Surah An-Nisa 4:43 — translation and meaning

النساء · Verse 43 / 176 · Page 85

ۗ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنتُمْ سُكَارَى حَتَّى تَعْلَمُوا مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلَا جُنُبًا إِلَّا عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ حَتَّى تَغْتَسِلُوا وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَى أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا

Word by Word

ۗ
ۚ
يَا أَيُّهَا
yaayyuha
O you
الَّذِينَ
alladhina
who
آمَنُوا
amanu
believe[d]!
لَا
la
(Do) not
تَقْرَبُوا
taqrabu
go near
الصَّلَاةَ
al-salata
the prayer
وَأَنتُمْ
wa-antum
while you
سُكَارَى
sukara
(are) intoxicated
حَتَّى
hatta
until
تَعْلَمُوا
ta'lamu
you know
مَا
ma
what
تَقُولُونَ
taquluna
you are saying
وَلَا
wala
and not
جُنُبًا
junuban
(when you are) impure
إِلَّا
illa
except
عَابِرِي
abiri
(when) passing
سَبِيلٍ
sabilin
(through) a way
حَتَّى
hatta
until
تَغْتَسِلُوا
taghtasilu
you have bathed
وَإِن
wa-in
And if
كُنتُم
kuntum
you are
مَّرْضَى
marda
ill
أَوْ
aw
or
عَلَى
ala
on
سَفَرٍ
safarin
a journey
أَوْ
aw
or
جَاءَ
jaa
came
أَحَدٌ
ahadun
one
مِّنكُم
minkum
of you
مِّنَ
mina
from
الْغَائِطِ
al-ghaiti
the toilet
أَوْ
aw
or
لَامَسْتُمُ
lamastumu
you have touched
النِّسَاءَ
al-nisaa
the women
فَلَمْ
falam
and not
تَجِدُوا
tajidu
you find
مَاءً
maan
water
فَتَيَمَّمُوا
fatayammamu
then do tayammum
صَعِيدًا
sa'idan
(with) earth
طَيِّبًا
tayyiban
clean
فَامْسَحُوا
fa-im'sahu
and wipe (with it)
بِوُجُوهِكُمْ
biwujuhikum
your faces
وَأَيْدِيكُمْ
wa-aydikum
and your hands
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
اللَّهَ
al-laha
Allah
كَانَ
kana
is
عَفُوًّا
afuwwan
Oft-Pardoning
غَفُورًا
ghafuran
Oft-Forgiving

Transliteration

yaaa aiyuhal lazeena aamanoo laa taqrabus Salaata wa antum sukaaraa hatta ta'lamoo ma taqooloona wa la junuban illaa 'aabiree sabeelin hatta taghtasiloo; wa in kuntum mardaaa aw 'alaa safarin aw jaaa'a ahadum minkum minal ghaaa'iti aw laamastumun nisaaa'a falam tajidoo maaa'an fatayam mamoo sa'eedan taiyiban famsahoo biwujoohikum wa aideekum; innal laaha kaana 'Afuwwan Ghafooraa

Translation

O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying or in a state of janabah, 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 and find no water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and your hands [with it]. Indeed, Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving.

Verse interpretation (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.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

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"O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are in…" — An-Nisa 4:43