Quote:
{4:24} And [also prohibited to you are all] married women except those your right hands possess. [This is] the decree of God upon you. And lawful to you are [all others] beyond these, [provided] that you seek them [in marriage] with [gifts from] your property, desiring chastity, not unlawful sexual intercourse. So for whatever you enjoy [of marriage] from them, give them their due compensation as an obligation. And there is no blame upon you for what you mutually agree to beyond the obligation. Indeed, God is ever Knowing and Wise.
"Those your right hand possesses" needs an explanation to the English reader. It means "(your bond-maids)."
Quote:
{4:25} And whoever among you cannot [find] the means to marry free, believing women, then [he may marry] from those whom your right hands possess of believing slave girls. And God is most knowing about your faith. You [believers] are of one another. So marry them with the permission of their people and give them their due compensation according to what is acceptable. [They should be] chaste, neither [of] those who commit unlawful intercourse randomly nor those who take [secret] lovers. But once they are sheltered in marriage, if they should commit adultery, then for them is half the punishment for free [unmarried] women. This [allowance] is for him among you who fears sin, but to be patient is better for you. And God is Forgiving and Merciful.
The word "slave" is not in the Arabic text, so it should be in brackets. Better yet is to replace "slave girls" with "bond-maids."
"Those who commit unlawful intercourse randomly" is too verbose for the one Arabic word
مسافحات. How about a simple "promiscuous?"
The interjection "secret" is probably unnecessary. The Arabic dictionary defines
خدن as "friend." The lovers may or may not be secret!