سورة النِّسَاء
Surah Al-Nisâ’ 4:43
The Women · Verse 43 of 176
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنْتُمْ سُكَارَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَعْلَمُوا مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلَا جُنُبًا إِلَّا عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ حَتَّىٰ تَغْتَسِلُوا ۚ وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ مَرْضَىٰ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ مِنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا
Abdul Mannan Omar
O you who believe! do not go near Prayer when you are not in full possession of your senses, until you understand all that you say (in your Prayers); nor (occupy yourselves in Prayer) when you are unclean (and under an obligation to have a bath) until you have bathed yourselves. But (you can do without a bath) when you are travelling a long way. If you are taken ill or (are) on a journey, or if one of you comes from the privy, or you have had (sexual) contact with women and you find no water (for bathing or ablution) then have recourse to pure and clean dust and wipe your faces and your hands (therewith). Indeed, Allâh is Most Benign, Great Protector.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
O ye who believe! Approach not prayers with a mind befogged, until ye can understand all that ye say,- nor in a state of ceremonial impurity (Except when travelling on the road), until after washing your whole body. If ye are ill, or on a journey, or one of you cometh from offices of nature, or ye have been in contact with women, and ye find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth, and rub therewith your faces and hands. For Allah doth blot out sins and forgive again and again.
Ahmed Ali
O you who believe, do not perform your service of prayer when you are intoxicated until you are sure of what you are saying, nor when in a state of seminal pollution, until you have taken a bath, except when you are travelling. But in case you are ill or are travelling, or you have relieved yourself of nature´s call, or cohabited with a woman, and cannot find water, then take wholesome dust and pass it over your face and hands: God is benign and forgiving.
12 more translations
Ali Unal
O you who believe! Do not come forward to (stand in) the Prayer while you are in (any sort of) state of drunkenness until you know what you are saying, nor while you are in the state of ritual impurity (requiring the total ablution) – save when you are on a journey (and then unable to bathe) – until you have bathed (done the total ablution). But if you are ill, or on a journey, or if any of you has just satisfied a call of nature, or you have had contact with women, and can find no water, then betake yourselves to pure earth, passing with it lightly over your face and hands (and forearms up to and including the elbows). Assuredly God is One Who grants remission, All-Forgiving.
Daryabadi
O Ye who believe! approach not prayer while ye are intoxicated until ye know that which ye say, nor yet while ye are polluted, save when ye be way faring, until ye have washed your selves. And if ye be ailing or on a journey, or one of you cometh from the privy have touched women, or ye and ye find not water, then betake your selves to clean earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith; verily Allah is ever Pardoning, Forgiving.
Faridul Haque
O People who Believe! Do not approach the prayer when you are intoxicated until you have the sense to understand what you say, nor in the state of impurity until you have bathed except while travelling; and if you are ill or on a journey or one of you returns from answering the call of nature or you have cohabited with women, and you do not find water, then cleanse (yourself) with clean soil - therefore stroke your faces and your hands with it; indeed Allah is Most Pardoning, Oft Forgiving.
Maulana Muhammad Ali
O you who believe, go not near prayer when you are intoxicated till you know what you say, nor after sexual intercourse -- except that you are merely passing by -- until you have bathed. And if you are sick or on a journey, or one of you come from the privy, or you have touched the women, and you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth, then wipe your faces and your hands. Surely Allah is ever Pardoning, Forgiving.
Maulvi Sher Ali
O ye who believe ! go not near Prayer when you are not in full possession of your senses, until you know what you are saying, nor when you are unclean, except when you are traveling along a way, until you have bathed. And if you are ill or you are on a journey while unclean, or if one of you comes from the privy or you have touched women and you find no water, then betake yourselves to pure dust and wipe therewith your faces and your hands. Surely ALLAH is the Effacer of sins, Forgiving,
Muhammad Asad
O YOU who have attained to faith! Do not attempt to pray while you are in a state of drunkenness, [but wait] until you know what you are saying; nor yet [while you are] in a state requiring total ablution, until you have bathed - except if you are travelling [and are unable to do so]. But if you are ill, or are travelling, or have just satisfied a want of nature, or have cohabited with a woman, and can find no water - then take resort to pure dust, passing [therewith] lightly over your face and your hands. Behold, God is indeed an absolver of sins, much-forgiving.
