Surah An-Nisa 4:23 — translation and meaning
النساء · Verse 23 / 176 · Page 81
ۗ حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أُمَّهَاتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُمْ وَعَمَّاتُكُمْ وَخَالَاتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُ الْأَخِ وَبَنَاتُ الْأُخْتِ وَأُمَّهَاتُكُمُ اللَّاتِي أَرْضَعْنَكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُم مِّنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ وَأُمَّهَاتُ نِسَائِكُمْ وَرَبَائِبُكُمُ اللَّاتِي فِي حُجُورِكُم مِّن نِّسَائِكُمُ اللَّاتِي دَخَلْتُم بِهِنَّ فَإِن لَّمْ تَكُونُوا دَخَلْتُم بِهِنَّ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَحَلَائِلُ أَبْنَائِكُمُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ أَصْلَابِكُمْ وَأَن تَجْمَعُوا بَيْنَ الْأُخْتَيْنِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا
Word by Word
Transliteration
Hurrimat 'alaikum umma haatukum wa bannaatukum wa akhawaatukum wa 'ammaatukum wa khaalaatukum wa banaatul akhi wa banaatul ukhti wa ummahaatu kumul laateee arda' nakum wa akhawaatukum minarradaa'ati wa ummahaatu nisaaa'ikum wa rabaaa'i bukumul laatee fee hujoorikum min nisaaa'ikumul laatee dakhaltum bihinna Fa il lam takoonoo dakhaltum bihina falaa junaaha 'alaikum wa halaaa'ilu abnaaa'ikumul lazeena min aslaabikum wa an tajma'oo bainal ukhtaini illaa maa qad salaf; innallaaha kaana Ghafoorar Raheema
Translation
Prohibited to you [for marriage] are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your father's sisters, your mother's sisters, your brother's daughters, your sister's daughters, your [milk] mothers who nursed you, your sisters through nursing, your wives' mothers, and your step-daughters under your guardianship [born] of your wives unto whom you have gone in. But if you have not gone in unto them, there is no sin upon you. And [also prohibited are] the wives of your sons who are from your [own] loins, and that you take [in marriage] two sisters simultaneously, except for what has already occurred. Indeed, Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.
Verse interpretation (Tafsir)
Allah has prohibited you to marry your mothers and grandmothers, your daughters and granddaughters, your sisters and half-sisters, your aunts and great aunts, your nieces and their children, your milk-mothers who nursed you and your sisters through nursing, the mothers of your wives (whether you have consummated the marriage or not), and the daughters of your wives by someone else (who were mostly raised in your houses, and also those who were not, if you have consummated the marriage; but if you have not, then there is nothing wrong with marrying their daughters). You are also prohibited to marry those who have been married to your own sons, even if they did not consummate the marriage, and this includes the wives of your sons through milk-kinship (nursing). It is prohibited for you to marry two sisters who are related by blood or by nursing, except if this happened in the time of ignorance before Islam, in which case Allah has forgiven it. Allah is Forgiving and Compassionate to His servants who repent to Him. In the traditions of the Prophet it is also confirmed that it is prohibited to marry a woman and her aunt at the same time.
Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.
Join 50,000+ Muslims
Download for free and never miss a prayer again