24. An-Nur

1 A chapter We have sent down and made obligatory and revealed in it clear verses that you might remember

2 The adulteress and the adulterer lash each one of them with a hundred lashes and do not let pity for them take you in the religion of God if you believe in God and the Last Day and let a group of the believers witness their punishment

3 The adulterer does not marry except an adulteress or polytheist and the adulteress none marries her except an adulterer or polytheist and that has been made unlawful to the believers

4 And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them testimony ever and those are the defiantly disobedient

5 Except for those who repent after that and correct themselves for indeed God is Forgiving and Merciful

6 And those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves then the testimony of one of them shall be four testimonies by God that indeed he is of the truthful

7 And the fifth that the curse of God be upon him if he should be among the liars

8 But it will prevent punishment from her if she gives four testimonies by God that indeed he is of the liars

9 And the fifth that the wrath of God be upon her if he was of the truthful

10 And if not for the favor of God upon you and His mercy and that God is Accepting of repentance and Wise

11 Those who brought forth the slander are a group among you. Do not think it bad for you, rather it is good for you. For every person among them is the sin he has earned, and he who took upon himself the lead among them will have a great punishment.

12 Why did not the believing men and believing women, when you heard it, think good of themselves and say This is a clear slander?

13 Why did they not produce four witnesses? And when they do not produce the witnesses, then it is they, in the sight of God, who are the liars.

14 And if it were not for the favor of God upon you and His mercy in this world and the Hereafter, you would have been touched for that in which you were involved by a great punishment.

15 When you received it with your tongues and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of God, tremendous.

16 And why, when you heard it, did you not say It is not for us to speak of this. Glory to You, this is a great slander?

17 God warns you against returning to the likes of this ever, if you are believers.

18 And God makes clear to you the verses, and God is Knowing and Wise.

19 Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And God knows and you do not know.

20 And if it had not been for the favor of God upon you and His mercy and that God is Kind and Merciful.

21 O you who have believed, do not follow the footsteps of Satan. And whoever follows the footsteps of Satan indeed, he commands immorality and wrongdoing. And if not for the favor of God upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have been pure, ever, but God purifies whom He wills, and God is Hearing and Knowing.

22 And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of God, and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that God should forgive you? And God is Forgiving and Merciful.

23 Indeed, those who accuse chaste, unaware and believing women are cursed in this world and the Hereafter; and they will have a great punishment.

24 On a Day when their tongues, their hands and their feet will bear witness against them as to what they used to do.

25 That Day, God will pay them in full their true recompense, and they will know that it is God who is the manifest Truth.

26 Evil women are for evil men, and evil men are for evil women. And good women are for good men, and good men are for good women. Those are declared innocent of what the slanderers say. For them is forgiveness and noble provision.

27 O you who believe, do not enter houses other than your own until you have asked permission and greeted their inhabitants. That is better for you, so that you may remember.

28 And if you find no one in them, do not enter until permission is given to you. And if it is said to you, Go back, then go back. It is purer for you. And God knows what you do.

29 There is no blame upon you for entering uninhabited houses in which there is convenience for you. And God knows what you reveal and what you conceal.

30 Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, God is aware of what they do.

31 And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts and not display their adornment except that which appears thereof and to wrap their headcovers over their chests and not display their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands fathers, their sons, their husbands sons, their brothers, their brothers sons, their sisters sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to God in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.

32 And marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male slaves and female slaves. If they are poor, God will enrich them from His bounty. And God is all-Encompassing and Knowing.

33 But let them who find not the means for marriage abstain until God enriches them from His bounty. And those who seek a contract from among whom your right hands possess, then make a contract with them if you know there is within them goodness and give them from the wealth of God which He has given you. And do not compel your slave girls to prostitution, if they desire chastity, to seek temporary worldly life. And whoever compels them, then indeed, God is Forgiving and Merciful after their compulsion.

34 And We have certainly sent down to you clear verses and examples from those who passed on before you and an admonition for those who fear God.

35 God is the light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly star lit from a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. God guides to His light whom He wills. And God presents examples for the people, and God is Knowing of all things.

36 In houses which God has permitted to be raised and that His name be mentioned therein. Exalting Him within them in the morning and the evenings.

37 Men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of God and performance of prayer and giving of charity. They fear a Day in which the hearts and eyes will turn about.

