Surah 4:25
Show Full Scripture Context (4:25) — 1 Verse
وَمَن لَّمۡ يَسۡتَطِعۡ مِنكُمۡ طَوۡلًا أَن يَنكِحَ ٱلۡمُحۡصَنَٰتِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِ فَمِن مَّا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُكُم مِّن فَتَيَٰتِكُمُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِۚ وَٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِإِيمَٰنِكُمۚ بَعۡضُكُم مِّنۢ بَعۡضٖۚ فَٱنكِحُوهُنَّ بِإِذۡنِ أَهۡلِهِنَّ وَءَاتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ مُحۡصَنَٰتٍ غَيۡرَ مُسَٰفِحَٰتٖ وَلَا مُتَّخِذَٰتِ أَخۡدَانٖۚ فَإِذَآ أُحۡصِنَّ فَإِنۡ أَتَيۡنَ بِفَٰحِشَةٖ فَعَلَيۡهِنَّ نِصۡفُ مَا عَلَى ٱلۡمُحۡصَنَٰتِ مِنَ ٱلۡعَذَابِۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنۡ خَشِيَ ٱلۡعَنَتَ مِنكُمۡۚ وَأَن تَصۡبِرُواْ خَيۡرٞ لَّكُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ
Whoever among you cannot wait to marry believing, free women, (let them take) believing young women from what your right (hands) own. God knows your belief, (for) you are all alike. Marry them with the permission of their families, and give them their rightful marriage gifts, (as) married women, not (as) women who commit immorality or take secret lovers. But if they commit immorality after they are married, they will be liable to half the punishment (inflicted) on free women. That (provision) is for those of you who fear sin. Yet to be patient (would be) better for you. God is forgiving, compassionate.
Marrying a Female Slave, if One Cannot Marry a Free Woman
Allah said, those who do not have,
{the means}, financial capability,
meaning, free faithful, chaste women.
meaning, they are allowed to wed believing slave girls owned by the believers.
Allah knows the true reality and secrets of all things, but you people know only the apparent things. Allah then said,
indicating that the owner is responsible for the slave girl, and consequently, she cannot marry without his permission. The owner is also responsible for his male slave and they cannot wed without his permission. A Hadith states,
«Any male slave who marries without permission from his master, is a fornicator.»
When the owner of the female slave is a female, those who are allowed to give away the free woman in marriage, with her permission, become responsible for giving away her female slave in marriage, as well. A Hadith states that
«The woman does not give away another woman, or herself in marriage, for only the adulteress gives herself away in marriage.»
Allah’s statement,
meaning, pay them their dowry with a good heart, and do not keep any of it, belittling the matter due to the fact that they are owned slaves. Allah’s statement,
{they should be chaste} means, they are honorable women who do not commit adultery, and this is why Allah said,
{not fornicators} referring to dishonorable women, who do not refrain from illicit sexual relations with those who ask. Ibn ‘Abbas said that the fornicating women are the whores, who do not object to having relations with whomever seeks it, while,
{nor promiscuous.} refers to taking boyfriends. Similar was said by Abu Hurayrah, Mujahid, Ash-Sha'bi, Ad-Dahhak, ‘Ata’ Al-Khurasani, Yahya bin Abi Kathir, Muqatil bin Hayyan and As-Suddi.
The Slave Girl’s Punishment for Adultery is Half that of a Free Unmarried Woman
Allah said,
this is about the slave women who got married, as indicated by the Ayah;
Therefore, since the honorable Ayah is about believing slave girls, then,
refers to when they (believing slave girls) get married, as Ibn ‘Abbas and others have said. Allah’s statement,
indicates that the type of punishment prescribed here is the one that can be reduced to half, lashes in this case, not stoning to death, and Allah knows best. Allah’s statement,
indicates that marrying slave girls, providing one satisfies the required conditions, is for those who fear for their chastity and find it hard to be patient and refrain from sex. In this difficult circumstance, one is allowed to marry a slave girl. However, it is better to refrain from marrying slave girls and to observe patience, for otherwise, the offspring will become slaves to the girl’s master. Allah said,
— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 2, Page 425-429)