سُوْرَةُ الْاَحْزَابِ
Surah Al-Ahzaab (33) — Ayah 52
لَّا يَحِلُّ لَكَ ٱلنِّسَآءُ مِنۢ بَعْدُ وَلَآ أَن تَبَدَّلَ بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَٰجٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ حُسْنُهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ رَّقِيبًا ﴿52﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
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 (slaves) whom your right hand possesses. And Allâh is Ever a Watcher over all things.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
لَّا
lā
(It is) not
يَحِلُّ
yaḥillu
lawful
لَكَ
laka
for you
ٱلنِّسَآءُ
l-nisāu
(to marry) women
مِنۢ
min
after (this)
بَعْدُ
baʿdu
after (this)
وَلَآ
walā
and not
أَن
an
to
تَبَدَّلَ
tabaddala
exchange
بِهِنَّ
bihinna
them
مِنْ
min
for
أَزْوَٰجٍۢ
azwājin
(other) wives
وَلَوْ
walaw
even if
أَعْجَبَكَ
aʿjabaka
pleases you
حُسْنُهُنَّ
ḥus'nuhunna
their beauty
إِلَّا
illā
except
مَا
mā
whom
مَلَكَتْ
malakat
you rightfully possess
يَمِينُكَ ۗ
yamīnuka
you rightfully possess
وَكَانَ
wakāna
And Allah is
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
And Allah is
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
over
كُلِّ
kulli
all
شَىْءٍۢ
shayin
things
رَّقِيبًۭا
raqīban
an Observer
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
52. 1. After the revelation of the verse of choice, the noble wives preferred to stay with the Prophet ﷺ in hardship rather than choosing worldly means of luxury and comfort. As a reward for this, Allah gave the Prophet ﷺ the command that, apart from the wives (whose number was nine), he was forbidden to marry other women or to divorce any of them and marry someone else in their place. Some say that later the Prophet ﷺ was given this choice, but he did not marry anyone (Ibn Kathir).
52. 2. That is, there is no restriction on keeping slave women. Some have argued from the generality of this that the Prophet ﷺ was permitted to keep even non-believing slave women, while others, in view of (وَلَا تُمْسِكُوْا بِعِصَمِ الْكَوَافِرِ) 60. Al-Mumtahanah:10), did not consider it lawful for him (Fath al-Qadeer).
52. 2. That is, there is no restriction on keeping slave women. Some have argued from the generality of this that the Prophet ﷺ was permitted to keep even non-believing slave women, while others, in view of (وَلَا تُمْسِكُوْا بِعِصَمِ الْكَوَافِرِ) 60. Al-Mumtahanah:10), did not consider it lawful for him (Fath al-Qadeer).
