Surah An-Nisa (النساء) • The Women

Quran 4:129

4:129

وَلَن تَسْتَطِيعُوٓا۟ أَن تَعْدِلُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتُمْ ۖ فَلَا تَمِيلُوا۟ كُلَّ ٱلْمَيْلِ فَتَذَرُوهَا كَٱلْمُعَلَّقَةِ ۚ وَإِن تُصْلِحُوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا

walan tastaṭīʿū an taʿdilū bayna l-nisāi walaw ḥaraṣtum falā tamīlū kulla l-mayli fatadharūhā kal-muʿalaqati wa-in tuṣ'liḥū watattaqū fa-inna l-laha kāna ghafūran raḥīman

And you will never be able to be equal [in feeling] between wives, even if you should strive [to do so]. So do not incline completely [toward one] and leave another hanging. And if you amend [your affairs] and fear Allāh - then indeed, Allāh is ever Forgiving and Merciful.

— Saheeh International

You will never be able to treat your wives with equal fairness, however much you may desire to do so, but do not ignore one wife altogether, leaving her suspended [between marriage and divorce]. If you make amends and remain conscious of God, He is most forgiving and merciful,

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

You will never be able to do perfect justice between wives even if it is your ardent desire, so do not incline too much to one of them (by giving her more of your time and provision) so as to leave the other hanging (i.e. neither divorced nor married). And if you do justice, and do all that is right and fear Allâh by keeping away from all that is wrong, then Allâh is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 5Page 99medinan

Word by Word

وَلَنwalanAnd never
تَسْتَطِيعُوٓا۟tastaṭīʿūwill you be able
أَنanto
تَعْدِلُوا۟taʿdilūdeal justly
بَيْنَbaynabetween
ٱلنِّسَآءِl-nisāi[the] women
وَلَوْwalaweven if
حَرَصْتُمْۖḥaraṣtumyou desired
فَلَاfalābut (do) not
تَمِيلُوا۟tamīlūincline
كُلَّkulla(with) all
ٱلْمَيْلِl-maylithe inclination
فَتَذَرُوهَاfatadharūhāand leave her (the other)
كَٱلْمُعَلَّقَةِۚkal-muʿalaqatilike the suspended one
وَإِنwa-inAnd if
تُصْلِحُوا۟tuṣ'liḥūyou reconcile
وَتَتَّقُوا۟watattaqūand fear (Allah)
فَإِنَّfa-innathen indeed
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
كَانَkānais
غَفُورًۭاghafūranOft-Forgiving
رَّحِيمًۭاraḥīmanMost Merciful