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 25
Translations
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.
Transliteration
Wa man lam yastati' minkum tawlan an yankiha al-muhsanati al-mu'minati fa min ma malakat aymanukum min fatayatikum al-mu'minati. Wa-Allahu a'lamu bi-imanikum. Ba'dukum min ba'din. Fa-ankihuhunna bi-idhni ahlihinna wa atuhunna ujurahunna bi-al-ma'ruf muhsanatin ghayra musafihatin wa la muttakhidhati akhdanin. Fa-idha uhsinna fa-in atayna bi-fahisatin fa-alayhinna nisfu ma ala al-muhsanati mina al-adhabi. Dhalika liman khashiya al-'anata minkum. Wa-an tasbiruu khayrun lakum. Wa-Allahu ghafurun rahimun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses marriage to female slaves (concubines) as a permissible alternative for those financially unable to marry free believing women. The Qur'an emphasizes that such unions require the consent of the slave woman's guardian, payment of dower, and the condition of chastity. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir note that while this was a practical social reality of the time, the ayah simultaneously encourages patience and continence, with the final statement 'patience is better for you' suggesting restraint as the superior choice. The punishment for adultery by slave women is prescribed as half that of free women, recognizing their different legal status.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the Medinan period and forms part of Surah An-Nisa's comprehensive legislation on marriage and women's rights. It responds to the practical circumstances of early Muslim society where slavery existed, while simultaneously providing protective legislation and encouraging ethical conduct. The context emphasizes that even within the framework of existing social structures, Islamic law introduced substantial protections and ethical requirements previously absent.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever among you can afford to marry should marry, for it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty' (Sahih Bukhari 5193). Additionally, 'A slave woman with whom a man has had relations is not permissible for his son' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi), reflecting the ethical framework surrounding such relationships.
Themes
Key Lesson
While addressing historical social realities, this ayah teaches that Islamic law protects the vulnerable by establishing ethical standards and rights even in difficult circumstances, and encourages believers toward the higher virtue of patience and self-restraint. The principle reflects Islam's gradual approach to social reform while maintaining dignity and accountability at all levels of society.
Related Ayahs
يَسْـَٔلُكَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ أَن تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ كِتَـٰبًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ فَقَدْ سَأَلُوا۟ مُوسَىٰٓ أَكْبَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ فَقَالُوٓا۟ أَرِنَا ٱللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلصَّـٰعِقَةُ بِظُلْمِهِمْ ۚ ثُمَّ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ ٱلْعِجْلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتُ فَعَفَوْنَا عَن ذَٰلِكَ ۚ وَءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ سُلْطَـٰنًا مُّبِينًا
The People of the Scripture ask you to bring down to them a book from the heaven. But they had asked of Moses [even] greater than that and said, "Show us Allāh outright," so the thunderbolt struck them for their wrongdoing. Then they took the calf [for worship] after clear evidences had come to them, and We pardoned that. And We gave Moses a clear authority.
وَإِنْ أَرَدتُّمُ ٱسْتِبْدَالَ زَوْجٍ مَّكَانَ زَوْجٍ وَءَاتَيْتُمْ إِحْدَىٰهُنَّ قِنطَارًا فَلَا تَأْخُذُوا۟ مِنْهُ شَيْـًٔا ۚ أَتَأْخُذُونَهُۥ بُهْتَـٰنًا وَإِثْمًا مُّبِينًا
But if you want to replace one wife with another and you have given one of them a great amount [in gifts], do not take [back] from it anything. Would you take it in injustice and manifest sin?
وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ شِقَاقَ بَيْنِهِمَا فَٱبْعَثُوا۟ حَكَمًا مِّنْ أَهْلِهِۦ وَحَكَمًا مِّنْ أَهْلِهَآ إِن يُرِيدَآ إِصْلَـٰحًا يُوَفِّقِ ٱللَّهُ بَيْنَهُمَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا خَبِيرًا
And if you fear dissension between the two, send an arbitrator from his people and an arbitrator from her people. If they both desire reconciliation, Allāh will cause it between them. Indeed, Allāh is ever Knowing and Aware.
إِنَّمَا ٱلتَّوْبَةُ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلسُّوٓءَ بِجَهَـٰلَةٍ ثُمَّ يَتُوبُونَ مِن قَرِيبٍ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يَتُوبُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا
The repentance accepted by Allāh is only for those who do wrong in ignorance [or carelessness] and then repent soon [after]. It is those to whom Allāh will turn in forgiveness, and Allāh is ever Knowing and Wise.