4. Surah An-Nisa, Verse 25

And whoever of you cannot afford to marry the believing independent women, then from the still dependant believing young women. God is more aware of your faith, some of you to each other. You shall marry them with the permission of their parents and give them their wage in kindness; to be protected, not for illicit sex or taking lovers. If they become protected, then any of them who comes with lewdness shall have half the punishment of what is for the independent women of the retribution. This is for those who fear hardship from among you. But if you are patient it is better for you, and God is Forgiver, Merciful.

(As the Qur'an is being revealed to you (O Messenger), the emancipation of the slaves, male and female, is steadily taking place). A man among you who cannot find a free believing woman willing to marry him, should have no hesitation in asking the hand of a believing maiden from her guardian. Allah knows your beliefs and reiterates that all human beings are equal in the Sight of Allah (17:70). Pay them a generous marital gift in kindness. They shall maintain moral behavior, by not committing adultery, or having secret relations. Since their upbringing has been deficient in the environment of slavery, their punishment will be half that of the free women, if they commit indecency after marriage. The permission to marry a bonded woman is for him who fears to commit sin. The better recourse is freeing her first from bondage. Men and women must be patient and exercise self-control while waiting to get married. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

And whoso among you has not the means to marry free believing women, then from what your right hands possess of believing maids; and God best knows your faith. You are of one another, so marry them with the leave of their people; and give them their rewards according to what is fitting, they being chaste and not fornicators, nor taking secret friends. But when they are in wedlock, then if they commit sexual immorality: upon them is half what is due the free women of punishment; that is for him who fears hardship among you. And that you be patient is best for you; and God is forgiving and merciful.

And whoever of you cannot afford to marry the independent female believers, then from those maintained by your oaths of the believing young women. And God is more aware of your faith, some of you to each other. You shall marry them with the permission of their parents, and give them their dowries in kindness - to be independent - not for illicit sex or taking lovers. Until they become independent, any of them who comes with an immorality shall have half of what is the punishment for those who are independent. This is for those who fear hardship from among you. But if you are patient it is better for you, and God is Forgiver, Merciful.

Whoever of you cannot afford to marry the acknowledging independent women, then from those young women whom you have contractual rights. God is more aware of your faith; you are equal to one another. You shall marry them with the permission of their family and give them their wage in kindness, to be protected, not for illicit sex or for taking lovers. If they become protected, then any of them who come with lewdness shall have half the punishment of what is for the independent women of the retribution. This is for those who fear hardship from among you. But if you are patient it is better for you, and God is Forgiver, Compassionate.

If any of you do not have the means to marry free women who are muminun, you may marry slavegirls who are muminun. Allah knows best about your iman; you are all the same in that respect. Marry them with their owners’ permission and give them their dowries correctly and courteously as married women, not in fornication or taking them as lovers. When they are married, if they commit fornication they should receive half the punishment of free women. This is for those of you who are afraid of committing fornication. But being patient is better for you. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Those among you who cannot afford to marry free believing women, may marry believing slave women. GOD knows best about your belief, and you are equal to one another, as far as belief is concerned. You shall obtain permission from their guardians before you marry them, and pay them their due dowry equitably. They shall maintain moral behavior, by not committing adultery, or having secret lovers. Once they are freed through marriage, if they commit adultery, their punishment shall be half of that for the free women. Marrying a slave shall be a last resort for those unable to wait. To be patient is better for you. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.,

If one of you cannot afford to marry a believing gentlewoman (let him marry) a maid who is a believer. God is aware of your faith: The one of you is of the other; so marry them with the consent of their people, and give them an appropriate dowry. They are women (seeking) wedlock, and not lechery, nor secretly looking for paramours. But if they are married and guilty of adultery, inflict on them half the punishment (enjoined) for gentlewomen. This is for those who are afraid of doing wrong. In case they can wait, it is better for them. God is forgiving and kind.

