Popular Translations
Muhammad Asad
And as for those of you who, owing to circumstances, are not in a position to marry free believing women, [let them marry] believing maidens from among those whom you rightfully possess. And God knows all about your faith; each one of you is an issue of the other. Marry them, then, with their people's leave, and give them their dowers in an equitable manner - they being women who give themselves in honest wedlock, not in fornication, nor as secret love-companions. And when they are married, and thereafter become guilty of immoral conduct, they shall be liable to half the penalty to which free married women are liable. This [permission to marry slave-girls applies] to those of you who fear lest they stumble into evil. But it is for your own good to persevere in patience [and to abstain from such marriages]: and God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace
Arthur John Arberry
Any one of you who has not the affluence to be able to marry believing freewomen in wedlock, let him take believing handmaids that your right hands own; God knows very well your faith; the one of you is as the other. So marry them, with their people's leave, and give them their wages honourably as women in wedlock, not as in licence or taking lovers. But when they are in wedlock, if they commit indecency, they shall be liable to half the chastisement of freewomen. That provision is for those of you who fear fornication; yet it is better for you to be patient. God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
If any of you have not the means wherewith to wed free believing women, they may wed believing girls from among those whom your right hands possess: And Allah hath full knowledge about your faith. Ye are one from another: Wed them with the leave of their owners, and give them their dowers, according to what is reasonable: They should be chaste, not lustful, nor taking paramours: when they are taken in wedlock, if they fall into shame, their punishment is half that for free women. This (permission) is for those among you who fear sin; but it is better for you that ye practise self-restraint. And Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful
Arabic
وَمَن لَّمۡ یَسۡتَطِعۡ مِنكُمۡ طَوۡلًا أَن یَنكِحَ ٱلۡمُحۡصَنَـٰتِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِ فَمِن مَّا مَلَكَتۡ أَیۡمَـٰنُكُم مِّن فَتَیَـٰتِكُمُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِۚ وَٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِإِیمَـٰنِكُمۚ بَعۡضُكُم مِّنۢ بَعۡضࣲۚ فَٱنكِحُوهُنَّ بِإِذۡنِ أَهۡلِهِنَّ وَءَاتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ مُحۡصَنَـٰتٍ غَیۡرَ مُسَـٰفِحَـٰتࣲ وَلَا مُتَّخِذَ ٰتِ أَخۡدَانࣲۚ فَإِذَاۤ أُحۡصِنَّ فَإِنۡ أَتَیۡنَ بِفَـٰحِشَةࣲ فَعَلَیۡهِنَّ نِصۡفُ مَا عَلَى ٱلۡمُحۡصَنَـٰتِ مِنَ ٱلۡعَذَابِۚ ذَ ٰلِكَ لِمَنۡ خَشِیَ ٱلۡعَنَتَ مِنكُمۡۚ وَأَن تَصۡبِرُوا۟ خَیۡرࣱ لَّكُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِیمࣱ ٢٥
Transliteration (2021)
waman lam yastaṭiʿ minkum ṭawlan an yankiḥa l-muḥ'ṣanāti l-mu'mināti famin mā malakat aymānukum min fatayātikumu l-mu'mināti wal-lahu aʿlamu biīmānikum baʿḍukum min baʿḍin fa-inkiḥūhunna bi-idh'ni ahlihinna waātūhunna ujūrahunna bil-maʿrūfi muḥ'ṣanātin ghayra musāfiḥātin walā muttakhidhāti akhdānin fa-idhā uḥ'ṣinna fa-in atayna bifāḥishatin faʿalayhinna niṣ'fu mā ʿalā l-muḥ'ṣanāti mina l-ʿadhābi dhālika liman khashiya l-ʿanata minkum wa-an taṣbirū khayrun lakum wal-lahu ghafūrun raḥīmu