سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ
Surah Al-Muminoon (23) — Ayah 6
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ ﴿6﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Except from their wives or (the slaves) that their right hands possess, - for then, they are free from blame;
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِلَّا
illā
Except
عَلَىٰٓ
ʿalā
from
أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ
azwājihim
their spouses
أَوْ
aw
or
مَا
mā
what
مَلَكَتْ
malakat
possess
أَيْمَـٰنُهُمْ
aymānuhum
their right hands
فَإِنَّهُمْ
fa-innahum
then indeed, they
غَيْرُ
ghayru
(are) not
مَلُومِينَ
malūmīna
blameworthy
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 6) ➊ { اِلَّا عَلٰۤى اَزْوَاجِهِمْ …:} From this it is understood that Islam does not command, like yogis, monks, and some Sufis, to completely suppress sexual desire, rather it permits intercourse with wives and slave women. Allah Almighty has commanded marriage, He said: «وَ اَنْكِحُوا الْاَيَامٰى مِنْكُمْ وَ الصّٰلِحِيْنَ مِنْ عِبَادِكُمْ وَ اِمَآىِٕكُمْ اِنْ يَّكُوْنُوْا فُقَرَآءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللّٰهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهٖ وَ اللّٰهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيْمٌ » [ النور : ۳۲ ] “And marry off the single men and women among you, and the righteous among your male slaves and female slaves. If they are poor, Allah will enrich them out of His bounty, and Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to those three companions, one of whom intended not to marry: [ أَمَا وَاللّٰهِ ! إِنِّيْ لَأَخْشَاكُمْ لِلّٰهِ وَ أَتْقَاكُمْ لَهُ، لٰكِنِّيْ أَصُوْمُ وَ أُفْطِرُ وَ أُصَلِّيْ وَ أَرْقُدُ وَ أَتَزَوَّجُ النِّسَاءَ، فَمَنْ رَغِبَ عَنْ سُنَّتِيْ فَلَيْسَ مِنِّيْ ] [ بخاري، النکاح، باب الترغیب في النکاح… : ۵۰۶۳ ] “By Allah! I am the most fearful of Allah among you and the most pious, but (even so) I fast and I break my fast, I pray at night and I sleep, and I marry women. So whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not from me.”
➋ From {’’ اِلَّا عَلٰۤى اَزْوَاجِهِمْ اَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ اَيْمَانُهُمْ ‘‘} it is understood that for a Muslim man there are only two ways to fulfill sexual desire: wife and slave woman, and for a woman there is only one way, and that is her husband. Because when the wife is made lawful for the husband, the husband automatically becomes lawful for the wife. A woman cannot fulfill her need with her male slave, because the word {’’ عَلٰۤى‘‘} prohibits this, which is used in the sense of superiority and being above.
➌ From this verse it is understood that for the permissibility of intercourse with a woman, marriage is necessary, or her being owned. The owner does not need to marry his slave woman; if marriage was necessary for the owner to have intercourse with her, then {’’ عَلٰۤى اَزْوَاجِهِمْ ‘‘} would have been sufficient, and there would have been no need to mention slave women separately.
➋ From {’’ اِلَّا عَلٰۤى اَزْوَاجِهِمْ اَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ اَيْمَانُهُمْ ‘‘} it is understood that for a Muslim man there are only two ways to fulfill sexual desire: wife and slave woman, and for a woman there is only one way, and that is her husband. Because when the wife is made lawful for the husband, the husband automatically becomes lawful for the wife. A woman cannot fulfill her need with her male slave, because the word {’’ عَلٰۤى‘‘} prohibits this, which is used in the sense of superiority and being above.
➌ From this verse it is understood that for the permissibility of intercourse with a woman, marriage is necessary, or her being owned. The owner does not need to marry his slave woman; if marriage was necessary for the owner to have intercourse with her, then {’’ عَلٰۤى اَزْوَاجِهِمْ ‘‘} would have been sufficient, and there would have been no need to mention slave women separately.
