Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

Save with their wives, or what their right hands possess — for then are they not blameworthy,

اِلَّا عَلٰٓى اَزْوَاجِهِمْ اَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ اَيْمَانُهُمْ فَاِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُوم۪ينَۚ
Illa AAala azwajihim awma malakat aymanuhum fa-innahum ghayru maloomeen
#wordmeaningroot
1illāExcept
2ʿalāfrom
3azwājihimtheir spousesزوج
4awor
5what
6malakatthey possessملك
7aymānuhumrightfullyيمن
8fa-innahumthen indeed, they
9ghayru(are) notغير
10malūmīnablameworthyلوم
  • Aisha Bewley

    except from their wives and any slaves they own, in which case they incur no blame,

  • Progressive Muslims

    Except around their spouses or those committed to by oath, there is no blame.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    ----- They have intimate relations only with their spouses - that is, those who are rightfully theirs through wedlock. For such relationship they are free of blame. ('Aw' = Or = That is = And. (23:5-7)).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    Save with their wives, or what their right hands possess — for then are they not blameworthy,

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    Except around their spouses or those maintained by their oaths, there is no blame.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Except around their spouses or those committed to by oath, there is no blame.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    (They have relations) only with their spouses, or what is legally theirs -

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Are free of blame,

  • Sahih International (Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)

    Except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for indeed, they are not to be blamed -

  • Muhammad Asad

    with any but their spouses - that is, those whom they rightfully possess -: for then, behold, they are free of all blame,

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    Save with their wives and those whom their right hands possess, for thus they are not blameworthy;

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    except in regard to their spouses and those whom their right hands possess, for in regard to them they are not reproachable,

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    Except with their wives and with those of the captives in their hands; an act being then holy and incurs no blame;

  • Bijan Moeinian

    … with their wives and the ones that God has approved for them.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    Except from their wives or the (women slaves) whom their right hands possess - for (then) they are not blameworthy.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Except with their wives and the (captives) whom their right hands possess,- for (then) they are not to be blamed,

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    except with their wives or those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession, for then they are free from blame,

  • Taqi Usmani

    except from their wives and those (slave-girls) owned by their hands,- because they are not to be blamed,

  • Abdul Haleem

    from all but their spouses or their slave-girls––there is no blame attached to these,

  • Arthur John Arberry

    save from their wives and what their right hands own, then not being blameworthy

  • E. Henry Palmer

    except for their wives or the (slave girls) whom their right hands possess, for they are not to be blamed;

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    Except in the case of their wives or those whom their right hands possess - for on these surely is no blame,

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    Except with their spouses or what their right hands possess; then surely they are not blameworthy (Literally: other than being blameworthy).

  • George Sale

    of women other than their wives, or the slaves which their right hands possess; -- for as to them they shall be blameless;

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    Except from their wives and the (captive) whom their right hand possess— For (them), they are not to be blameworthy,

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    Except from their (free) wives or those (wives of theirs) whom their right hands own (- slave wives), for which they are not to blame.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    (except from their spouses and their slave women, for then they are not blameworthy;