Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ahzab Verse 52

Mufti Taqi Usmani

No women are lawful for you after this, nor is it lawful that you replace them (the present wives) with other wives, even though their goodness may attract you, except the bond-women you own. And Allah is watchful of every thing.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

It is not lawful for you ˹O Prophet˺ to marry more women after this, nor can you replace any of your present wives with another, even if her beauty may attract you—except those ˹bondwomen˺ in your possession. And Allah is ever Watchful over all things.

Ruwwad Translation Center

It is not lawful for you [O Prophet] to marry more women henceforth, nor can you replace any of them with others, even if their beauty may please you, except those bondwomen whom you own. And Allah is ever Watchful over all things.

A. J. Arberry

Thereafter women are not lawful to thee, neither for thee to take other wives in exchange for them, though their beauty please thee, except what thy right hand owns; God is watchful over everything.

Abdul Haleem

You [Prophet] are not permitted to take any further wives, nor to exchange the wives you have for others, even if these attract you with their beauty. But this does not apply to your slave-girls: God is watchful over all.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Women are not allowed unto thee henceforth, nor mayest thou change them for other wives although their beauty please thee, save those whom thy right hand shall own; and Allah is ever over everything a Watcher.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It is not lawful for thee (to marry more) women after this, nor to change them for (other) wives, even though their beauty attract thee, except any thy right hand should possess (as handmaidens); and Allah doth watch over all things.

Abul Ala Maududi

Thereafter women will not be lawful for you, and it will not be lawful for you to take other wives in place of them, even though their beauty might please you, unless they be those whom your right hand owns. Allah is watchful over everything.

Ahmed Ali

No other women are lawful for you after this except those you have married, nor to change your present wives for other women even though their beauty should appeal to you. God is watchful of everything.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Other women are not permitted for you after these, nor that you change them for other wives even if their beauty pleases you except the bondwomen whom you possess; and Allah is the Guardian over all things.

Ali Quli Qarai

Beyond that, women are not lawful for you, nor that you should change them for other wives even though their beauty should impress you, except those whom your right hand owns. Allah is watchful over all things.

Ali Ünal

Other women (than those just mentioned and those already married to you ) will not be lawful for you to take; nor, (seeing that they – your wives – have preferred God and His Messenger over the charms of the world) are you allowed to change them for other wives, even though their fineness should please you, except those whom your right hands possess. God is ever watchful over everything.

Amatul Rahman Omar

(Prophet!) you are not allowed (to marry) other woman after this, nor to change them (- your present wives )for other wives however much you may admire their good qualities. Only those (will remain with you) whom your right hand owns (after your having properly and lawfully wedded them). Remember that Allâh is Ever Watchful over everything.

English Literal

The women are not permitted/allowed to you from after, and nor that you exchange/replace with them (F) from wives , and even if their goodness/beauty pleased/marveled you, except what your right (hand) owned/possessed, and God was/is on every thing observing/watching .

Faridul Haque

Other women are not permitted for you after these, nor that you change them for other wives even if their beauty pleases you except the bondwomen whom you possess; and Allah is the Guardian over all things.

Hamid S. Aziz

You may put off whom you please of them, and you may take to you whom you please, and whom you desire of those whom you had separated provisionally; no blame attaches to you; this is most proper, so that their eyes may be cool and they may not grieve, and that they should be pleased, all of them with what you give them, and Allah knows what is in your heart; and Allah is Knowing, Forbearing.

Hilali & Khan

It is not lawful for you (to marry other) women after this, nor to change them for other wives even though their beauty attracts you, except those (captives or slaves) whom your right hand possesses. And Allah is Ever a Watcher over all things.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Thou mayest put off whom thou pleasest of them, and take to thee whom thou pleasest. And whom thou desirest of those whom thou hadst separated provisionally, no blame attaches to thee. This is most proper so that their eyes may be cool and they may not grieve, and that they should be pleased, all of them, with what thou givest them. And Allah knows what is in your hearts. And Allah is ever Knowing, Forbearing.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

It is not allowed to you to take women afterwards, nor that you should change them for other wives, though their beauty be pleasing to you, except what your right hand possesses and Allah is Watchful over all things.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

It is not allowed thee to take (other) women henceforth, nor that thou shouldst change them for other wives even though their beauty pleased thee, save those whom thy right hand possesseth. And Allah is ever Watcher over all things.

Muhammad Sarwar

Besides these, other women are not lawful for you to marry nor is it lawful for you to exchange your wives for the wives of others (except for the slave girls), even though they may seem attractive to you. God is watchful over all things.

