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An-Nur 3

Ayah 3 of 64 · Medinan

ٱلزَّانِي لَا يَنكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوۡ مُشۡرِكَةٗ وَٱلزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنكِحُهَآ إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوۡ مُشۡرِكٞۚ وَحُرِّمَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٣

The fornicator does not marry except a [female] fornicator or polytheist, and none marries her except a fornicator1 or a polytheist, and that [i.e., marriage to such persons] has been made unlawful to the believers.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 Included in this ruling is the adulterer as well. Such persons cannot be married to believers unless they have repented and reformed.

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. ٱلزَّانِيThe fornicatoral-zānī
  2. لَا(will) notlā
  3. يَنكِحُmarryyankiḥu
  4. إِلَّاexceptillā
  5. زَانِيَةًa fornicatresszāniyatan
  6. أَوۡoraw
  7. مُشۡرِكَةٗa polytheist womanmush'rikatan
  8. وَٱلزَّانِيَةُand the fornicatress wal-zāniyatu
  9. لَا(will) notlā
  10. يَنكِحُهَآmarry heryankiḥuhā
  11. إِلَّاexceptillā
  12. زَانٍa fornicatorzānin
  13. أَوۡoraw
  14. مُشۡرِكٞۚa polytheist manmush'rikun
  15. وَحُرِّمَAnd is forbiddenwaḥurrima
  16. ذَٰلِكَthatdhālika
  17. عَلَىtoʿalā
  18. ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَthe believersl-mu'minīna

Tafsir

A fornicating man does not incline to marry except a fornicating woman like himself or an idolater who does not stay away from fornication. A fornicating woman does not incline to marry except a fornicating man like herself or an idolater who does not stay away from it. And marrying a fornicating male and female has been forbidden for believers.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran