Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
O PROPHET! Why dost thou, out of a desire to please [one or another of] thy wives, impose [on thyself] a prohibition of something that God has made lawful to thee? But God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace
M. M. Pickthall
O Prophet! Why bannest thou that which Allah hath made lawful for thee, seeking to please thy wives? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
O Prophet! Why holdest thou to be forbidden that which Allah has made lawful to thee? Thou seekest to please thy consorts. But Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
O Prophet! Why do you prohibit ˹yourself˺ from what Allah has made lawful to you, seeking to please your wives? And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Safi Kaskas
Prophet, why do you prohibit what God has made lawful to you, seeking to please your wives? God is the Most Forgiving, the Mercy Giver.
Wahiduddin Khan
Prophet, why in your desire to please your wives, do you impose a ban on what God has made lawful to you? God is forgiving and merciful
Shakir
O Prophet! why do you forbid (yourself) that which Allah has made lawful for you; you seek to please your wives; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
O Prophet! Why hast thou forbidden what God permitted to thee. Looking for the goodwill of thy spouses? And God is Forgiving, Compassionate.
T.B.Irving
O Prophet, why do you prohibit something that God has permitted you? You seek to please your wives while God is Forgiving, Merciful.
Abdul Hye
O Prophet! Why do you make unlawful (for yourself) which Allah has made lawful to you in seeking the pleasure of your wives? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
The Study Quran
Prophet! Why dost thou forbid that which God has made lawful unto thee, seeking the good pleasure of thy wives? And God is Forgiving, Merciful
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
O Prophet, why do you forbid what God permitted for you, seeking to please your wives? God is Forgiving and Merciful.
Talal Itani (2012)
O prophet! Why do you prohibit what God has permitted for you, seeking to please your wives? God is Forgiving and Merciful
Dr. Kamal Omar
O you An-Nabi ! For what do you prohibit what Allah has made lawful for your person? (Do) you pay regard to the inclinations of your consorts ? And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, continuously Merciful
O Prophet! Why do you make something unlawful, which Allah has made lawful to you in seeking to please your wives? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
O you Prophet, why do you prohibit what Allah has made lawful to you, seeking the complete satisfaction of your spouses? And Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Merciful
Muhammad Sarwar
Prophet, in seeking the pleasure of your wives, why do you make unlawful that which God has made lawful. God is All-forgiving and All-merciful
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
O Prophet, why do you ban (on your self) something that Allah has made lawful for you, seeking to please your wives? And Allah is Most- Forgiving, Very-Merciful
Shabbir Ahmed
O Prophet! Would you prohibit something that Allah has made Lawful for you, even to please your wives? For, Allah is Absolver of (their) imperfections, Merciful
Dr. Munir Munshey
Oh prophet! Why did you, in order to please your wives, forbid yourself that which Allah has deemed lawful for you? Allah is all-Forgiving, the most Merciful
Syed Vickar Ahamed
O Prophet! Why do you forbid what Allah has made lawful to you? You seek to please your wives. And Allah is Often Forgiving (Ghafoor), Most Merciful (Raheem)
O Prophet, why do you prohibit [yourself from] what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking the approval of your wives? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
O you prophet, why do you prohibit what God has made lawful for you, seeking to please your wives God is Forgiver, Merciful
Abdel Haleem
Prophet, why do you prohibit what God has made lawful to you in your desire to please your wives? Yet God is forgiving and merciful
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
O prophet! why makest thou unlawful that which Allah hath made lawful Unto thee, seeking the good-will of thy wives! And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful
Ahmed Ali
O PROPHET, WHY should you forbid (yourself) what God has made lawful for you, in order to please your wives? Yet God is forgiving and kind
Aisha Bewley
O Prophet! Why do you make haram what Allah has made halal for you, seeking to please your wives? Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Ali Ünal
O Prophet (you who are the greatest representative of Prophethood)! Why do you forbid (yourself) what God has made lawful to you? You seek to please your wives. And God is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate
Ali Quli Qara'i
O Prophet! Why do you prohibit [yourself] what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking to please your wives? And Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful
Hamid S. Aziz
O Prophet! Why do you ban (or forbid) that which Allah has made lawful for you, seeking to please your wives; but Allah is Forgiving, Merciful
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
Prophet, why do you prohibit what God made lawful for you looking for your wives' pleasure? God is forgiving and merciful.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
O messenger, why do you prohibit that which God has made permissible, in order to please your wives? But God is Oft-Forgiving, Mercifully Redeeming
Musharraf Hussain
Prophet, why do you – desiring to please your wives – avoid things that Allah has made lawful for you? Allah is Forgiving, Caring.
Maududi
O Prophet, why do you forbid what Allah has made lawful for you? Is it to please your wives? Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Compassionate
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
O prophet, why do you make unlawful what God has made lawful for you, seeking to please your wives? God is Forgiver, Merciful.
Mohammad Shafi
O Prophet! Why do you make unlawful what Allah has made lawful to you, seeking pleasure of your wives? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
'O the communicator of the Unseen (Prophet) why do you forbid for yourself what Allah has made lawful to you, seeking the pleasure of your wives? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful
O you prophet, why do you prohibit what GOD has made lawful for you, just to please your wives? GOD is Forgiver, Merciful.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
O Prophet, why do you forbid that which Allah has made lawful to you. Do you seek to please your wives? ' Allah is the Forgiving, the Most Merciful
Maulana Muhammad Ali
O Prophet, why dost thou forbid (thyself) that which Allah has made lawful for thee? Seekest thou to please thy wives? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
You, you the prophet, why/for what (do) you forbid/prohibit what God permitted/allowed for you, you wish/desire your wives' approvals/satisfactions , and God (is) forgiving, merciful
Bijan Moeinian
O’ Mohammad, why do you declare something lawful as unlawful to you? In order to please your wife? God will forgive you for this as He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful
Faridul Haque
O dear Prophet (Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him)! Why do you forbid for yourself the things that Allah has made lawful for you? You wish to please some of your wives; and Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful
Sher Ali
O Prophet ! why dost thou forbid thyself that which ALLAH has made lawful to thee. Thou seekest the pleasure of thy wives? And ALLAH is Most Forgiving, Merciful
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
O (Esteemed) Prophet! Why do you forbid yourself (taking honey) which Allah has made lawful for you? (How well) you seek to please your wives! And Allah is Most Forgiving, Ever-Merciful
Amatul Rahman Omar
Prophet! why do you forbid yourself the things which Allah has made lawful to you? You seek the pleasure (of Allah) for your wives. And Allah is Great Protector, Ever Merciful
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
O Prophet! Why do you ban (for yourself) that which Allah has made lawful to you, seeking to please your wives? And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
O you the prophet! Why do you make forbidden that which Allah has made lawful to you? You seek the pleasure of your spouses and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Munir Mezyed
O’ Prophet! Why do you forbid what Allâh has made lawful for you, striving diligently to please your wives? Lo! Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
Oh prophet, why do you prohibit what Allah has permitted to you, seeking the contentment of your wives, and Allah is forgiving and merciful.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
O Prophet, why do you consider forbidden that which Allah has made lawful for you just to satisfy your wives? Allah is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
O Prophet, why do you prohibit what Allah has permitted for you, seeking to please your spouses? Yet Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Bestowing of mercy.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
O Prophet, why do you prohibit something that Allah (God) has permitted you? You seek to please your wives while Allah (God) is Forgiving, Merciful.
Samy Mahdy
O the prophet! Why do you forbid what Allah has permitted (Halal) for you, seeking satisfaction of your wives? And Allah is Forgiver, Merciful.
Ahmed Hulusi
O Nabi! Why do you forbid yourself from what Allah had made permissible to you, seeking to please your wives? Allah is the Ghafur, the Rahim.
Mir Aneesuddin
O prophet! why do you hold unlawful that which Allah has made lawful for you, seeking to please your wives, and Allah is Protectively Forgiving, Merciful.
O you Prophet: Why forbid what Allah has made lawful to you for the sake of giving satisfaction to your wives? Allah is Ghafurun (forgiving) and Rahimun (Merciful)
The Wise Quran
O prophet! For what do you make unlawful what God made lawful for you, seeking the pleasure of your wives? And God is forgiving, compassionate.