An-Nur

In the name of God, the Gracious, the
Merciful.

1. A chapter that We have revealed, and
made obligatory, and revealed in it clear
Verses, that you may take heed.
2. The adulteress and the adulterer—whip
each one of them a hundred lashes, and let
no pity towards them overcome you regarding
God’s Law, if you believe in God
and the Last Day. And let a group of believers
witness their punishment.
3. The adulterer shall marry none but an
adulteress or an idolatress; and the adulteress

shall marry none but an adulterer or
an idolater. That has been prohibited for
the believers.
4. Those who accuse chaste women, then
cannot bring four witnesses, whip them
eighty lashes, and do not ever accept their
testimony. For these are the immoral.
5. Except for those who repent afterwards,
and reform; for God is Forgiving and
Merciful.
6. As for those who accuse their own
spouses, but have no witnesses except
themselves, the testimony of one of them
is equivalent to four testimonies, if he
swears by God that he is truthful.
7. And the fifth time, that God’s curse be
upon him, if he is a liar.
8. But punishment shall be averted from
her, if she swears four times by God, that
he is a liar.
9. And the fifth time, that God’s wrath be
upon her, if he is truthful.
10. Were it not for God’s grace upon you,
and His mercy, and that God is Conciliatory
and Wise.
11. Those who perpetrated the slander are
a band of you. Do not consider it bad for
you, but it is good for you. Each person
among them bears his share in the sin. As
for him who played the major role—for
him is a terrible punishment.
12. Why, when you heard about it, the believing
men and women did not think well
of one another, and say, “This is an obvious
lie”?
13. Why did they not bring four witnesses
to testify to it? If they fail to bring the witnesses,
then in God’s sight, they are liars.
14. Were it not for God’s favor upon you,
and His mercy, in this world and the
Hereafter, you would have suffered a great
punishment for what you have ventured
into.
15. When you rumored it with your
tongues, and spoke with your mouths
what you had no knowledge of, and you
considered it trivial; but according to God,
it is serious.
16. When you heard it, you should have
said, “It is not for us to repeat this. By
Your glory, this is a serious slander.”
17. God cautions you never to return to the
like of it, if you are believers.
18. God explains the Verses to you. God is
Knowing and Wise.
19. Those who love to see immorality
spread among the believers—for them is a
painful punishment, in this life and in the
Hereafter. God knows, and you do not
know.
20. Were it not for God’s grace upon you,
and His mercy, and that God is Clement
and Merciful.
21. O you who believe! Do not follow Satan’s
footsteps. Whoever follows Satan’s
footsteps—he advocates obscenity and
immorality. Were it not for God’s grace
towards you, and His mercy, not one of
you would have been pure, ever. But God
purifies whomever He wills. God is All-
Hearing, All-Knowing.
22. Those of you who have affluence and
means should not refuse to give to the
relatives, and the needy, and the emigrants
for the sake of God. And let them pardon,
and let them overlook. Do you not love for
God to pardon you? God is All-Forgiving,
Most Merciful.
23. Those who slander honorable, innocent,
believing women are cursed in this
life and in the Hereafter. They will have a
terrible punishment.
24. On the Day when their tongues, and
their hands, and their feet will testify
against them regarding what they used to
do.
25. On that Day, God will pay them their
account in full, and they will know that
God is the Evident Reality.
26. Bad women are for bad men, and bad
men are for bad women, and good women
are for good men, and good men are for
good women. Those are acquitted of what
they say. There is forgiveness for them,
and a generous provision.
27. O you who believe! Do not enter homes
other than your own, until you have asked
permission and greeted their occupants.
That is better for you, that you may be
aware.
28. And if you find no one in them, do not
enter them until you are given permission.
And if it is said to you, “Turn back,” then
turn back. That is more proper for you.
God is aware of what you do.
29. There is no blame on you for entering
uninhabited houses, in which are belongings
of yours. God knows what you reveal,
and what you conceal.
30. Tell the believing men to restrain their
looks, and to guard their privates. That is
purer for them. God is cognizant of what
they do.
31. And tell the believing women to restrain
their looks, and to guard their privates,
and not display their beauty except
what is apparent thereof, and to draw their
coverings over their breasts, and not expose
their beauty except to their husbands,
their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their
sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers,
their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons,
their women, what their right hands possess,
their male attendants who have no
sexual desires, or children who are not yet
aware of the nakedness of women. And
they should not strike their feet to draw
attention to their hidden beauty. And repent
to God, all of you believers, so that
you may succeed.
32. And wed the singles among you, and
those who are fit among your servants and
maids. If they are poor, God will enrich
them from His bounty. God is All-
Encompassing, All-Knowing.
33. And let those who do not find the
means to marry abstain, until God enriches
them from His bounty. If any of your
servants wish to be freed, grant them their
wish, if you recognize some good in them.
And give them of God’s wealth which he
has given you. And do not compel your
girls to prostitution, seeking the materials
of this life, if they desire to remain chaste.
Should anyone compel them—after their
compulsion, God is Forgiving and Merciful.
34. We have sent down to you clarifying
revelations, and examples of those who
passed on before you, and advice for the
righteous.
35. God is the Light of the heavens and the
earth. The allegory of His light is that of a
pillar on which is a lamp. The lamp is
within a glass. The glass is like a brilliant
planet, fueled by a blessed tree, an olive
tree, neither eastern nor western. Its oil
