Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
[not giving way to their desires] with any but their spouses - that is, those whom they rightfully possess [through wedlock]: for then, behold, they are free of all blame
M. M. Pickthall
Save from their wives or the (slaves) that their right hands possess, for then they are not blameworthy
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
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
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
except with their wives or those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession, for then they are free from blame,
Safi Kaskas
except with their wives or with those whom their right hands held in trust, for which they will not be blamed.
Wahiduddin Khan
except with their wives, and what their right hands possess for then they are free from blame
Shakir
Except before their mates or those whom their right hands possess, for they surely are not blameable
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
but from their spouses or from what their right hands possessed. Truly, they are ones who are irreproachable.
T.B.Irving
except with their spouses and whomever their right hands may control, since then they are free from blame.
Abdul Hye
except from their wives or what their right hands (legally) possess, verily they are free from blame
The Study Quran
save from their spouses or those whom their right hands possess, for then they are not blameworthy
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
Except with their spouses or dependents, for they aren’t to be blamed.
Talal Itani (2012)
Except from their spouses, or their dependents—for then they are free from blame
Dr. Kamal Omar
except in relation to their marital partners or those whom their right hands held in trust (as milk-e-yameen marital partner under a document of state) — then surely they are outside those who are under blame (of committing anything undesirable)
except with their spouses or those who are legally in their possession, for in that case they shall not be blame
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
Except from their spouses and what their right hands possess, then surely they are not blameworthy. (literally: other than being blameworthy
Muhammad Sarwar
except with their spouses and slave-girls. The practice of carnal relations is lawful with them
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
except from their wives or from those (bondwomen who are) owned by their hands, as they are not to be blamed
Shabbir Ahmed
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.
Dr. Munir Munshey
Except with their wives and those their right hands possess. For that, they deserve no blame
Syed Vickar Ahamed
Except with those united to them by the bond of marriage, or (those) whom their right hands possess— For them, they are free from blame
Except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for indeed, they will not be blamed
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
Except around their mates, or those who are their dependants, they are free from blame
Abdel Haleem
except with their spouses or their slaves––with these they are not to blame
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
Save in regard to their spouses and those whom their right hands own: so they are not blameworthy
Ahmed Ali
Except from their wives and women slaves of old are free of blame
Aisha Bewley
except from their wives or those they own as slaves, in which case they are not blameworthy;
Ali Ünal
Save from their spouses or (as a permission for men) those (bondsmaids) whom their right hands possess, for with regard to them they are free from blame
Ali Quli Qara'i
(except from their spouses or their slave women, for then they are not blameworthy
Hamid S. Aziz
Except for with those joined with them in marriage or the captive whom their right hand possesses, for then, verily, they are free from blame
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
except with their spouses or what they own, then indeed they are blameless,
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
Except with their mates, or those whom their right hands possess, for in their case they are free from blame
Musharraf Hussain
except from their spouses or their slaves, in which case they are free from blame –
Maududi
save from their wives, or those whom their right hands possess; for with regard to them they are free from blame "
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
Except around their mates, or those who are maintained by their oaths, they are free from blame
Mohammad Shafi
Except from their spouses or from those whom they rightfully possess. For indulging in sex with them, they are, of course, not to be blamed
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
But from their wives or lawful handmaids who are the property of their hand for (in their case) they are not to be blamed.
Only with their spouses, or those who are rightfully theirs, do they have sexual relations; they are not to be blamed.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
except with their wives and what their right hand possess, and then they are not blamed
Maulana Muhammad Ali
Except in the presence of their mates or those whom their right hands possess, for such surely are not blameable
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
Except on (to) their spouses or what their rights/oaths owned/possessed (i.e. caregivers under contract), so they truly are not blameworthy/blamed
Bijan Moeinian
The believers are those who have sex only with their own wives based upon divine laws
Faridul Haque
Except from their wives or the legal bondwomen that they possess, for then there is no blame upon them
Sher Ali
Except from their wives or what their right hands possess, for then they are not to be blamed
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
Except from their wives or those slave-girls who are the possessions of their hands. (If they go to them according to the Islamic injunctions,) there is surely no blame on them
Amatul Rahman Omar
Except from their spouses, that is those whom they justly and rightfully own in proper wedlock, in that case they are not to be blamed
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
Except from their wives or (the captives and slaves) that their right hands possess, for then, they are free from blame
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
except with their marital conjoints or with that their right hands possess, for they truly are not susceptible to blame.
Munir Mezyed
Except from their wives or those whom their right hands possess, for indeed, they won’t be held responsible for a fault or wrong-
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
Except with regard to their partners and those in their possession, for then they are not to blame.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
…except with their spouses or whom their right hands possess [after they are freed and married], and then indeed they are free from blame.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
except from their spouses or those whom they rightfully possess—for then they are free from blame.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
except with their spouses and whomever their right hands may control (slaves), since then they are free from blame.
Samy Mahdy
Except upon their spouses, or what their right hands owned, so they are not being blamed.
Sayyid Qutb
except with those joined to them in marriage, or those whom they rightfully possess for then, they are free of all blame,
Ahmed Hulusi
Except from their spouses or what their right hands possess... For they are not condemned.
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli
Save from their wives or the (slaves) that their right hands possess, for then verily they are not blameworthy
But absolved are they to satisfy their instinctive sexual desire with those to whom they are matrimonially united or with those whom they choose to marry from those on hand -and there they incur no blame
Mir Aneesuddin
and those who guard their private parts
The Wise Quran
Except from their spouses or what their right hands possess. Then indeed, they are not to be blamed;