سُوْرَةُ النُّوْرِ
Surah An-Noor (24) — Ayah 3
ٱلزَّانِى لَا يَنكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً وَٱلزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنكِحُهَآ إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ ۚ وَحُرِّمَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿3﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
The adulterer-fornicator marries not but an adulteress-fornicatress or a Mushrikah, and the adulteress-fornicatress none marries her except an adulterer-fornicator or a Muskrik [and that means that the man who agrees to marry (have a sexual relation with) a Mushrikah (female polytheist, pagan or idolatress) or a prostitute, then surely he is either an adulterer-fornicator, or a Mushrik (polytheist, pagan or idolater). And the woman who agrees to marry (have a sexual relation with) a Mushrik (polytheist, pagan or idolater) or an adulterer-fornicator, then she is either a prostitute or a Mushrikah (female polytheist, pagan, or idolatress)]. Such a thing is forbidden to the believers (of Islâmic Monotheism).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ٱلزَّانِى
al-zānī
The fornicator
لَا
lā
(will) not
يَنكِحُ
yankiḥu
marry
إِلَّا
illā
except
زَانِيَةً
zāniyatan
a fornicatress
أَوْ
aw
or
مُشْرِكَةًۭ
mush'rikatan
a polytheist woman
وَٱلزَّانِيَةُ
wal-zāniyatu
and the fornicatress
لَا
lā
(will) not
يَنكِحُهَآ
yankiḥuhā
marry her
إِلَّا
illā
except
زَانٍ
zānin
a fornicator
أَوْ
aw
or
مُشْرِكٌۭ ۚ
mush'rikun
a polytheist man
وَحُرِّمَ
waḥurrima
And is forbidden
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that
عَلَى
ʿalā
to
ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
l-mu'minīna
the believers
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.
3. The adulterer shall not marry except an adulteress or a polytheist woman, and the adulteress shall not be married except by an adulterer or a polytheist man. And this has been forbidden [6] to the believers.
[6] From this verse, it becomes clear that the punishment of one hundred lashes is only for unmarried men and women. As has already been explained at the beginning of footnote number 3 of this surah, also see the following hadith in the explanation of this verse.
It is Forbidden to Marry a Man or Woman Known for Lewdness:
Amr bin Shu'aib's grandfather said that a man named Mirthad bin Abi Mirthad (Ghanawi) used to take prisoners from Makkah to Madinah. There was a prostitute in Makkah whose name was 'Anaq, and she was Mirthad's friend (before he embraced Islam). Mirthad had promised one of the prisoners in Makkah that he would take him (to Madinah). Mirthad says: I came to Makkah on a moonlit night, hiding in the shadows of the walls. 'Anaq came and saw my shadow moving along the wall. When she came near me, she recognized me and asked, "Is it Mirthad?" I said, "Yes, I am Mirthad." She said, "Welcome! Come and spend this night with us." I said, "'Anaq! Allah has made adultery unlawful." She cried out, "O people of the tent! This is the man who takes away your prisoners." So eight men started following me. I began to walk on the Khundamah road and hid in a cave. They came and stood over my head. They urinated, and it fell on my head. However, Allah blinded them from seeing me. Then they left, and I went back to my companion (the prisoner) in Makkah and picked him up. He was a heavy man. I carried him to the place of Idkhar. Then I untied his bonds and carried him on my back. He tired me out until I reached Madinah. I presented myself before the Prophet ﷺ and said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! May I marry 'Anaq?" The Prophet ﷺ remained silent and gave me no answer, until this verse was revealed. Then the Prophet ﷺ said to me, "Do not marry that woman." [ترمذي۔ كتاب التفسير]
However, if a woman or man who has committed adultery repents before Allah and completely changes their way of life in the future, then it is permissible to marry such people. In this verse, the general Muslims are instructed that those who are known for lewdness should not be made relatives. Neither should a girl be given in marriage to them, nor should one be taken from them. ﴿حُرِّمَ ذٰلِكَ﴾ also has two meanings. One is that the act of adultery has been made unlawful for the believers, and this is supported by the hadith narrated from Ibn Abbas ؓ that the Prophet ﷺ said: When an adulterer commits adultery, at that moment he is not a believer. [بخاري۔ كتاب المحاربين۔ باب اثم الزناه]
And the second meaning is that for pure and chaste Muslims, it has been declared unlawful to marry immoral people.
[6] From this verse, it becomes clear that the punishment of one hundred lashes is only for unmarried men and women. As has already been explained at the beginning of footnote number 3 of this surah, also see the following hadith in the explanation of this verse.
It is Forbidden to Marry a Man or Woman Known for Lewdness:
Amr bin Shu'aib's grandfather said that a man named Mirthad bin Abi Mirthad (Ghanawi) used to take prisoners from Makkah to Madinah. There was a prostitute in Makkah whose name was 'Anaq, and she was Mirthad's friend (before he embraced Islam). Mirthad had promised one of the prisoners in Makkah that he would take him (to Madinah). Mirthad says: I came to Makkah on a moonlit night, hiding in the shadows of the walls. 'Anaq came and saw my shadow moving along the wall. When she came near me, she recognized me and asked, "Is it Mirthad?" I said, "Yes, I am Mirthad." She said, "Welcome! Come and spend this night with us." I said, "'Anaq! Allah has made adultery unlawful." She cried out, "O people of the tent! This is the man who takes away your prisoners." So eight men started following me. I began to walk on the Khundamah road and hid in a cave. They came and stood over my head. They urinated, and it fell on my head. However, Allah blinded them from seeing me. Then they left, and I went back to my companion (the prisoner) in Makkah and picked him up. He was a heavy man. I carried him to the place of Idkhar. Then I untied his bonds and carried him on my back. He tired me out until I reached Madinah. I presented myself before the Prophet ﷺ and said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! May I marry 'Anaq?" The Prophet ﷺ remained silent and gave me no answer, until this verse was revealed. Then the Prophet ﷺ said to me, "Do not marry that woman." [ترمذي۔ كتاب التفسير]
However, if a woman or man who has committed adultery repents before Allah and completely changes their way of life in the future, then it is permissible to marry such people. In this verse, the general Muslims are instructed that those who are known for lewdness should not be made relatives. Neither should a girl be given in marriage to them, nor should one be taken from them. ﴿حُرِّمَ ذٰلِكَ﴾ also has two meanings. One is that the act of adultery has been made unlawful for the believers, and this is supported by the hadith narrated from Ibn Abbas ؓ that the Prophet ﷺ said: When an adulterer commits adultery, at that moment he is not a believer. [بخاري۔ كتاب المحاربين۔ باب اثم الزناه]
And the second meaning is that for pure and chaste Muslims, it has been declared unlawful to marry immoral people.
