Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And marry not what your fathers married among women save what is past; it was sexual immorality, and hateful, and an evil path.

وَلَا تَنْكِحُوا مَا نَكَحَ اٰبَٓاؤُ۬كُمْ مِنَ النِّسَٓاءِ اِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَۜ اِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَمَقْتاًۜ وَسَٓاءَ سَب۪يلاً۟
Wala tankihoo ma nakahaabaokum mina annisa-i illa maqad salafa innahu kana fahishatan wamaqtan wasaasabeela
#wordmeaningroot
1walāAnd (do) not
2tankiḥūmarryنكح
3whom
4nakaḥamarriedنكح
5ābāukumyour fathersابو
6minaof
7l-nisāithe womenنسو
8illāexcept
9what
10qadhas
11salafapassed beforeسلف
12innahuindeed it
13kānawasكون
14fāḥishatanan immoralityفحش
15wamaqtanand hatefulمقت
16wasāaand (an) evilسوا
17sabīlanwayسبل
  • Aisha Bewley

    Do not marry any women your fathers married – except for what may have already taken place. That is an indecent act, a loathsome thing and an evil path.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And do not marry what your fathers had married from the women, except what has already been done. It is a lewdness, and an abhorrence, and a bad path.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Marry not women whom your fathers have ever married, except what has already happened in the Age of Ignorance. Doing such was a shameful and abominable custom indeed.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And marry not what your fathers married among women save what is past; it was sexual immorality, and hateful, and an evil path.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And do not marry who your fathers had married from the women, except what has already been done. It is a lewdness, and an abhorrence, and an evil path.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Do not marry what your fathers had married from the women, except what has already been done. It is lewdness, abhorrence, and a bad path.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Do not marry the women who were previously married to your fathers - existing marriages are exempted and shall not be broken - for it is a gross offense, and an abominable act.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    And do not wed the women your fathers had wed. What happened in the past is now past: It was lewd and abhorrent, and only the way of evil.

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

    And do not marry those whom your fathers married, except what has already occurred. Indeed, it was an immorality and hateful and was evil as a way.

  • Muhammad Asad

    AND DO NOT marry women whom your fathers have previously married - although what is past is past: this, verily, is a shameful deed, and a hateful thing, and an evil way.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And marry not those women whom your fathers married, except what hath already happened (of that nature) in the past. Lo! it was ever lewdness and abomination, and an evil way.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Do not marry the women whom your fathers married, although what is past is past. This indeed was a shameful deed, a hateful thing, and an evil way.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    And do not marry the women whom your fathers (deceased or divorced) have married before; Allah shall drop into oblivion what happened in the past. This incestuous union has been regarded by Allah as-an immoral act, a degrading vice and an evil line of conduct.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    It is a sin to marry your father’s ex-wife (a shameful and disgusting tradition of the days of ignorance) unless it has happened before the revelation of this law.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And marry not women whom your fathers married, except what has already passed; indeed it was shameful and most hateful, and an evil way.

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    And marry not women whom your fathers married,- except what is past: It was shameful and odious,- an abominable custom indeed.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Do not marry former wives of your fathers—except what was done previously. It was indeed a shameful, despicable, and evil practice.

  • Taqi Usmani

    Do not marry those women whom your fathers had married except what has passed. It is indeed shameful and detestable, and it is an evil practice.

  • Abdul Haleem

    Do not marry women that your fathers married- with the exception of what is past- this is indeed a shameful thing to do, loathsome and leading to evil.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    And do not marry women that your fathers married, unless it be a thing of the past; surely that is indecent and hateful; an evil way.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    And do not marry women your fathers married, - except bygones,- for it is abominable and hateful, and an evil way;

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And do not marry women your fathers married - except what has already happened - for it is an abominable and hateful practice, and an evil way.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And do not marry women that your fathers married, except what has already gone by; surely that is an obscenity and detestation, and an odious way.

  • George Sale

    Marry not women, whom your fathers have had to wife; -- except what is already past: -- For this is uncleanness, and an abomination, and an evil way.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And marry not women whom your fathers married— Except what is past: It was shameful and offensive— A very unpleasant custom indeed.

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And marry not those women whom your fathers had married, except what had already passed (- you shall not be called to account for what you did in the past, only you have to divorce them now); for it is a thing highly indecent and repugnant and an evil practice.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Do not marry any of the women whom your fathers had married, excluding what is already past. That is indeed an indecency, an outrage and an evil course.