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 Allah 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 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 sin, but to be patient is better for you. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

And as for those of you who, owing to cir­cumstances, are not in a position to marry free believing women, [let them marry] believing maidens from among those whom you rightfully possess. And God knows all about your faith; each one of you is an issue of the other. Marry them, then, with their people's leave, and give them their dowers in an equitable manner - they being women who give themselves in honest wedlock, not in fornication, nor as secret love-companions. And when they are married, and thereafter become guilty of immoral conduct, they shall be liable to half the penalty to which free married women are liable. This [permission to marry slave-girls applies] to those of you who fear lest they stumble into evil. But it is for your own good to persevere in patience [and to abstain from such marriages]: and God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

And whoso is not able to afford to marry free, believing women, let them marry from the believing maids whom your right hands possess. Allah knoweth best (concerning) your faith. Ye (proceed) one from another; so wed them by permission of their folk, and give unto them their portions in kindness, they being honest, not debauched nor of loose conduct. And if when they are honourably married they commit lewdness they shall incur the half of the punishment (prescribed) for free women (in that case). This is for him among you who feareth to commit sin. But to have patience would be better for you. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

And those of you who do not have enough resources to marry the Muslim, -women who enjoy civil liberty, may turn the course and resort to the young unmarried Muslim women among those reduced to a servile state; and Allah Knows best those of you who justify faith as a conviction operative on their character and will. You take them in marriage by permission of their guardians and pay them themselves, their dowers with good will, and choose those of them who are characterized with the attribute of chastity, faith and fidelity and ornamented with the flower of honesty and not enamoured of other men. And when once they are united in wedlock, they have to guard-themselves from being supposed (temptation). And should they commit themselves to an evil line of conduct, then they shall suffer for their offence, but their punishment shall be half that inflicted on free women for the same offence. Such course of action is ordained for those who are afraid to live in celibacy lest they commit themselves to an evil line of conduct and incur the undesirable consequence. And if you be patient and quietly await the course of events, it is better for you, and Allah is Ghafurun and Rahimun.

Those who do not have the mean to marry properly, may, then, marry a believing woman whom his right hand possess (a slave woman or the one who does not have materialistic concerns) as you are all equal in God’s eyes. Wed the latter with the consent of their owners/ guardians promising them a "reasonable" sum. They should behave accordingly and avoid adultery or taking secret lovers. If they commit an indecency, their punishment shall be half of the one prescribed for a free woman. Marrying to a slave woman is the last resort and patience is better for you. God is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

And whoever of you have not the means wherewith to wed free, believing women, they may wed believing girls from among those (slaves) whom your right hands possess, and Allâh has full knowledge about your Faith; you are one from another. Wed them with the permission of their own folk (guardians, Auliyâ’ or masters) and give them their Mahr according to what is reasonable; they (the above said captive and slave-girls) should be chaste, not committing illegal sex, nor taking boy-friends. And after they have been taken in wedlock, if they commit illegal sexual intercourse, their punishment is half that for free (unmarried) women.[1] This is for him among you who is afraid of being harmed in his religion or in his body; but it is better for you that you practise self-restraint, and Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

If any of you have not the means wherewith to wed free believing women, they may wed believing girls from among those whom your right hands possess: And Allah hath full knowledge about your faith. Ye are one from another: Wed them with the leave of their owners, and give them their dowers, according to what is reasonable: They should be chaste, not lustful, nor taking paramours: when they are taken in wedlock, if they fall into shame, their punishment is half that for free women. This (permission) is for those among you who fear sin; but it is better for you that ye practise self-restraint. And Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

But if any of you cannot afford to marry a free believing woman, then ˹let him marry˺ a believing bondwoman possessed by one of you. Allah knows best ˹the state of˺ your faith ˹and theirs˺. You are from one another.[1] So marry them with the permission of their owners,[2] giving them their dowry in fairness, if they are chaste, neither promiscuous nor having secret affairs. If they commit indecency after marriage, they receive half the punishment of free women.[3] This is for those of you who fear falling into sin. But if you are patient, it is better for you. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

If one cannot afford to marry the free Muslim women, then (he may marry) the one you people own of your Muslim girls. Allah knows best about your faith. You are similar to each other.So, marry them with the permission of their masters, and give them their dues, as recognized, they being bound in marriage, not going for lust, nor having paramours. So, once they have been bound in marriage, then, if they commit a shameful act, they shall be liable to half of the punishment prescribed for the free women. That is for those of you who apprehend to indulge in sin. But that you be patient is better for you. Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful.

