English Yusuf Ali: [24:3]
Let no man guilty of adultery or fornication marry and but a woman similarly guilty, or an Unbeliever: nor let any but such a man or an Unbeliever marry such a woman: to the Believers such a thing is forbidden.

am i missing something here?

as with all translations, when one looks confusing, look at other translations also and avoid the temptation to try to understand a single ayyat out of context. Here is the same ayyat along with the ayyats pertaining too it:


Shakir's Quran Translation


24: 1. (This is) a chapter which We have revealed and made obligatory and in which We have revealed clear communications that you may be mindful. P Y C
24: 2. (As for) the fornicatress and the fornicator, flog each of them, (giving) a hundred stripes, and let not pity for them detain you in the matter of obedience to Allah, if you believe in Allah and the last day, and let a party of believers witness their chastisement. P Y C

24: 3. The fornicator shall not marry any but a fornicatress or idolatress, and (as for) the fornicatress, none shall marry her but a fornicator or an idolater; and it is forbidden to the believers. P Y C

24: 4. And those who accuse free women then do not bring four witnesses, flog them, (giving) eighty stripes, and do not admit any evidence from them ever; and these it is that are the transgressors, P Y C

24: 5. Except those who repent after this and act aright, for surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. P Y C

I should have added translations are not the Qur'an they are simply tools to use to until a person develops some skills in Arabic. Arabic does not translate very well into English. Personaly I find that the closest one can get to the actual meanings is to look at several translations and understand that the meaning will most likely be a combination of them.

Also it appears that there is a typo error in the Ali translation you posted.

I believe this line:

Let no man guilty of adultery or fornication marry and but a woman similarly guilty


Probably should read:

Let no man guilty of adultery or fornication marry any but a woman similarly guilty

I noticed in my Ali copy it is the same as you posted. I suspect the error was made in the first printing and to retain Ali's words nobody ever corrected it.

You'd think they would have added a footnote at least...

thats surah al nur innit

theres a difference in translation as with all translations

but but look @ verse 5 of the surah

Unless they repent thereafter and mend (their conduct); for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful

so if they mend their ways and fix up and dont carry on fornicatin or doin adultery, then they will no longer be considered a fornicator a sinner, and they are able to marry whoever they want

mashallah, Allah (swt) is the most raheem, and rahman

I agree. However the word any is much more in line with other translations and more in the spirit of the meaning. Which is why I suspect Ali made a typo.

the word any is also more in agreement to Pickthall's translation.


24: 3. The adulterer shall not marry save an adulteress or an idolatress, and the adulteress none shall marry save an adulterer or an idolater. All that is forbidden unto believers. Y S C


Pickthal's Quran Translation

Actually I believe that the "and but" linguistic phenomenon is often useful in defining a different form of grammar that is not usual in English, but which conveys distinct meaning. It is like adding "and vice versa" to the end of the sentence.

waram