Muhammad Musin Khan
O you who believe! Approach not As-Salat (the prayer) when you are in a drunken state until you know (the meaning) of what you utter, nor when you are in a state of Janaba, (i.e. in a state of sexual impurity and have not yet taken a bath) except when travelling on the road (without enough water, or just passing through a mosque), till you wash your whole body. And if you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you comes after answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (by sexual relations) and you find no water, perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands (Tayammum). Truly, Allah is Ever Oft-Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving.
Muhammad Pickthall
O ye who believe! Draw not near unto prayer when ye are drunken, till ye know that which ye utter, nor when ye are polluted, save when journeying upon the road, till ye have bathed. And if ye be ill, or on a journey, or one of you cometh from the closet, or ye have touched women, and ye find not water, then go to high clean soil and rub your faces and your hands (therewith). Lo! Allah is Benign, Forgiving.
Muhammad Sarwar
Believers, do not pray when you are drunk, but, instead, wait until you can understand what you say. Also, do not pray when you have experienced a seminal discharge until after you have taken a bath, unless you are on a journey. If, while sick or on a journey, you can find no water after having defecated or after having had carnal relations, perform tayammum by touching your palms on the pure earth and wipe the (upper part of) your face and the backs of your hands. God is Gracious and All-forgiving.
Muhammed ali Shakir
O you who believe! do not go near prayer when you are Intoxicated until you know (well) what you say, nor when you are under an obligation to perform a bath-- unless (you are) travelling on the road-- until you have washed yourselves; and if you are sick, or on a journey, or one of you come from the privy or you have touched the women, and you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth, then wipe your faces and your hands; surely Allah is Pardoning, Forgiving.
Rashad Khalifa
O you who believe, do not observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) while intoxicated, so that you know what you are saying. Nor after sexual orgasm without bathing, unless you are on the road, traveling; if you are ill or traveling, or you had urinary or fecal-related excretion (such as gas), or contacted the women (sexually), and you cannot find water, you shall observe Tayammum (dry ablution) by touching clean dry soil, then wiping your faces and hands therewith. GOD is Pardoner, Forgiver.
Shabbir Ahmed
(Those who attain belief shall promptly establish the Divine System in the community, and the Masjid would assume the role of the community center. The believers will assemble in theMasjid for prayer, and to address social welfare and community action). O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! Do not approach the Salaat congregation if your mind is beclouded for any reason, until you can understand what you say – Nor in a state of ceremonial impurity (post-coital state) without bathing. If you are ill or traveling, or coming from the privy, or had intimate relations with your wives, and cannot find water, take a little clean sand or earth and lightly rub your faces and hands. (This will help you prepare psychologically for the assembly 5:6). God pardons and absolves your imperfections.
Commentary 4:43 Salât الصَّلَاةَ here may mean the prescribed Prayer, the place of Prayer, or a mosque. Prayer cannot be considered to have been properly performed if the…
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنتُمْ سُكَارَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَعْلَمُوا مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلَا جُنُبًا إِلَّا عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ حَتَّىٰ تَغْتَسِلُوا ۚ
وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا
4:43 Salât الصَّلَاةَ here may mean the prescribed Prayer, the place of Prayer, or a mosque. Prayer cannot be considered to have been properly performed if the devotee simply repeats the words of Prayer without understanding what he says. It is also implicit in the verse that a non-Arab Muslim, besides praying in the prescribed Arabic words, should also pray in his own language in which he can best express his thoughts and feelings. Muslims should also know the translation of all the Arabic words that they recite in the ritual Prayer. The word Sukârâ سُكَارَىٰsignifies one who is intoxicated (Tâj). The word is also applied to confusion of judgment, the condition when one cannot think properly on account of extreme grief, a fit of anger, the raptures of love, being in a state of half-sleep, receiving a great and sudden shock, being stricken with fear, or being afflicted by some disturbing element that distracts a person’s attention or obscures his reason. Consequently, ritual Prayer is of no avail in a dazed state of mind or in any state of mental instability (Râghib, Lisân, and Tâj). Thinking clearly is an indispensable element in every act of worship.
The clause “have recourse to pure and clean dust” refers to symbolic ablution called Tayammum تيمم. It consists in touching the pure and clean dust with the palm of ones hands and then applying it lightly over ones face and hands. The tayammum the place of both the ghusl غسل (“bath”) or wodzû وُضوا (“ablution”) whenever water is unavailable, too costly, or cannot be used because of illness or weakness.