Forbidden to you (for marriage) are: your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your father's sisters, your mother's sisters, your brother's daughters, your sister's daughters, your foster mother who gave you suck, your foster milk suckling sisters, your wives' mothers, your step daughters under your guardianship, born of your wives to whom you have gone in - but there is no sin on you if you have not gone in them (to marry their daughters), - the wives of your sons who (spring) from your own loins, and two sisters in wedlock at the same time, except for what has already passed; verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. 23 ۞ And also forbidden to you are all married women (muhsanat) except those women whom your right hands have come to possess (as a result of war). This is Allah's decree and it is binding upon you. But it is lawful for you to seek out all women except these, offering them your wealth and the protection of wedlock rather than using them for the unfettered satisfaction of lust. And in exchange of what you enjoy by marrying them pay their bridal-due as an obligation. But there is no blame on you if you mutually agree to alter the settlement after it has been made. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. 24 And whosoever of you has not ampleness of means that he may wed free believing women, let him wed such of the believing bondswomen as the right hands of you people own. And Allah knoweth well your belief, ye are one from the other. Ye may wed them then, with the leave of their owners, and give them their dowers reputably as properly wedded women, not as fornicatresses, nor as those taking to themselves secret paramours. And when they have been wedded, if they commit an indecency, on them the punishment shall be a moiety of that for free wedded women. This is for him among you, who feareth perdition; and that ye should abstain is better for you, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. 25