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Suggested translation^1,2:

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¹This translation may have been updated from the original suggested translation as a result of the discussions that follow.
²Click on the {verse number} of a translation to see other good translations of the verse.

I like Yusuf Ali's translation of أذى as "hurt." That's even better than "harm."

While the translation "until they are pure" is technically correct, it doesn't quite suit the context here, since purity is often used for the soul rather than the body. I suggest "until they are cleansed."

So, I suggest,
{2:222} And they ask you about menstruation. Say, "It is a hurt, so keep away from wives during menstruation and do not approach them until they become cleansed. Then when they have cleansed themselves, then come to them from where God has ordained for you. Verily, God loves the oft-repenting and He loves the absterging.


Most of the alternative translations used "tilth" to translate حرث and I think it's a good translation. Certainly, it is terser than "a place of sowing of seed" or "a place of cultivation." I prefer to use one word to translate one word whenever possible.

The phrase وقدموا لأنفسكم is simple enough to translate, so I don't understand why this translation and the others did not! It simply means "put something forward for yourselves." Now that may mean "do a good deed before resuming mating with your wives" or "resist temptation to mate with your wives while they are still menstruating" or some other interpretation. A translation should not be an interpretation.

I suggest,
{2:223} Your wives are [like] a tilth for you, so come to your tilth however you wish and put forth for yourselves. And watch out for God and know that you are meeting Him. And herald glad tidings to the believers.

My vocabulary isn't what it used to be , but I suspect "tilth" will go over the heads of many readers. I wish "harvest" would work, but it is a different meaning. I would simply use "cultivation" over "tilth."