قQuranulKareem

Surah An-Nur, Ayah 3 (24:3)

ٱلنُّور

ٱلزَّانِى لَا يَنكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً وَٱلزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنكِحُهَآ إِلَّا زَانٍ …

Quran 24:3 is ayah 3 of Surah An-Nur (“The Light”), a Medinan surah of 64 ayahs. It is in Juz 18, on page 350 of the Madani Mushaf.

24:3
ٱلزَّانِىلَايَنكِحُإِلَّازَانِيَةًأَوْمُشْرِكَةًوَٱلزَّانِيَةُلَايَنكِحُهَآإِلَّازَانٍأَوْمُشْرِكٌ ۚوَحُرِّمَذَٰلِكَعَلَىٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ٣
al-zānī lā yankiḥu illā zāniyatan aw mush'rikatan wal-zāniyatu lā yankiḥuhā illā zānin aw mush'rikun waḥurrima dhālika ʿalā l-mu'minīna

The fornicator does not marry except a [female] fornicator or polytheist, and none marries her except a fornicator or a polytheist, and that [i.e., marriage to such persons] has been made unlawful to the believers.(3)

Word by word

  1. ٱلزَّانِىal-zānīThe fornicator
  2. لَاlā(will) not
  3. يَنكِحُyankiḥumarry
  4. إِلَّاillāexcept
  5. زَانِيَةًzāniyatana fornicatress
  6. أَوْawor
  7. مُشْرِكَةًmush'rikatana polytheist woman
  8. وَٱلزَّانِيَةُwal-zāniyatuand the fornicatress
  9. لَاlā(will) not
  10. يَنكِحُهَآyankiḥuhāmarry her
  11. إِلَّاillāexcept
  12. زَانٍzānina fornicator
  13. أَوْawor
  14. مُشْرِكٌ ۚmush'rikuna polytheist man
  15. وَحُرِّمَwaḥurrimaAnd is forbidden
  16. ذَٰلِكَdhālikathat
  17. عَلَىʿalāto
  18. ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَl-mu'minīnathe believers

Tafsir (commentary) of 24:3

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

وَالزَّانِيَةُ لاَ يَنكِحُهَآ إِلاَّ زَانٍ

(and the Zaniyah, none marries her except a Zani) a sinful man who is guilty of fornication,

أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً

(or a Mushrik) (a man) who does not think it is unlawful.

وَحُرِّمَ ذلِكَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(Such a thing is forbidden to the believers.) meaning, indulging in this, or marrying prostitutes, or marrying chaste women to immoral men. Qatadah and Muqatil bin Hayyan said: "Allah forbade the believers from marrying prostitutes." This Ayah is like the Ayah (about marrying slave-girls):

مُحْصَنَـت غَيْرَ مُسَـفِحَـتٍ وَلاَ مُتَّخِذَاتِ أَخْدَانٍ

(they should be chaste, not committing illegal sex, nor taking boyfriends.) 4:25 And His saying:

مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحِينَ وَلاَ مُتَّخِذِى أَخْدَانٍ

(desiring chastity not committing illegal sexual intercourse, nor taking them as girlfriends) 5:5. Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, said that a man among the believers asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for permission (to marry) a woman known as Umm Mahzul, who used to commit adultery, and who had stated the condition that she should spend on him. So he asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for permission, or he mentioned the matter to him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited to him:

الزَّانِى لاَ يَنكِحُ إِلاَّ زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً وَالزَّانِيَةُ لاَ يَنكِحُهَآ إِلاَّ زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ وَحُرِّمَ ذلِكَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(The Zani marries not but a Zaniyah or a Mushrikah; and the Zaniyah, none marries her except Zani or a Mushrik. Such a thing is forbidden to the believers.) 24:3 Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said,

«لَا يَنْكِحُ الزَّانِي الْمَجْلُودُ إِلَّا مِثْلَهُ»

(A Zani who has been flogged should not marry anyone except someone who is like him.) A similar report was recorded by Abu Dawud in his Sunan.

Read the full Surah An-Nur