Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nisa Verse 21

Mufti Taqi Usmani

How can you take it when you have had access to each other and they have taken a firm covenant from you?

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And how could you take it back after having enjoyed each other intimately and she has taken from you a firm commitment?[[ i.e., the promise to live with her in kindness or divorce her with dignity.]] 

Ruwwad Translation Center

How could you take it back after having been intimate with one another, and they have taken from you a solemn covenant?

A. J. Arberry

How shall you take it, when each of you has been privily with the other, and they have taken from you a solemn compact?

Abdul Haleem

How could you take it when this is unjust and a blatant sin? How could you take it when you have lain with each other and they have taken a solemn pledge from you?

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And how can ye take it back when one of you hath gone in unto the other, and they have obtained from you a rigid bond!

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And how could ye take it when ye have gone in unto each other, and they have Taken from you a solemn covenant?

Abul Ala Maududi

How can you take it away after each one has enjoyed the other, and they have taken a firm covenant from you?

Ahmed Ali

How could you do that having slept with one another, and when they had taken a solemn pledge from you?

Ahmed Raza Khan

And how will you take it back whereas you have become unveiled before each other, and they have taken a strong pledge from you?

Ali Quli Qarai

How could you take it back, when you have known each other, and they have taken from you a solemn covenant?

Ali Ünal

Then, how could you take it back when you have gone in to each other, and they (the married women) have taken from you a most solemn pledge (of honoring their rights)?

Amatul Rahman Omar

And how can you take it when you have already lain with one another and they (- your wives) have bound you down to a firm and solemn covenant (by marriage)?

English Literal

And how do you take it and some of you to some had revealed and they (F) took from you a strong promise/covenant?

Faridul Haque

And how will you take it back whereas you have become unveiled before each other, and they have taken a strong pledge from you?

Hamid S. Aziz

Unlawful for you are your mothers, and your daughters, and your sisters, and your paternal aunts and maternal aunts, and your brother´s daughters, and your sister´s daughters, and your foster mothers, and your foster sisters, and your wive´s mothers, and your step daughters who are your wards, born of your wives to whom you have gone in - but if you have not gone in unto them, then it is no crime in you - and the lawful spouses of your sons of your own loins, and that you have two sisters together - except what has already happened. Verily, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful;

Hilali & Khan

And how could you take it (back) while you have gone in unto each other, and they have taken from you a firm and strong covenant?

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And if you wish to have (one) wife in the place of another and you have given one of them a heap of gold, take nothing from it. Would you take it by slandering (her) and (doing her) manifest wrong?

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And how can you take it when one of you has already gone in to the other and they have made with you a firm covenant?

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

How can ye take it (back) after one of you hath gone in unto the other, and they have taken a strong pledge from you?

Muhammad Sarwar

How can you take it back when you have had intimate relations and made a solemn agreement with each other?

Qaribullah & Darwish

How can you take it back when you have reached one another (sexually) and they have taken from you a strong covenant!

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And how could you take it (back) while you have gone in unto each other, and they have taken from you a firm and strong covenant

Wahiduddin Khan

How can you take it when you have been intimate with one another, and she has taken a solemn pledge from you?

Talal Itani

And how can you take it back, when you have been intimate with one another, and they have received from you a solid commitment?

Tafsir jalalayn

How shall you take it, that is, by what right, when each of you has been privily with the other, through sexual intercourse, which validates the dowry, and they have taken from you a solemn covenant, a binding pledge, and that is what God commanded, namely, that they should be retained honourably or set free virtuously.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَكَيْفَ تَأْخُذُونَهُ وَقَدْ أَفْضَى بَعْضُكُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ

And how could you take it (back) while you have gone in unto each other!

how can you take back the dowry from the woman with whom you had sexual relations and she had sexual relations with you!

Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, As-Suddi and several others said that;

this means sexual intercourse.

وَأَخَذْنَ مِنكُم مِّيثَاقًا غَلِيظًا



and they have taken from you a firm and strong covenant!

The Two Sahihs record that;

the Messenger of Allah said three times to the spouses who said the Mula`anah;

اللهُ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ أَحَدَكُمَا كَاذِبٌ فَهَلْ مِنْكُمَا تَايِبٌ



Allah knows that one of you is a liar, so would any of you repent?

The man said, "O Messenger of Allah! My money," referring to the dowry that he gave his wife.

The Messenger said,

لَاا مَالَ لَكَ إِنْ كُنْتَ صَدَقْتَ عَلَيْهَا فَهُوَ بِمَا اسْتَحْلَلْتَ مِنْ فَرْجِهَا وَإِنْ كُنْتَ كَذَبْتَ عَلَيْهَا فَهُوَ أَبْعَدُ لَكَ مِنْهَا

You have no money. If you are the one who said the truth, the dowry is in return for the right to have sexual intercourse with her. If you are the one who uttered the lie, then this money is even farther from your reach.

Similarly Allah said;

وَكَيْفَ تَأْخُذُونَهُ وَقَدْ أَفْضَى بَعْضُكُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ وَأَخَذْنَ مِنكُم مِّيثَاقًا غَلِيظًا



And how could you take it (back) while you have gone in unto each other and they have taken from you a firm and strong covenant) (Be kind with women, for you have taken them by Allah's covenant and earned the right to have sexual relations with them by Allah's Word.
Marrying the Wife of the Father is Prohibited

Allah said