Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
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Muhammad Asad | | [Both are equally guilty:] the adulterer couples with none other than an adulteress - that is, a woman who accords [to her own lust] a place side by side with God; and with the adulteress couples none other than an adulterer - that is, a man who accords [to his own lust] a place side by side with God: and this is forbidden unto the believers. | ⇨ |
M. M. Pickthall | | The adulterer shall not marry save an adulteress or an idolatress, and the adulteress none shall marry save an adulterer or an idolater. All that is forbidden unto believers. | ⇨ |
Shakir | | The fornicator shall not marry any but a fornicatress or idolatress, and (as for) the fornicatress, none shall marry her but a fornicator or an idolater; and it is forbidden to the believers. | ⇨ |
Yusuf Ali | | Let no man guilty of adultery or fornication marry and but a woman similarly guilty, or an Unbeliever: nor let any but such a man or an Unbeliever marry such a woman: to the Believers such a thing is forbidden. | ⇨ |
[Al-Muntakhab] | | The man stained by adultery -in conduct- does not approach or cohabit but with a woman similarly stained or an idolatress. And the woman stained by adultery -in conduct- does not approach or cohabit but with a man similarly stained or an idolater, This defiled union is absolutely forbidden unto the believers in whose hearts reigns piety. | ⇨ |
[Progressive Muslims] | | The adulterer will only marry an adulteress or one who is an idolatress. And the adulteress, she will only be married to an adulterer or an idolater. And this has been forbidden for the believers. | ⇨ |
Abdel Haleem | | The adulterer is only [fit] to marry an adulteress or an idolatress, and the adulteress is only [fit] to marry an adulterer or an idolater: such behaviour is forbidden to believers. | ⇨ |
Abdul Majid Daryabadi | | The adulterer weddeth not but an adulteress or an associatoress: and the adulteress! --none weddeth her save an adulterer or an associator; and that is forbidden unto the believers. | ⇨ |
Ahmed Ali | | The adulterer/fornicator does not marry except an the adulteress/fornicatress or a sharer/taker of partners (with God), and the adulteress/fornicatress , none marries her except an adulterer/fornicator or sharer/taker of partners (with God), and that (was) forbidden on the believers. | ⇨ |
Aisha Bewley | | A man who has fornicated may only marry a woman who has fornicated or a woman of the idolaters. A woman who has fornicated may only marry a man who has fornicated or a man of the idolaters. Doing such a thing is haram for the muminun. | ⇨ |
Ali Ünal | | A fornicator (one notorious for indulgence in illicit sexual relations) is not to marry other than a fornicatress (a woman notorious for indulgence in illicit sexual relations) or an idolatress, and fornicatress – only a fornicator or an idolater is to take her in wedlock. Acting the other way is forbidden to the believers. | ⇨ |
Ali Quli Qara'i | | The fornicator shall not marry anyone but a fornicatress or an idolatress, and the fornicatress shall be married by none except a fornicator or an idolater, and that is forbidden to the faithful. | ⇨ |
Amatul Rahman Omar | | The fornicator and adulterer cannot have sexual relations (without lawful marriage) except with a fornicatress and adulteress or polytheistic woman (of low morality), and the fornicatress and adulteress, none can have sexual relations with her except a fornicator and adulterer or a polytheistic man (of low morality). And this (adultery and fornication) is forbidden to the believers. | ⇨ |
Hamid S. Aziz | | The man and the woman guilty of adultery (fornication, whoring), scourge each of them with a hundred stripes, and let not compassion for them withhold you from obedience to Allah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day; and let a party of the believers witness their punishment. | ⇨ |
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali | | The fornicator shall marry none except a female fornicator or a female associator; (i.e., one who associates other with Allah) and the female fornicator, none shall marry her except a fornicator or a (male) associator; (i.e., one who associates other with Allah) and that is prohibited for the believers. | ⇨ |
Muhammad Sarwar | | No one should marry a fornicator except a fornicatress or a pagan woman. No one should marry a fornicatress except a fornicator or a pagan man. Such (marriage) is unlawful to the believers. | ⇨ |
Muhammad Taqi Usmani | | A man who is fornicator does not (like to) marry but a woman who is a fornicator or a polytheist; and a woman who is a fornicator does not (like to) marry but a man who is a fornicator or a polytheist. And this (i.e. preferring to marry such spouses) has been prohibited for the believers. | ⇨ |
Shabbir Ahmed | | The adulterer couples with none but an adulteress who worships her desire. And with the adulteress none couples but the adulterer who worships his desire. And it is forbidden to the believers. (24:26), (45:23). | ⇨ |
Syed Vickar Ahamed | | Let not any man guilty of adultery (unlawful sexual relations) marry anybody except a woman similarly guilty, or a disbeliever (woman): Let not any such guilty woman marry anybody except a man similarly guilty or a disbeliever (man): But such a thing (marriage to the guilty or to the disbelievers) is forbidden to the believers (men and women). | ⇨ |
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International) | | The fornicator does not marry except a [female] fornicator or polytheist, and none marries her except a fornicator or a polytheist, and that has been made unlawful to the believers. | ⇨ |
Farook Malik | | [Both are equally guilty:] the adulterer couples with none other than an adulteress - that is, a woman who accords [to her own lust] a place side by side with God; [The term mushrik (fem. mushrikah), which normally signifies a person who associates in his or her mind all manner of imaginary deities or forces with God, or who believes that any created being has a share in His qualities or powers, is here evidently used in the widest metaphorical sense of this term, denoting one who accords to his or her desires a supremacy which is due to God alone, and thus blasphemes against the principles of ethics and morality enjoined by Him. The particle aw (lit., "or") which connects the word mushrikah with the preceding word zaniyah ("adulteress") has in this context - as well as in the next clause, where both these terms appear in their masculine form - an amplifying, explanatory value equivalent to the expression "in other words" or "that is", similar to the use of this particle in 23:6. For a further elucidation of the above passage, see next note.] and with the adulteress couples none other than an adulterer - that is, a man who accords [to his own lust] a place side by side with God: and this is forbidden unto the believers. [Some of the commentators understand this passage in the sense of an injunction: "The adulterer shall not marry any but an adulteress or a mushrikah: and as for the adulteress, none shall marry her but an adulterer or a rnushrik. This interpretation is objectionable on several counts: firstly, the Quran does not ever countenance the marriage of a believer, however great a sin he or she may have committed, with an unbeliever (in the most pejorative sense of this term); secondly, it is a fundamental principle of Islamic Law that once a crime has been expiated by the transgressor's undergoing the ordained legal punishment (in this case, a hundred stripes), it must be regarded, insofar as the society is concerned, as atoned for and done with; and, lastly, the construction of the above passage is clearly that of a statement of fact (Razi), and cannot be interpreted as an injunction. On the other hand, since adultery is an illicit sexual union, the verb yankihu, which appears twice in this passage, cannot have the customary, specific meaning of "he marries" but must, rather, be understood in its general sense - applicable to both lawful and unlawful sexual intercourse - namely, "he couples with". It is in this sense that the great commentator Abu Muslim (as quoted by Razi) explains the above verse, which stresses the fact that both partners are equally guilty inasmuch as they commit their sin consciously - implying that neither of them can cause himself or herself on the ground of having been merely "seduced".] | ⇨ |
