Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs
(And whoso is not able to afford to marry free, believing women, let them marry from the believing maids whom your right hands possess) who are in the hands of the believers. (Allah knoweth best (concerning) your faith) He knows best that your hearts are firm in faith. (Ye (proceed) one from another) You are all the children of Adam; it is also said that this means: some of you follow the religion of others; and it is also said that this means: you are strengthened by one another; (so wed them) marry the maids (by permission of their folk) their owners, (and give unto them) the maids (their portions) their dowry (in kindness) on top of the price given to the prostitute for providing sex, (they being honest) He says: marry those maids who are chaste, (not debauched) not those who commit adultery in the open (nor of loose conduct) nor those who have lovers who commit adultery with them in secret. (And if when they are honourably married) if when they marry maids (they commit lewdness) fornication (they) the maids (shall incur the half of the punishment (prescribed)) lashing (for free women (in that case). This is) marrying maids is lawful (for him among you who feareth to commit sin) adultery and debauchery. (But to have patience) and refrain from marrying maids (would be better for you) in that your children would be free. (Allah is Forgiving) of the adultery you might commit, (Merciful) when He gave you a legal dispensation to marry captives in cases of necessity.
Tafsir Ibn 'Abbas, trans. Mokrane Guezzou
© 2021 Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Amman, Jordan (http://www.aalalbayt.org) ® All Rights Reserved
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, this work may not be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the Great Tafsirs Project, Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought (aalalbayt@aalalbayt.org)