Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nur Verse 3

Mufti Taqi Usmani

A man who is fornicator does not (like to) marry but a woman who is a fornicator or a polytheist; and a woman who is a fornicator does not (like to) marry but a man who is a fornicator or a polytheist. And this (i.e. preferring to marry such spouses) has been prohibited for the believers.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

A male fornicator would only marry a female fornicator or idolatress. And a female fornicator would only be married to a fornicator or idolater. This is ˹all˺ forbidden to the believers.[[ It is reported in a ḥadîth collected by At-Tirmiⱬi that Marthad ibn Abi Marthad, a companion of the Prophet (ﷺ), asked if he could marry ’Anâq, a pagan prostitute he befriended in Mecca before he accepted Islam. So this verse was revealed. However, if someone committed a sin then later repented genuinely, they will be accepted by Allah and the rest of the believers.]]

Ruwwad Translation Center

A man who fornicates would only marry a woman who fornicates or a polytheist, and a woman who fornicates would only marry a man who fornicates or a polytheist. Such marriages are forbidden to the believers.

A. J. Arberry

The fornicator shall marry none but a fornicatress or an idolatress, and the fornicatress -- none shall marry her but a fornicator or an idolator; that is forbidden to the believers.

Abdul Haleem

The adulterer is only [fit] to marry an adulteress or an idolatress, and the adulteress is only [fit] to marry an adulterer or an idolater: such behaviour is forbidden to believers.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

The adulterer weddeth not but an adulteress or an associatoress: and the adulteress! --none weddeth her save an adulterer or an associator; and that is forbidden unto the believers.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Let no man guilty of adultery or fornication marry and but a woman similarly guilty, or an Unbeliever; nor let any but such a man or an Unbeliever marry such a woman; to the Believers such a thing is forbidden.

Abul Ala Maududi

A man guilty of adultery (or fornication) shall not marry any but the woman guilty of the same or a mushrik woman, and none shall marry a woman guilty of adultery (or fornication) but the man guilty of the same or a mushrik man: such marriages are forbidden to true believers.

Ahmed Ali

The adulterer can marry no one but an adulteress or his partner (in the act), and the adulteress cannot marry any but an adulterer or her partner (in the act). This is forbidden the believers,

Ahmed Raza Khan

The adulterer shall not marry except an adulteress or a polytheist woman, and none shall marry an adulteress except an adulterer or a polytheist; and this is forbidden for the believers.

Ali Quli Qarai

The fornicator will not marry anyone but a fornicatress or an idolatress, and the fornicatress will be married by none except a fornicator or an idolater, and that is forbidden to the faithful.

Ali Ünal

A fornicator (one notorious for indulgence in illicit sexual relations) is not to marry other than a fornicatress (a woman notorious for indulgence in illicit sexual relations) or an idolatress, and fornicatress – only a fornicator or an idolater is to take her in wedlock. Acting the other way is forbidden to the believers.

Amatul Rahman Omar

The fornicator and adulterer cannot have sexual relations (without lawful marriage) except with a fornicatress and adulteress or polytheistic woman (of low morality), and the fornicatress and adulteress, none can have sexual relations with her except a fornicator and adulterer or a polytheistic man (of low morality). And this (adultery and fornication) is forbidden to the believers.

English Literal

The adulterer/fornicator does not marry except an the adulteress/fornicatress or a sharer/taker of partners (with God), and the adulteress/fornicatress , none marries her except an adulterer/fornicator or sharer/taker of partners (with God), and that (was) forbidden on the believers.

Faridul Haque

The adulterer shall not marry except an adulteress or a polytheist woman, and none shall marry an adulteress except an adulterer or a polytheist; and this is forbidden for the believers.

Hamid S. Aziz

The man and the woman guilty of adultery (fornication, whoring), scourge each of them with a hundred stripes, and let not compassion for them withhold you from obedience to Allah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day; and let a party of the believers witness their punishment.

