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An-Nisa 19

Ayah 19 of 176 · Medinan

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمۡ أَن تَرِثُواْ ٱلنِّسَآءَ كَرۡهٗاۖ وَلَا تَعۡضُلُوهُنَّ لِتَذۡهَبُواْ بِبَعۡضِ مَآ ءَاتَيۡتُمُوهُنَّ إِلَّآ أَن يَأۡتِينَ بِفَٰحِشَةٖ مُّبَيِّنَةٖۚ وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۚ فَإِن كَرِهۡتُمُوهُنَّ فَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تَكۡرَهُواْ شَيۡـٔٗا وَيَجۡعَلَ ٱللَّهُ فِيهِ خَيۡرٗا كَثِيرٗا ١٩

O you who have believed, it is not lawful for you to inherit women by compulsion.1 And do not make difficulties for them in order to take [back] part of what you gave them2 unless they commit a clear immorality [i.e., adultery]. And live with them in kindness. For if you dislike them - perhaps you dislike a thing and Allāh makes therein much good.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 The deceased man's heirs have no rights of marriage or otherwise over his widow.

2 At the time of marriage as mahr.

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. يَٰٓأَيُّهَاO youyāayyuhā
  2. ٱلَّذِينَthose who(believe)alladhīna
  3. ءَامَنُواْbelieveāmanū
  4. لَاNotlā
  5. يَحِلُّ(is) lawfulyaḥillu
  6. لَكُمۡfor youlakum
  7. أَنthatan
  8. تَرِثُواْyou inherittarithū
  9. ٱلنِّسَآءَthe womenl-nisāa
  10. كَرۡهٗاۖ(by) forcekarhan
  11. وَلَاAnd notwalā
  12. تَعۡضُلُوهُنَّyou constraint themtaʿḍulūhunna
  13. لِتَذۡهَبُواْso that you may takelitadhhabū
  14. بِبَعۡضِa partbibaʿḍi
  15. مَآ(of) whatmā
  16. ءَاتَيۡتُمُوهُنَّyou have given themātaytumūhunna
  17. إِلَّآexceptillā
  18. أَنthatan
  19. يَأۡتِينَthey commityatīna
  20. بِفَٰحِشَةٖimmoralitybifāḥishatin
  21. مُّبَيِّنَةٖۚopenmubayyinatin
  22. وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّAnd live with themwaʿāshirūhunna
  23. بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۚin kindnessbil-maʿrūfi
  24. فَإِنBut iffa-in
  25. كَرِهۡتُمُوهُنَّyou dislike themkarih'tumūhunna
  26. فَعَسَىٰٓthen perhapsfaʿasā
  27. أَنthatan
  28. تَكۡرَهُواْyou disliketakrahū
  29. شَيۡـٔٗاa thingshayan
  30. وَيَجۡعَلَand has placedwayajʿala
  31. ٱللَّهُAllahl-lahu
  32. فِيهِin itfīhi
  33. خَيۡرٗاgoodkhayran
  34. كَثِيرٗاmuchkathīran

Tafsir

O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Messenger, you are not allowed to inherit the wives of your fathers in the way wealth is inherited or marry them, or give them in marriage, or stop them from marrying. Also, it is forbidden for you to retain your wives who you do not like in order to get them to give back some of what you gave to them, unless they have had illegal sexual relations. In that case, you can get them to return what you gave them. Be good companions to your women, not hurting them, and be kind to them. If you do not like them for some worldly reason, then be patient with them. Allah may put much good in what you do not like, both in the life of this world and in the Afterlife.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran