حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أُمَّهَٰتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُكُمْ وَأَخَوَٰتُكُمْ وَعَمَّٰتُكُمْ وَخَٰلَٰتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُ ٱلْأَخِ وَبَنَاتُ ٱلْأُخْتِ وَأُمَّهَٰتُكُمُ ٱلَّٰتِىٓ أَرْضَعْنَكُمْ وَأَخَوَٰتُكُم مِّنَ ٱلرَّضَٰعَةِ وَأُمَّهَٰتُ نِسَآئِكُمْ وَرَبَٰٓئِبُكُمُ ٱلَّٰتِى فِى حُجُورِكُم مِّن نِّسَآئِكُمُ ٱلَّٰتِى دَخَلْتُم بِهِنَّ فَإِن لَّمْ تَكُونُوا۟ دَخَلْتُم بِهِنَّ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَحَلَٰٓئِلُ أَبْنَآئِكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِنْ أَصْلَٰبِكُمْ وَأَن تَجْمَعُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱلْأُخْتَيْنِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًۭا رَّحِيمًۭا
Forbidden to you are your mothers, your daughters and your sisters, your paternal aunts and your maternal aunts, your brother’s daughters and your sister’s daughters, your [foster-]mothers who have suckled you and your sisters through fosterage, your wives’ mothers, and your stepdaughters who are under your care [born] of the wives whom you have gone into—but if you have not gone into them there is no sin upon you—and the wives of your sons who are from your own loins, and that you should marry two sisters at one time—excluding what is already past; indeed Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful—
۞ وَٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُكُمْ ۖ كِتَٰبَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَأُحِلَّ لَكُم مَّا وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَن تَبْتَغُوا۟ بِأَمْوَٰلِكُم مُّحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَٰفِحِينَ ۚ فَمَا ٱسْتَمْتَعْتُم بِهِۦ مِنْهُنَّ فَـَٔاتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةًۭ ۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِيمَا تَرَٰضَيْتُم بِهِۦ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلْفَرِيضَةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًۭا
and married women, excepting your slave-women. This is Allah’s ordinance for you. As to others than these, it is lawful for you to seek [temporary union with them] with your wealth, in wedlock, not in license. For the enjoyment you have had from them thereby, give them their dowries, by way of settlement, and there is no sin upon you in what you may agree upon after the settlement. Indeed Allah is all-knowing, all-wise.
وَمَن لَّمْ يَسْتَطِعْ مِنكُمْ طَوْلًا أَن يَنكِحَ ٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ فَمِن مَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُكُم مِّن فَتَيَٰتِكُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِإِيمَٰنِكُم ۚ بَعْضُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ فَٱنكِحُوهُنَّ بِإِذْنِ أَهْلِهِنَّ وَءَاتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ مُحْصَنَٰتٍ غَيْرَ مُسَٰفِحَٰتٍۢ وَلَا مُتَّخِذَٰتِ أَخْدَانٍۢ ۚ فَإِذَآ أُحْصِنَّ فَإِنْ أَتَيْنَ بِفَٰحِشَةٍۢ فَعَلَيْهِنَّ نِصْفُ مَا عَلَى ٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتِ مِنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِىَ ٱلْعَنَتَ مِنكُمْ ۚ وَأَن تَصْبِرُوا۟ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ
As for those of you who cannot afford to marry faithful free women, then [let them marry] from what you own, from among your faithful slave-women. Your faith is best known [only] to Allah; you are all [on a] similar [footing]. So marry them with their masters’ permission, and give them their dowries in an honourable manner—[such of them] as are chaste women, not licentious ones or those who take paramours. But should they commit an indecent act on marrying, there shall be for them [only] half the punishment for free women. This is for those of you who fear falling into fornication; but it is better that you be continent, and Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.
يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ وَيَهْدِيَكُمْ سُنَنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَيَتُوبَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ
Allah desires to explain [the laws] to you, and to guide you to the customs of those who were before you, and to turn toward you clemently, and Allah is all-knowing, all-wise.
وَٱللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن يَتُوبَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَيُرِيدُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ أَن تَمِيلُوا۟ مَيْلًا عَظِيمًۭا
Allah desires to turn toward you clemently, but those who pursue their [base] appetites desire that you fall into gross waywardness.
يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَن يُخَفِّفَ عَنكُمْ ۚ وَخُلِقَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ ضَعِيفًۭا
Allah desires to lighten your burden, for man was created weak.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَأْكُلُوٓا۟ أَمْوَٰلَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِٱلْبَٰطِلِ إِلَّآ أَن تَكُونَ تِجَٰرَةً عَن تَرَاضٍۢ مِّنكُمْ ۚ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًۭا
O you who have faith! Do not eat up your wealth among yourselves unrightfully, but it should be trade by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves. Indeed Allah is most merciful to you.
وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ عُدْوَٰنًۭا وَظُلْمًۭا فَسَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِ نَارًۭا ۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرًا
And whoever does that in aggression and injustice, We will soon make him enter the Fire, and that is easy for Allah.
إِن تَجْتَنِبُوا۟ كَبَآئِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ نُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَنُدْخِلْكُم مُّدْخَلًۭا كَرِيمًۭا
If you avoid the major sins that you are forbidden, We will absolve you of your misdeeds and admit you to a noble abode.
وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوْا۟ مَا فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌۭ مِّمَّا ٱكْتَسَبُوا۟ ۖ وَلِلنِّسَآءِ نَصِيبٌۭ مِّمَّا ٱكْتَسَبْنَ ۚ وَسْـَٔلُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مِن فَضْلِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمًۭا
Do not covet the advantage, which Allah has given some of you over others. To men belongs a share of what they have earned, and to women a share of what they have earned. And ask Allah for His bounty. Indeed Allah has knowledge of all things.
وَلِكُلٍّۢ جَعَلْنَا مَوَٰلِىَ مِمَّا تَرَكَ ٱلْوَٰلِدَانِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبُونَ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ عَقَدَتْ أَيْمَٰنُكُمْ فَـَٔاتُوهُمْ نَصِيبَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ شَهِيدًا
For everyone We have appointed heirs to what the parents and near relatives leave, as well as those with whom you have made a compact; so give them their share [of the heritage]. Indeed Allah is witness to all things.
English translation: Ali Quli Qarai
Sources triangulated: Ṭabarsī [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan]; Ṭūsī [tusi_al_tibyan]; Baḥrānī, al-Burhān [bahrani_al_burhan]; al-Qummī [qummi]; Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān [tabatabai_al_mizan]; An Enlightening Commentary [enlightening_commentary]. All six are present (non-silent).
The passage sets the boundaries of lawful union: the catalogue of permanently forbidden women by lineage, affinity and suckling (v.23); the rule on married women and the verse of enjoyment (v.24); marriage to believing slave-girls and their half-penalty (v.25); God's intent to clarify, guide and lighten 'for man was created weak' (vv.26–28); the ban on consuming wealth wrongfully and on killing 'yourselves' (vv.29–30); the promise that avoiding the major sins remits the lesser (v.31); the prohibition of envious coveting (v.32); and the appointment of heirs and the claim of sworn allies (v.33).
1. The prohibited-women list, read in unison. All four Arabic sources, with al-Mīzān and the Enlightening Commentary, give Ibn ʿAbbās's 'seven by lineage, seven by cause,' the suckling-equals-lineage principle, the wife's mother forbidden by the contract alone (mubhama) versus the step-daughter forbidden only on consummation, and the exclusion of the adopted son's wife. [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] [tusi_al_tibyan] [qummi] [bahrani_al_burhan] al-Qummī, Ṭabarsī and al-Burhān all record ʿAlī's ruling that the step-daughter's 'in your care' is not a real condition. [qummi] [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] [bahrani_al_burhan]
2. Property and life (vv.29–30). All sources read 'wrongfully' as usury and unlawful gain and 'trade by mutual consent' as the licit exception, and gloss 'do not kill yourselves' both as 'do not kill one another' and (al-Qummī, al-Ṣādiq in Ṭabarsī) as not throwing oneself recklessly into battle. [qummi] [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] [tusi_al_tibyan] [tabatabai_al_mizan]
3. The major sins (v.31). Ṭabarsī, al-Qummī and the English sources all transmit the 'seven major sins' frame, and Ṭabarsī gives in full al-Ṣādiq's Qurʾān-grounded enumeration to ʿAmr b. ʿUbayd. [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] [qummi] [tabatabai_al_mizan] [enlightening_commentary] (al-Qummī's list distinctively includes 'reverting to bedouinry after the Hijra.') [qummi]
4. No envious coveting (v.32). All agree one may not covet another's specific blessing (wife, wealth) but may ask God for the like; Ṭabarsī and al-Burhān cite al-Ṣādiq to that effect. [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] [bahrani_al_burhan] [qummi]
The mutʿa verse (v.24) — the central confessional fault-line. All four Imāmī sources read 'so those of them you ENJOY (istamtaʿtum), give them their due' as legislating temporary marriage (mutʿa): al-Qummī flatly calls it 'the proof of the mutʿa'; Ṭabarsī and Ṭūsī mount the full case — the 'to a named term' reading of Ibn ʿAbbās/Ubayy/Ibn Masʿūd, the dower tied to enjoyment rather than the bare contract, ʿImrān b. Ḥuṣayn's and Jābir's reports, and above all ʿUmar's own admission that HE banned the two mutʿas. [qummi] [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] [tusi_al_tibyan] Ṭūsī additionally defends the mutʿa-wife's status as a 'wife' against 23:5–6. The English sources read the verse without endorsing the institution. [tabatabai_al_mizan] [enlightening_commentary]
The Prophet's loins (v.23). al-Burhān is alone in deploying 'the wives of your sons of your loins' as a scriptural proof that al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn are the Prophet's own sons — the Abū al-Jārūd dialogue and the Riḍā/Maʾmūn and Mūsā/Rashīd debates — 'this proves we are of his family.' [bahrani_al_burhan] The other sources treat v.23 purely as marriage law.
The slave's eighth offence (v.25). al-Qummī uniquely preserves al-Ṣādiq's ruling that a slave's repeated fornication ends in execution on the EIGHTH occasion 'so as not to combine slavery's bond with the free person's full ḥadd' — a distinctively Imāmī penal detail absent from the other sources. [qummi]
mawālī = the Imāms (v.33). al-Burhān reads 'those whom your oaths have bound' as the Imāms (al-Riḍā), alongside the inheritance reading (Zurāra); Ṭabarsī, Ṭūsī and al-Qummī treat the verse as inheritance law (sworn allies, abrogated by 8:75). [bahrani_al_burhan] [qummi] [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] [tusi_al_tibyan]