Qaribullah & Darwish

It shall be unlawful for you to take more wives or to exchange your present wives for other women, though their beauty pleases you, except those whom your right hand possesses. Allah is watchful over everything.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

It is not lawful for you (to marry other) women after this, nor to change them for other wives even though their beauty attracts you, except those whom your right hand possesses. And Allah is Ever a Watcher over all things.

Wahiduddin Khan

It is not lawful for you to marry more women after this, nor to change them for other wives, even though their beauty may please you, except any that your right hand possesses. God is watchful over all things.

Talal Itani

Beyond that, no other women are permissible for you, nor can you exchange them for other wives, even if you admire their beauty, except those you already have. God is Watchful over all things.

Tafsir jalalayn

Women are not lawful for you (read l tahillu, or l yahillu) beyond that, beyond the nine that have chosen you [as their husband], nor [is it lawful] for you to change (tabaddala; one of the two original t' letters [of tatabaddala] has been omitted) them for other wives, by divorcing them or some of them and marry in place of those whom you divorce, even though their beauty impress you, except those whom your right hand owns, of slavegirls, which is [in contrast] lawful for you. In addition to these [slavegirls] the Prophet (s) came to own Mriya [the Copt]. She bore for him Ibrhm, who died during his lifetime. And God is Watcher over, Preserver [of], all things.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Reward of His Wives for choosing to stay with the Messenger

Allah says;

لَاا يَحِلُّ لَكَ النِّسَاء مِن بَعْدُ وَلَاا أَن تَبَدَّلَ بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ حُسْنُهُنَّ إِلاَّ مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ رَّقِيبًا



It is not lawful for you (to marry other) women after this, nor to change them for other wives even though their beauty attracts you, except those whom your right hand possesses. And Allah is Ever a Watcher over all things.

More than one of the scholars, such as Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Ibn Zayd, Ibn Jarir and others stated that this Ayah was revealed as a reward to the wives of the Prophet expressing Allah's pleasure with them for their excellent decision in choosing Allah and His Messenger and the Home of the Hereafter, when the Messenger of Allah , gave them the choice, as we have stated above. When they chose the Messenger of Allah their reward was that Allah restricted him to these wives, and forbade him to marry anyone else or to change them for other wives, even if he was attracted by their beauty -- apart from slave-girls and prisoners of war, with regard to whom there was no sin on him.

Then Allah lifted the restriction stated in this Ayah and permitted him to marry more women, but he did not marry anyone else, so that the favor of the Messenger of Allah towards them would be clear.

Imam Ahmad recorded that A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said;

"The Messenger of Allah did not die until Allah permitted (marriage to other) women for him."

It was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i in their Sunans.

On the other hand, others said that what was meant by the Ayah,
لَاا يَحِلُّ لَكَ النِّسَاء مِن بَعْدُ
(It is not lawful for you (to marry other) women after this,

means, `after the description We have given of the women who are lawful for you, those to whom you have given their dowry, those whom your right hand possesses, and daughters of your paternal uncles and aunts, maternal uncles and aunts, and those who offer themselves to you in marriage -- other kinds of women are not lawful for you.'

This view was narrated from Ubayy bin Ka`b, from Mujahid in one report which was transmitted from him, and others.

At-Tirmidhi recorded that Ibn Abbas said;

"The Messenger of Allah was forbidden to marry certain kinds of women apart from believing women who had migrated with him, in the Ayah,

لَاا يَحِلُّ لَكَ النِّسَاء مِن بَعْدُ وَلَاا أَن تَبَدَّلَ بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ حُسْنُهُنَّ إِلاَّ مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُك

It is not lawful for you (to marry other) women after this, nor to change them for other wives even though their beauty attracts you, except those whom your right hand possesses.

Allah has made lawful believing women, and believing women who offered themselves to the Prophet for marriage, and He made unlawful every woman who followed a religion other than Islam, as Allah says;

وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالاِيمَـنِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ

And whosoever disbelieves in faith, then fruitless is his work. (5;5)

Ibn Jarir, may Allah have mercy on him, stated that this Ayah is general in meaning and applies to all the kinds of women mentioned and the women to whom he was married, who were nine.

What he said is good, and may be what many of the Salaf meant, for many of them narrated both views from him, and there is no contradiction between the two. And Allah knows best.

وَلَا أَن تَبَدَّلَ بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ حُسْنُهُنَّ


nor to change them for other wives even though their beauty attracts you,

He was forbidden to marry more women, even if he were to divorce any of them and wanted replace her with another, except for those whom his right hand possessed (slave women)