سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ
Surah Al-Muminoon (23) — Ayah 7
فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ ﴿7﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors;
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَمَنِ
famani
Then whoever
ٱبْتَغَىٰ
ib'taghā
seeks
وَرَآءَ
warāa
beyond
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that
فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
fa-ulāika
then those
هُمُ
humu
[they]
ٱلْعَادُونَ
l-ʿādūna
(are) the transgressors
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
7. But whoever seeks beyond that, then such people are the transgressors [7].
[7]
The Three Possible Forms of Carnal Desire and the Path of Moderation:
There were only three possible ways regarding carnal desires. One was that a person should completely abandon such desires. The second was that a person should be completely free in fulfilling these desires. The third was that a moderate approach should be adopted. Islam has chosen the moderate approach among these.
All Forms Except Lawful Marriage and Possession by the Right Hand Are Forbidden:
That is, the way to fulfill these desires has been opened, but only in the form of lawful marriage or possession by the right hand. The other two extremist approaches have been declared unlawful and forbidden. Neither has the abandonment of desire in monasticism been favored, nor the unbridled freedom in this matter. In this verse, this unrestrained freedom has been declared forbidden, and in it, adultery, sodomy or pederasty, lesbianism, masturbation, or any form of sexual gratification other than the above two forms are all declared unlawful. It is clear that by lawful marriage is meant such a marriage that is done to establish a home for the woman, the woman's consent is considered primary, the woman's guardian performs the marriage, the marriage is announced, at least two witnesses are present, and the Mahr (dower) is fixed. A marriage that does not fulfill these conditions, such as temporary marriage (Nikah Mut'ah), marriage for the sake of making something lawful (Nikah Halalah), or marriage of exchange (Nikah Shighar), is not lawful. In the time of the Prophet ﷺ, there were several other types of marriages in practice that did not fulfill these conditions. Therefore, they were automatically rendered void. Thus, Hazrat Aisha ؓ says that in the time of ignorance, people used to marry in four ways. One was the well-known marriage, as people do nowadays, that is, a person would ask another for marriage, and he would marry off his female relative (such as a sister, niece, etc.) or daughter by fixing a dowry. (This type of marriage has been maintained by Islam.) The second form was that when a man's wife became pure from menstruation, the husband would say to his wife, "Call such and such a man to you and embrace him (i.e., have intercourse with him)." When the woman had intercourse with that man, her husband would stay away from her until the pregnancy from that other man became apparent. And when the pregnancy was clear, her husband, if he wished, would have intercourse with her. The husband would do this so that a noble and excellent child would be born (so that the child would be a cause of the husband's fame). Such a marriage was called Nikah Istibda'. The third form of marriage was that a woman had several husbands, but they were less than ten, and all of them would have intercourse with her. Then, when she became pregnant, a few days after childbirth, she would call all those husbands, and they would all have to come at her invitation. When they gathered at her place, she would say, "You know what you have done. Now, the child that has been born to me is the child of so-and-so among you." In this matter, the woman had full authority to name whomever she wished, and the child would be considered his, and no one could object to her decision (because it was the custom of the nation). The fourth form was that many men would come and go to a woman's place, and she would have intercourse with each one, refusing none, and these were prostitutes, at whose doors a flag was placed for identification. Now, whoever wished could have intercourse with her. Then, when she became pregnant and gave birth to a child, all the men who had been with her would gather at her place, and a physiognomist would be called. The physiognomist, according to his knowledge, would declare one of the men to be the father of the child, and the child would be considered his son and he would be called the child's father, and no one could object to the decision of the physiognomist. Then, when Allah Almighty sent Muhammad ﷺ as a Prophet, he abolished all the marriages of the age of ignorance. Only one type of marriage remained, which people practice today. [بخاری۔ کتاب النکاح۔ باب من قال لانکاح الا بولی۔۔]
[7]
The Three Possible Forms of Carnal Desire and the Path of Moderation:
There were only three possible ways regarding carnal desires. One was that a person should completely abandon such desires. The second was that a person should be completely free in fulfilling these desires. The third was that a moderate approach should be adopted. Islam has chosen the moderate approach among these.
All Forms Except Lawful Marriage and Possession by the Right Hand Are Forbidden:
That is, the way to fulfill these desires has been opened, but only in the form of lawful marriage or possession by the right hand. The other two extremist approaches have been declared unlawful and forbidden. Neither has the abandonment of desire in monasticism been favored, nor the unbridled freedom in this matter. In this verse, this unrestrained freedom has been declared forbidden, and in it, adultery, sodomy or pederasty, lesbianism, masturbation, or any form of sexual gratification other than the above two forms are all declared unlawful. It is clear that by lawful marriage is meant such a marriage that is done to establish a home for the woman, the woman's consent is considered primary, the woman's guardian performs the marriage, the marriage is announced, at least two witnesses are present, and the Mahr (dower) is fixed. A marriage that does not fulfill these conditions, such as temporary marriage (Nikah Mut'ah), marriage for the sake of making something lawful (Nikah Halalah), or marriage of exchange (Nikah Shighar), is not lawful. In the time of the Prophet ﷺ, there were several other types of marriages in practice that did not fulfill these conditions. Therefore, they were automatically rendered void. Thus, Hazrat Aisha ؓ says that in the time of ignorance, people used to marry in four ways. One was the well-known marriage, as people do nowadays, that is, a person would ask another for marriage, and he would marry off his female relative (such as a sister, niece, etc.) or daughter by fixing a dowry. (This type of marriage has been maintained by Islam.) The second form was that when a man's wife became pure from menstruation, the husband would say to his wife, "Call such and such a man to you and embrace him (i.e., have intercourse with him)." When the woman had intercourse with that man, her husband would stay away from her until the pregnancy from that other man became apparent. And when the pregnancy was clear, her husband, if he wished, would have intercourse with her. The husband would do this so that a noble and excellent child would be born (so that the child would be a cause of the husband's fame). Such a marriage was called Nikah Istibda'. The third form of marriage was that a woman had several husbands, but they were less than ten, and all of them would have intercourse with her. Then, when she became pregnant, a few days after childbirth, she would call all those husbands, and they would all have to come at her invitation. When they gathered at her place, she would say, "You know what you have done. Now, the child that has been born to me is the child of so-and-so among you." In this matter, the woman had full authority to name whomever she wished, and the child would be considered his, and no one could object to her decision (because it was the custom of the nation). The fourth form was that many men would come and go to a woman's place, and she would have intercourse with each one, refusing none, and these were prostitutes, at whose doors a flag was placed for identification. Now, whoever wished could have intercourse with her. Then, when she became pregnant and gave birth to a child, all the men who had been with her would gather at her place, and a physiognomist would be called. The physiognomist, according to his knowledge, would declare one of the men to be the father of the child, and the child would be considered his son and he would be called the child's father, and no one could object to the decision of the physiognomist. Then, when Allah Almighty sent Muhammad ﷺ as a Prophet, he abolished all the marriages of the age of ignorance. Only one type of marriage remained, which people practice today. [بخاری۔ کتاب النکاح۔ باب من قال لانکاح الا بولی۔۔]