Hilali & Khan

The adulterer marries not but an adulteress or a Mushrikah and the adulteress none marries her except an adulterer or a Muskrik [and that means that the man who agrees to marry (have a sexual relation with) a Mushrikah (female polytheist, pagan or idolatress) or a prostitute, then surely he is either an adulterer, or a Mushrik (polytheist, pagan or idolater, etc.) And the woman who agrees to marry (have a sexual relation with) a Mushrik (polytheist, pagan or idolater) or an adulterer, then she is either a prostitute or a Mushrikah (female polytheist, pagan, or idolatress, etc.)]. Such a thing is forbidden to the believers (of Islamic Monotheism).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

The adulteress and the adulterer, flog each of them (with) a hundred stripes, and let not pity for them detain you from obedience to Allah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day, and let a party of believers witness their chastisement.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

The fornicator shall not marry any but a fornicatress or idolatress, and (as for) the fornicatress, none shall marry her but a fornicator or an idolater; and it is forbidden to the believers.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

The adulterer shall not marry save an adulteress or an idolatress, and the adulteress none shall marry save an adulterer or an idolater. All that is forbidden unto believers.

Muhammad Sarwar

No one should marry a fornicator except a fornicatress or a pagan woman. No one should marry a fornicatress except a fornicator or a pagan man. Such (marriage) is unlawful to the believers.

Qaribullah & Darwish

The fornicator shall marry none but a fornicatress or an idolatress; and the fornicatress none shall marry her but a fornicator or an idolater; that is forbidden to the believers.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

The Zani marries not but a Zaniyah or a Mushrikah; and the Zaniyah, none marries her except a Zani or a Mushrik. Such a thing is forbidden to the believers.

Wahiduddin Khan

The adulterer shall marry only an adulteress or a polytheist woman, and an adulteress shall marry only an adulterer or a polytheist man; such marriages are forbidden for believers.

Talal Itani

The adulterer shall marry none but an adulteress or an idolatress; and the adulteress shall marry none but an adulterer or an idolater. That has been prohibited for the believers.

Tafsir jalalayn

The fornicator shall not marry anyone but a fornicatress or an idolatress, and the fornicatress shall be married by none except a fornicator or an idolator, in other words, what is suitable for each of the two [for the purposes of marriage] is the above-mentioned; and that, namely, marrying of fornicators, is forbidden to believers, who are better [than those]. This was revealed when the poor among the Emigrants resolved to marry the wealthy whores of the idolaters, so that they [the women] would provide for them. Thus it is said that the prohibition applies specifically to them; but it is also said to apply in general; but it was abrogated by God's words; Marry off the spouseless among you [Q. 24;32].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Allah tells;

الزَّانِي لَا يَنكِحُ إلاَّ زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً

The Zani marries not but a Zaniyah or a Mushrikah;

Here Allah tells us that the Zani (male who is guilty of illegal sex) does not have intercourse except with a Zaniyah (female who is guilty of illegal sex) or a Mushrikah (female idolator), meaning that no one would go along with him in this action except a sinful woman who is also guilty of Zina, or a Mushrikah who does not think it is unlawful.

By the same token,

وَالزَّانِيَةُ لَاا يَنكِحُهَا إِلاَّ زَانٍ

and the Zaniyah, none marries her except a Zani,

a sinful man who is guilty of fornication,

أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ

or a Mushrik (a man)

who does not think it is unlawful.

وَحُرِّمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى الْمُوْمِنِينَ



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 وَلَا مُتَّخِذَاتِ أَخْدَانٍ

they should be chaste, not committing illegal sex, nor taking boyfriends. (4;25)

And His saying;

مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحِينَ وَلَا 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 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 for permission, or he mentioned the matter to him.
The Messenger of Allah recited to him;

الزَّانِى لَا يَنكِحُ إِلاَّ زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً وَالزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنكِحُهَأ إِلاَّ زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ وَحُرِّمَ ذلِكَ عَلَى الْمُوْمِنِينَ

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.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said,

لَاا يَنْكِحُ الزَّانِي الْمَجْلُودُ إِلاَّ 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