The Quran

سورة النِّسَاء

Surah Al-Nisâ’ 4:20

The Women · Verse 20 of 176

وَإِنْ أَرَدْتُمُ اسْتِبْدَالَ زَوْجٍ مَكَانَ زَوْجٍ وَآتَيْتُمْ إِحْدَاهُنَّ قِنْطَارًا فَلَا تَأْخُذُوا مِنْهُ شَيْئًا ۚ أَتَأْخُذُونَهُ بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُبِينًا

Abdul Mannan Omar

And if you desire to take one wife in place of (another) wife and you have given one of them a huge treasure, then take nothing from that which you have given. Would you take it by false accusation and by committing an open sin?

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

But if ye decide to take one wife in place of another, even if ye had given the latter a whole treasure for dower, Take not the least bit of it back: Would ye take it by slander and manifest wrong?

Ahmed Ali

If you want to take another wife in place of the one you are married to, then even if you have given her a talent of gold, do not take back a thing. Would you take it away by slandering and using unjust means?

12 more translations

Ali Unal

But if you still decide to dispense with a wife and marry another and you have given the former (even so much as amounts to) a treasure, do not take back anything thereof. Would you take it back by slandering (for the purpose of contriving the kind of divorce that allows you to take it back) and so committing a flagrant sin?

Daryabadi

And if ye intend to replace a wife by anot her, and ye have given the one of them a talent, take not back aught therefrom. Would ye take it back by slander and manifest sin.

Faridul Haque

And if you wish to change one wife for another and you have given her heaps of treasure, do not take back anything from it; will you take it back by slander and open sin?

Maulana Muhammad Ali

And if you wish to have (one) wife in the place of another and you have given one of them a heap of gold, take nothing from it. Would you take it by slandering (her) and (doing her) manifest wrong?

Maulvi Sher Ali

And if you desire to take one wife in place of another and you have given one of them a treasure, take not aught therefrom. Will you take it by false accusations and manifest sinfulness?

Muhammad Asad

But if you desire to give up a wife and to take another in her stead, do not take away anything of what you have given the first one, however much it may have been. Would you, perchance, take it away by slandering her and thus committing a manifest sin?

Muhammad Musin Khan

But if you intend to replace a wife by another and you have given one of them a Cantar (of gold i.e. a great amount) as Mahr, take not the least bit of it back; would you take it wrongfully without a right and (with) a manifest sin?

Muhammad Pickthall

And if ye wish to exchange one wife for another and ye have given unto one of them a sum of money (however great), take nothing from it. Would ye take it by the way of calumny and open wrong?

Muhammad Sarwar

If you want to divorce a woman so that you can marry another, do not take back the dowry which you had paid even if what you paid was a large amount of gold. To do this is a slanderous act and a manifest sin.

Muhammed ali Shakir

And if you wish to have (one) wife in place of another and you have given one of them a heap of gold, then take not from it anything; would you take it by slandering (her) and (doing her) manifest wrong?

Rashad Khalifa

If you wish to marry another wife, in place of your present wife, and you had given any of them a great deal, you shall not take back anything you had given her. Would you take it fraudulently, maliciously, and sinfully?

Shabbir Ahmed

If you wish to marry another wife in place of your present wife, and you have given her a great deal, you shall not take back anything. Would you take it back by way of slander, a transgression that will drag down your own ‘self’?

Commentary 4:20 The phrase “if you still desire to take one wife in place of another” signifies divorcing the first and marrying another against the recommendation given…

وَإِنْ أَرَدتُّمُ اسْتِبْدَالَ زَوْجٍ مَّكَانَ زَوْجٍ وَآتَيْتُمْ إِحْدَاهُنَّ قِنطَارًا فَلَا تَأْخُذُوا مِنْهُ شَيْئًا ۚ أَتَأْخُذُونَهُ بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُّبِينًا

4:20 The phrase “if you still desire to take one wife in place of another” signifies divorcing the first and marrying another against the recommendation given by Allâh in the preceding verse.