38 That God may reward them for the best of what they did and increase them from His bounty. And God provides for whom He wills without account.

39 But those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a lowland which a thirsty one thinks is water until, when he comes to it, he finds it is nothing but finds God before Him, and He will pay him in full his due. And God is swift in account.

40 Or like darknesses within an unfathomable sea which is covered by waves, upon which are waves, over which are clouds, darknesses, some of them upon others. When one puts out his hand, he can hardly see it. And he to whom God has not granted light, for him there is no light.

41 Do you not see that Allah is glorified by all in the heavens and the earth, and the birds with wings spread? Each knows its prayer and glorification. And Allah knows well what they do.

42 And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and to Allah is the final return.

43 Do you not see that Allah drives the clouds, then joins them together, then makes them into a mass, and you see the rain emerge from within it? And He sends down from the sky, mountains with ice within them, and strikes with it whom He wills and averts it from whom He wills. The flash of its lightning almost takes away the sight.

44 Allah alternates the night and the day. Indeed in that is a lesson for those who have vision.

45 And Allah has created every moving creature from water. Among them are those that move on their bellies, those that walk on two legs, and those that walk on four. Allah creates what He wills. Indeed, Allah is capable of all things.

46 We have certainly sent down clear verses. And Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path.

47 They say We believe in God and the Messenger and we obey but then a group of them turn away after that and these are not believers

48 And when they are called to God and His Messenger to judge between them a group of them turn away

49 But if the right is theirs they come to him willingly

50 Is there disease in their hearts or do they doubt or do they fear that God and His Messenger will be unjust to them Rather it is they who are the wrongdoers

51 The response of the believers when they are called to God and His Messenger to judge between them is only that they say We hear and we obey And those are the successful

52 And whoever obeys God and His Messenger and fears God and is conscious of Him it is those who are the achievers

53 And they swear by God their strongest oaths that if you ordered them they would go forth Say Do not swear Obedience is known Indeed God is aware of what you do

54 Say Obey God and obey the Messenger but if you turn away then upon him is only that which is placed upon him and upon you is that which is placed upon you And if you obey him you will be guided And there is not upon the Messenger except the clear conveyance

55 God has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them after their fear security They worship Me not associating anything with Me But whoever disbelieves after that then those are the defiantly disobedient

56 And establish prayer and give charity and obey the Messenger that you may receive mercy

57 Do not think that those who disbelieve can escape in the land Indeed their refuge will be the Fire And how wretched the destination

58 O you who believe, let those your right hands possess and those who have not reached puberty among you ask permission of you three times: before the dawn prayer and when you put aside your clothing at noon and after the night prayer. These are three times of privacy for you. There is no blame upon you nor upon them beyond these, for some of you move about attending to others. Thus does God make clear to you the verses, and God is Knowing and Wise.

59 And when the children among you reach puberty, let them ask permission as those before them have done. Thus does God make clear to you His verses, and God is Knowing and Wise.

60 And the elderly women who have no desire for marriage, there is no blame upon them for putting aside their outer garments without displaying adornment. But to refrain is better for them. And God is Hearing and Knowing.

61 There is no restriction on the blind nor on the lame nor on the sick nor on yourselves if you eat from your houses or your fathers houses or your mothers houses or your brothers houses or your sisters houses or your paternal uncles houses or your paternal aunts houses or your maternal uncles houses or your maternal aunts houses or from houses whose keys you possess or from your friend. There is no blame upon you whether you eat together or separately. But when you enter houses, greet each other with a greeting from God, blessed and good. Thus does God make clear to you the verses that you might understand.

62 The believers are only those who believe in God and His Messenger and, when they are with him for a matter of common interest, do not depart until they have asked his permission. Indeed, those who ask your permission, those are the ones who believe in God and His Messenger. So when they ask your permission for something of their affairs, then give permission to whom you will among them and ask forgiveness for them of God. Indeed, God is Forgiving and Merciful.

63 Do not make the calling of the Messenger among yourselves as the call of one of you to another. Already God knows those of you who slip away, concealed by others. So let those beware who dissent from the Messengers order, lest trials strike them or a painful punishment.

64 Unquestionably, to God belongs whatever is in the heavens and earth. He knows what you are upon. And the Day they are returned to Him, He will inform them of what they did. And God is Knowing of all things.