But if you desire to give up a wife and to take another in her stead, do not take away anything of what you have given the first one, however much it may have been.21 Would you, perchance, take it away by slandering her and thus committing a manifest sin?22
Asad Translation Note Number :
Lit., "if you desire the exchange of a wife in place of a wife and you have given one of them a treasure (qintar), do not take away anything thereof". The allusion to the "exchange" of one wife for another is a clear indication of the Qur'anic view that a monogamous marriage is the desirable norm.
I.e., by falsely accusing her of immoral conduct in the hope of regaining her dower (see note [18] above).
Malik Quran Translation
If you wish to marry another wife in place of the one you already have, do not take back anything of what you have given her even if it be a heap of gold. Would you take it back through slander and open sin (accusing her unjustly)?
Yusuf Ali Quran Translation
But if ye decide to take one wife in place of another even if ye had given the latter a whole treasure for dower take not the least bit of it back: would ye take it by slander and a manifest wrong? 529
Yusuf Ali Translation Note Number :
Treasure: Qintar = a Talent of gold: see iii. 14, first note.
Mustafa Khattab Quran Translation
If you desire to replace a wife with another and you have given the former ˹even˺ a stack of gold ˹as a dowry˺, do not take any of it back. Would you ˹still˺ take it unjustly and very sinfully?
Mustafa Khattab Translation Note Number :
Piktal Quran Translation
And if ye wish to exchange one wife for another and ye have given unto one of them a sum of money (however great), take nothing from it. Would ye take it by the way of calumny and open wrong?