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An-Nisa 43

Ayah 43 of 176 · Medinan

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَقۡرَبُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنتُمۡ سُكَٰرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَعۡلَمُواْ مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلَا جُنُبًا إِلَّا عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ حَتَّىٰ تَغۡتَسِلُواْۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرۡضَىٰٓ أَوۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوۡ جَآءَ أَحَدٞ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡغَآئِطِ أَوۡ لَٰمَسۡتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمۡ تَجِدُواْ مَآءٗ فَتَيَمَّمُواْ صَعِيدٗا طَيِّبٗا فَٱمۡسَحُواْ بِوُجُوهِكُمۡ وَأَيۡدِيكُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا ٤٣

O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying1 or in a state of janābah,2 except those passing through [a place of prayer], until you have washed [your whole body]. And if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women [i.e., had sexual intercourse] and find no water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and your hands [with it]. Indeed, Allāh is ever Pardoning3 and Forgiving.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 The use of intoxicants was later prohibited completely. See 5:90-91.

2 Literally, "distance." The state of one under obligation to perform ghusl (a complete bath) due to having had sexual intercourse or ejaculation.

3 Literally, able to erase and remove sins completely, leaving no trace of them in the record of deeds.

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. يَٰٓأَيُّهَاO youyāayyuhā
  2. ٱلَّذِينَthose who(believe)alladhīna
  3. ءَامَنُواْbelieveāmanū
  4. لَا(Do) notlā
  5. تَقۡرَبُواْgo neartaqrabū
  6. ٱلصَّلَوٰةَthe prayerl-ṣalata
  7. وَأَنتُمۡwhile youwa-antum
  8. سُكَٰرَىٰ(are) intoxicatedsukārā
  9. حَتَّىٰuntilḥattā
  10. تَعۡلَمُواْyou knowtaʿlamū
  11. مَاwhatmā
  12. تَقُولُونَyou are sayingtaqūlūna
  13. وَلَاand notwalā
  14. جُنُبًا(when you are) impurejunuban
  15. إِلَّاexceptillā
  16. عَابِرِي(when) passingʿābirī
  17. سَبِيلٍ(through) a waysabīlin
  18. حَتَّىٰuntilḥattā
  19. تَغۡتَسِلُواْۚyou have bathedtaghtasilū
  20. وَإِنAnd ifwa-in
  21. كُنتُمyou arekuntum
  22. مَّرۡضَىٰٓillmarḍā
  23. أَوۡoraw
  24. عَلَىٰonʿalā
  25. سَفَرٍa journeysafarin
  26. أَوۡoraw
  27. جَآءَcamejāa
  28. أَحَدٞoneaḥadun
  29. مِّنكُمof youminkum
  30. مِّنَfrommina
  31. ٱلۡغَآئِطِthe toiletl-ghāiṭi
  32. أَوۡoraw
  33. لَٰمَسۡتُمُyou have touchedlāmastumu
  34. ٱلنِّسَآءَthe womenl-nisāa
  35. فَلَمۡand notfalam
  36. تَجِدُواْyou findtajidū
  37. مَآءٗwatermāan
  38. فَتَيَمَّمُواْthen do tayammumfatayammamū
  39. صَعِيدٗا(with) earthṣaʿīdan
  40. طَيِّبٗاcleanṭayyiban
  41. فَٱمۡسَحُواْand wipe (with it)fa-im'saḥū
  42. بِوُجُوهِكُمۡyour facesbiwujūhikum
  43. وَأَيۡدِيكُمۡۗand your handswa-aydīkum
  44. إِنَّIndeedinna
  45. ٱللَّهَAllahl-laha
  46. كَانَiskāna
  47. عَفُوًّاOft-Pardoningʿafuwwan
  48. غَفُورًاOft-Forgivingghafūran

Tafsir

O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Messenger, do not pray when you are drunk, until you recover from your drunkenness, and can tell what you are saying. (This ruling was before alcohol was completely forbidden.) Do not pray when you are in a state of major ritual impurity, and do not enter the mosques when you are in that state, except in passing, until you have washed your body. If you have an illness and cannot use water because of it, or if you are travelling, or have answered the call of nature, or have had sexual relations with women, and you cannot find water, then find clean earth, and wipe your faces and hands with it. Allah pardons your shortcomings and is Forgiving to you.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran