قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
TRULY, to a happy state shall attain the believers: (1)
الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ
those who humble themselves in their prayer, (2)
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ
and who turn away from all that is frivolous, (3)
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَاةِ فَاعِلُونَ
and who are intent on inner purity; (4)
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ
and who are mindful of their chastity, (5)
إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ
[not giving way to their desires] with any but their spouses – that is, those whom they rightfully possess [through wedlock]: for then, behold, they are free of all blame, (6)
فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ
whereas such as seek to go beyond that [limit] are truly transgressors; (7)
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ
and who are faithful to their trusts and to their pledges, (8)
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَوَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ
and who guard their prayers [from all worldly intent]. (9)
أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْوَارِثُونَ
It is they, they who shall be the inheritors (10)
الَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ الْفِرْدَوْسَ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
that will inherit the paradise; [and] therein shall they abide. (11)
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ سُلَالَةٍ مِنْ طِينٍ
NOW, INDEED, We create man out of the essence of clay, (12)
ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاهُ نُطْفَةً فِي قَرَارٍ مَكِينٍ
and then We cause him to remain as a drop of sperm in [the womb's] firm keeping, (13)
ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَامًا فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنْشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ
and then We create out of the drop of sperm a germ-cell, and then We create out of the germ-cell an embryonic lump, and then We create within the embryonic lump bones, and then We clothe the bones with flesh – and then We bring [all] this into being as a new creation: hallowed, therefore, is God, the best of artisans! (14)
ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ لَمَيِّتُونَ
And then, behold! after all this, you are destined to die; (15)
ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تُبْعَثُونَ
and then, behold! you shall be raised from the dead on Resurrection Day. (16)
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا فَوْقَكُمْ سَبْعَ طَرَائِقَ وَمَا كُنَّا عَنِ الْخَلْقِ غَافِلِينَ
And, indeed, We have created above you seven [celestial] orbits; and never are We unmindful of [any aspect of Our] creation. (17)
وَأَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً بِقَدَرٍ فَأَسْكَنَّاهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰ ذَهَابٍ بِهِ لَقَادِرُونَ
And We send down water from the skies in accordance with a measure [set by Us], and then We cause it to lodge in the earth: but, behold, We are most certainly able to withdraw this [blessing]! (18)
فَأَنْشَأْنَا لَكُمْ بِهِ جَنَّاتٍ مِنْ نَخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ لَكُمْ فِيهَا فَوَاكِهُ كَثِيرَةٌ وَمِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ
And by means of this [water] We bring forth for you gardens of date-palms and vines, wherein you have fruit abundant and whereof you eat, (19)
وَشَجَرَةً تَخْرُجُ مِنْ طُورِ سَيْنَاءَ تَنْبُتُ بِالدُّهْنِ وَصِبْغٍ لِلْآكِلِينَ
as well as a tree that issues from [the lands adjoining] Mount Sinai, yielding oil and relish for all to eat. (20)
وَإِنَّ لَكُمْ فِي الْأَنْعَامِ لَعِبْرَةً نُسْقِيكُمْ مِمَّا فِي بُطُونِهَا وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَنَافِعُ كَثِيرَةٌ وَمِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ
And, behold, in the cattle [too] there is indeed a lesson for you: We give you to drink of that [milk] which is within their bellies; and you derive many [other] uses from them: for you eat of their flesh, (21)
وَعَلَيْهَا وَعَلَى الْفُلْكِ تُحْمَلُونَ
and by them – as by the ships [over the sea] – you are borne [overland]. (22)
- [not giving way to their desires] with any but their spouses - that is, those whom they rightfully possess [through wedlock]:3 for then, behold, they are free of all blame,
- 3 Lit., "or those whom their right hands possess" (aw ma malakat aymanuhum). Most of the commentators assume unquestioningly that this relates to female slaves, and that the particle aw ("or") denotes a permissible alternative. This conventional interpretation is, in my opinion, inadmissible inasmuch as it is based on the assumption that sexual intercourse with one's female slave is permitted without marriage: an assumption which is contradicted by the Qur'an itself (see 4:3, 24, 25 and 24:32, with the corresponding notes). Nor is this the only objection to the above-mentioned interpretation. Since the Qur'an applies the term "believers" to men and women alike, and since the term azwaj ("spouses"), too, denotes both the male and the female partners in marriage, there is no reason for attributing to the phrase ma malakat aymanuhum the meaning of "their female slaves"; and since, on the other hand, it is out of the question that female and male slaves could have been referred to here, it is obvious that this phrase does not relate to slaves at all, but has the same meaning as in 4:24 - namely, "those whom they rightfully possess through wedlock" (see note 26 on 4:24) - with the significant difference that in the present context this expression relates to both husbands and wives, who "rightfully possess" one another by virtue of marriage. On the basis of this interpretation, the particle aw which precedes this clause does not denote an alternative ("or") but is, rather, in the nature of an explanatory amplification, more or less analogous to the phrase "in other words" or "that is", thus giving to the whole sentence the meaning, save with their spouses - that is, those whom they rightfully possess [through wedlock] ...", etc. (Cf. a similar construction 25:62 - "for him who has the will to take thought - that is [lit., "or"], has the will to be grateful".)
- Except with those joined to them in the marriage bond, or (the captives) whom their right hands possess,-2868 for (in their case) they are free from blame,
- 2868 This is further explained and amplified in 4:25. It will be seen there that the status of a captive when raised to freedom by marriage is the same as that of a free woman as regards her rights, but more lenient as regards the punishment to be inflicted if she falls from virtue.
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Except with those joined to them in the marriage bond, or (the captives) whom their right hands possess,- for (in their case) they are free from blame,
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
Save from their wives or the (slaves) that their right hands possess, for then they are not blameworthy,
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
Except before their mates or those whom their right hands possess, for they surely are not blameable,
— M. Habib Shakir -
Except from their wives or (the captives and slaves) that their right hands possess, for then, they are free from blame;
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
Save in regard to their spouses and those whom their right hands own: so they are not blameworthy-
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
except with their wives and what their right hand possess, and then they are not blamed.
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
except from their wives or what their right hands own, for then they are not to be blamed;
— Ayub Khan -
Except from their wives or what their right hands possess, for then they are not to be blamed;
— Sher Ali -
[not giving way to their desires] with any but their spouses – that is, those whom they rightfully possess [through wedlock]: for then, behold, they are free of all blame,
— Muhammad Asad -
save from their wives and what their right hands own then being not blameworthy
— Arthur Arberry -
except with regard to their wives and those women who are legally in their possession, for in that case they shall not be blame-worthy,
— Abu'l Ala Maududi