﴿ وَمَن لَّمْ يَسْتَطِعْ مِنكُمْ طَوْلًا أَن يَنكِحَ ٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ فَمِن مَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُكُم مِّن فَتَيَٰتِكُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِإِيمَٰنِكُم ۚ بَعْضُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ فَٱنكِحُوهُنَّ بِإِذْنِ أَهْلِهِنَّ وَءَاتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ مُحْصَنَٰتٍ غَيْرَ مُسَٰفِحَٰتٍۢ وَلَا مُتَّخِذَٰتِ أَخْدَانٍۢ ۚ فَإِذَآ أُحْصِنَّ فَإِنْ أَتَيْنَ بِفَٰحِشَةٍۢ فَعَلَيْهِنَّ نِصْفُ مَا عَلَى ٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتِ مِنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِىَ ٱلْعَنَتَ مِنكُمْ ۚ وَأَن تَصْبِرُوا۟ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ ﴾

“And as for those of you who, owing to cir­cumstances, are not in a position to marry free believing women, [let them marry] believing maidens from among those whom you rightfully possess. And God knows all about your faith; each one of you is an issue of the other. Marry them, then, with their people's leave, and give them their dowers in an equitable manner - they being women who give themselves in honest wedlock, not in fornication, nor as secret love-companions. And when they are married, and thereafter become guilty of immoral conduct, they shall be liable to half the penalty to which free married women are liable. This [permission to marry slave-girls applies] to those of you who fear lest they stumble into evil. But it is for your own good to persevere in patience [and to abstain from such marriages]: and God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.”

And whoever has not the means wherewith to be able to marry believing women in wedlock let him take believing maids whom your right hands own. God knows very well your faith; the one of you is as the other. So marry them with the permission of their folk and give them their wages honorably as women in wedlock not illicitly or taking lovers. But when they are given in wedlock if they commit lewdness they shall be liable to half the chastisement of married women. That is for those of you who fear the distress of sin yet it is better for you to be patient. God is Forgiving Merciful. Concessions have been granted for the weak. As for the strong He bids them to serious endeavor and the adoption of what is most comprehen- sive and restrictive in the law since there is no work for them except to uphold the right of the Real ḥaqq al-ḥaqq. When an external matter distracts them from their attention to the heart so that they adopt what is easier and less this takes them farther away from their attention to the innermost self for it is an abandonment of the most important and sublime matters. Whoever descends in degree from adopting that which is strongest and most comprehensive-[this decline] to what is permissible for him [is actually] a decline into the state of indulgence. Then He said at the end of the verse yet it is better for you to be patient. This means [patient] in enduring what is difficult in [your situation]. This is a soothing way [of speaking] to the servant since He did not say �Be patient� but rather yet it is better for you to be patient.