is given to pay the Mehr to the slave-woman, if a man marries her and that it is not to be given to her master. In other words, Mehr or dower is the right of the woman whether she is slave-woman or a free-woman. It also shows what a high place has been given by Islam to a slave-woman by giving her the right to property.

71. That is: if after the marriage the slavewoman is found to have committed fornication, then she would get half the punishment of what is prescribed for a free woman i.e. hundred lashes for free woman ‘(Surah Noor, Verse No.2). This concession in punishment is for the reason that the slave woman did not enjoy the same safeguards which were generally available to a free woman.

72. Permission to marry the slave-woman has been given to those persons who are likely to go astray if they are not provided with legal wives. Those who do not feel that there is any danger of this kind for them, it is better for them to practise self-restraint.

In the event of marrying the slave-women of others, it would have been difficult to do justice to the rights of the husband and also that of the master. Therefore, marriages of this kind were not encouraged.

Allah does intend to make clear to you His commands and to guide you to the ways of those who have preceded you and to turn to you mercifully. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. And Allah desires to turn to you with mercy, but those who follow their lusts want that you should go tremendously astray. (Al-Quran)