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Compared Translations of the meaning of the Quran - 23:6 | |
| < 23:7 23:5 > |
| Transliteration | Illa AAala azwajihim aw ma malakat aymanuhum fa-innahum ghayru maloomeena |
| Literal | Except on (to) their spouses or what their rights/oaths owned/possessed (i.e. caregivers under contract), so they truly are not blameworthy/blamed. |
| Yusuf Ali | Except with those joined to them in the marriage bond, or (the captives) whom their right hands possess,- for (in their case) they are free from blame, |
| Pickthal | Save from their wives or the (slaves) that their right hands possess, for then they are not blameworthy, |
| Arberry | save from their wives and what their right hands own then being not blameworthy |
| Shakir | Except before their mates or those whom their right hands possess, for they surely are not blameable, |
| Sarwar | except with their spouses and slave-girls. The practice of carnal relations is lawful with them. |
| Khalifa | Only with their spouses, or those who are rightfully theirs, do they have sexual relations; they are not to be blamed. |
| Hilali/Khan | Except from their wives or (the captives and slaves) that their right hands possess, for then, they are free from blame; |
| H/K/Saheeh | Except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for indeed, they will not be blamed |
| Malik | except with their spouses or those who are legally in their possession, for in that case they shall not be blamed[6] |
| QXP | Not giving way to their desires with any but their spouses - that is, those whom they each other rightfully possess. Behold, they are free of all blame. (4:3), (4:24), (4:25), (24:32.) |
| Maulana Ali | Except in the presence of their mates or those whom their right hands possess, for such surely are not blameable, |
| Free Minds | Except around their mates, or those who are their dependants, they are free from blame. |
| Qaribullah | except with their wives and what their right hand possess, and then they are not blamed. |
| George Sale | except their wives, or the captives which their right hands possess; -- for as to them they shall be blameless: |
| JM Rodwell | (Save with their wives, or the slaves whom their right hands possess: for in that case they shall be free from blame: |
| Asad | [not giving way to their desires] with any but their spouses - that is, those whom they rightfully possess [through wedlock]: [Lit., "or those whom their right hands possess" (aw ma malakat aymanuhum). Many of the commentators assume unquestioningly that this relates to female slaves, and that the particle aw ("or") denotes a permissible alternative. This interpretation is, in my opinion, inadmissible inasmuch as it is based on the assumption that sexual intercourse with ones female slave is permitted without marriage: an assumption, which is contradicted by the Quran itself (see 4:3, 24, 25 and 24:32, with the corresponding notes). Nor is this the only objection to the above-mentioned interpretation. Since the Quran applies the term "believers" to men and women alike, and since the term azwaj ("spouses"), too, denotes both the male and the female partners in marriage, there is no reason for attributing to the phrase ma malakat aymanuhum the meaning of "their female slaves"; and since, on the other hand, it is out of the question that female and male slaves could have been referred to here it is obvious that this phrase does not relate to slaves at all, but has the same meaning as in 4:24 - namely, "those whom they rightfully possess through wedlock (see note on 4:24) - with the significant difference that in the present context this expression relates to both husbands and wives, who "rightfully possess" one another by virtue of marriage. On the basis of this interpretation, the particle aw which precedes this clause does not denote an alternative ("or") but is, rather, in the nature of an explanatory amplification, more or less analogous to the phrase "in other words" or "that is", thus giving to the whole sentence the meaning, "save with their spouses - that is, those whom they rightfully possess [through wedlock]", etc. (Cf. a similar construction 25:62 - "for him who has the will to take thought -that is [lit., "or"], has the will to be grateful".)] for then, behold, they are free of all blame, |
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