If any of you does not have the means to marry a believing free woman, then marry a believing slave- God knows best [the depth of] your faith: you are [all] part of the same family- so marry them with their people’s consent and their proper bride-gifts. [Make them] married women, not adulteresses or lovers. If they commit adultery when they are married, their punishment will be half that of free women. This is for those of you who fear that you will sin; it is better for you to practise selfrestraint. God is most forgiving and merciful,

Any one of you who has not the affluence to be able to marry believing freewomen in wedlock, let him take believing handmaids that your right hands own; God knows very well your faith; the one of you is as the other. So marry them, with their people's leave, and give them their wages honourably as women in wedlock, not as in licence or taking lovers. But when they are in wedlock, if they commit indecency, they shall be liable to half the chastisement of freewomen. That provision is for those of you who fear fornication; yet it is better for you to be patient. God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.

But whosoever of you cannot go the length of marrying marriageable women who believe, then take of what your right hands possess, of your maidens who believe;- though God knows best about your faith. Ye come one from the other; then marry them with the permission of their people, and give them their hire in reason, they being chaste and not fornicating, and not receivers of paramours. But when they are married, if they commit fornication, then inflict upon them half the penalty for married women; that is for whomsoever of you fears wrong; but that ye should have patience is better for you, and God is forgiving and merciful.

But whoever of you cannot marry free women who believe, then marry from what your right hands possess, believing maids; Allah knows best about your faith. You arise one from the other, so marry them with the permission of their people, and give them their portions in kindness and equity, they being chaste and not lecherous, and not of loose conduct. But when they are married, if they commit fornication, then inflict upon them half the penalty for free women; that is for whomsoever of you fears wrong; but that you should have patience is better for you, for Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

And whoever of you is unable to (provide) ample (means) for marrying (free) believing women in wedlock, then (let him take) from the believing handmaids that your right hands possess; and Allah knows best your belief, the ones of you are as the others (Literally: Some of you are from some others, i. e., you are equal). So marry them by the permission of their families, (i.e. their folk) and bring them their rewards with beneficence, as (women) in wedlock, other than in fornication or taking mates to themselves. (So) when they are in wedlock, (then) in case they come up with an obscenity, (5) they shall have then half the torment of free women in wedlock. That is for the ones of you who are apprehensive of distress; (i.e., sin) (and) to be patient is more charitable for you; and Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Merciful.

Whoso among you hath not means sufficient that he may marry free women, who are believers, let him marry with such of your maid-servants whom your right hands possess, as are true believers; for God well knoweth your faith. Ye are the one from the other: Therefore marry them with the consent of their masters; and give them their dower according to justice; such as are modest, not guilty of whoredom, nor entertaining lovers. And when they are married, if they be guilty of adultery, they shall suffer half the punishment which is appointed for the free women. This is allowed unto him among you, who feareth to sin by marrying free women; but if ye abstain from marrying slaves, it will be better for you; God is gracious and merciful.

If any of you do not have the means with which to wed free believing women, they may wed believing (captive or slave) girls from among those whom your right hand possess: And Allah has full knowledge about your Faith; You being one (individual different) from another. In every case, you are to wed them with the permission of their owners (guardians), and give them their dowries, according to what is reasonable: They should be chaste, not lustful (nor sinful), nor taking (illicit) partners; And when they are taken in wedlock, if they fall into shame, their punishment is half that of free women. This (permission) is for those among you who fear sin; But it is better for you that you practice self-control. And Allah is Often Forgiving (Ghafoor), Most Merciful (Raheem).

And those of you who have not the means (- social or financial) to marry free believing women (may marry) such of your believing bonds women as your right hands own (by being captives in war). Allâh knows very well (the state of) your faith, you are all (sprung) one from another, so marry them with the permission of their guardians and give them their dowers with equity, they being properly married, not (committing fornication), to pursue their lust nor taking secret paramours. And if after they are married they commit adultery then they incur (the punishment of fifty strips which is) half of that (punishment prescribed) for free women. This (permission to marry a bonds woman) is for him among you who fears (that otherwise he will fall into) sin. But it is better for you to exercise restraint. Allâh is, indeed, Great Protector, Ever Merciful.

As for those of you who cannot afford to marry faithful free women, then [let them marry] from what you own, from among your faithful slave-women. Your faith is best known [only] to Allah; you are all [on a] similar [footing]. So marry them with their masters’ permission, and give them their dowries in an honourable manner —[such of them] as are chaste women, not licentious ones or those who take paramours. But on marrying, should they commit an indecent act, then there shall be for them [only] half the punishment for free women. This is for those of you who fear falling into fornication; but it is better that you be continent, and Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.