would almost illuminate, even if no fire
has touched it. Light upon Light. God
guides to His light whomever He wills.
God thus cites the parables for the people.
God is cognizant of everything.
36. In houses which God has permitted to
be raised, and His name is celebrated
therein. He is glorified therein, morning
and evening.
37. By men who neither trading nor commerce
distracts them from God’s remembrance,
and from performing the prayers,
and from giving alms. They fear a Day
when hearts and sights are overturned.
38. God will reward them according to the
best of what they did, and He will increase
them from His bounty. God provides for
whomever He wills without reckoning.
39. As for those who disbelieve, their works
are like a mirage in a desert. The thirsty
assumes it is to be water. Until, when he
has reached it, he finds it to be nothing,
but there he finds God, Who settles his
account in full. God is swift in reckoning.
40. Or like utter darkness in a vast ocean,
covered by waves, above which are waves,
above which is fog. Darkness upon darkness.
If he brings out his hand, he will
hardly see it. He to whom God has not
granted a light has no light.
41. Do you not realize that God is glorified
by whatever is in the heavens and the
earth, and even by the birds in formation?
Each knows its prayer and its manner of
praise. God knows well what they do.
42. To God belongs the dominion of the
heavens and the earth, and to God is the
ultimate return.
43. Have you not seen how God propels
the clouds, then brings them together,
then piles them into a heap, and you see
the rain drops emerging from its midst?
How He brings down loads of hail from
the sky, striking with it whomever He
wills, and diverting it from whomever He
wills? The flash of its lightening almost
snatches the sight away.
44. God alternates the night and the day. In
that is a lesson for those who have insight.
45. God created every living creature from
water. Some of them crawl on their bellies,
and some walk on two feet, and others
walk on four. God creates whatever He
wills. God is Capable of everything.
46. We sent down enlightening revelations,
and God guides whomever He wills to a
straight path.
47. And they say, “We have believed in
God and the Messenger, and we obey,” but
some of them turn away afterwards. These
are not believers.
48. And when they are called to God and
His Messenger, in order to judge between
them, some of them refuse.
49. But if justice is on their side, they accept
it willingly.
50. Is there sickness in their hearts? Or are
they suspicious? Or do they fear that God
may do them injustice? Or His Messenger?
In fact, they themselves are the unjust.
51. The response of the believers, when
they are called to God and His Messenger
in order to judge between them, is to say,
“We hear and we obey.” These are the
successful.
52. Whoever obeys God and His Messenger,
and fears God, and is conscious of
Him—these are the winners.
53. And they swear by God with their solemn
oaths, that if you commanded them,
they would mobilize. Say, “Do not swear.
Obedience will be recognized. God is experienced
with what you do.”
54. Say, “Obey God and obey the Messenger.”
But if they turn away, then he is responsible
for his obligations, and you are
responsible for your obligations. And if
you obey him, you will be guided. It is
only incumbent on the Messenger to deliver
the clarifying message.
55. God has promised those of you who
believe and do righteous deeds, that He
will make them successors on earth, as He
made those before them successors, and
He will establish for them their religion—
which He has approved for them—and
will substitute security in place of their
fear. They worship Me, never associating
anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves
after that—these are the sinners.
56. Pray regularly, and give regular charity,
and obey the Messenger, so that you may
receive mercy.
57. Never think that those who disbelieve
can escape on earth. Their place is the
Fire, a miserable destination.
58. O you who believe! Permission must be
requested by your servants and those of
you who have not reached puberty. On
three occasions: before the Dawn Prayer,
and at noon when you change your
clothes, and after the Evening Prayer.
These are three occasions of privacy for
you. At other times, it is not wrong for
you or them to intermingle with one another.
God thus clarifies the revelations
for you. God is Knowledgeable and Wise.
59. When the children among you reach
puberty, they must ask permission, as
those before them asked permission. God
thus clarifies His revelations for you. God
is Knowledgeable and Wise.
60. Women past the age of childbearing,
who have no desire for marriage, commit
no wrong by taking off their outer clothing,
provided they do not flaunt their finery.
But to maintain modesty is better for
them. God is Hearing and Knowing.
61. There is no blame on the blind, nor any
blame on the lame, nor any blame on the
sick, nor on yourselves for eating at your
homes, or your fathers’ homes, or your
mothers’ homes, or your brothers’ homes,
or your sisters’ homes, or the homes of
your paternal uncles, or the homes of your
paternal aunts, or the homes of your maternal
uncles, or the homes of your maternal
aunts, or those whose keys you own, or
the homes of your friends. You commit no
wrong by eating together or separately.
But when you enter any home, greet one
another with a greeting from God, blessed
and good. God thus explains the revelations
for you, so that you may understand.
62. The believers are those who believe in
God and His Messenger, and when they
are with him for a matter of common interest,
they do not leave until they have
asked him for permission. Those who ask
your permission are those who believe in
God and His Messenger. So when they ask
your permission to attend to some affair of
theirs, give permission to any of them you
wish, and ask God’s forgiveness for them.
God is Forgiving and Merciful.
63. Do not address the Messenger in the
same manner you address one another.
God knows those of you who slip away
using flimsy excuses. So let those who oppose
his orders beware, lest an ordeal
strikes them, or a painful punishment befalls
them.
64. Surely, to God belongs everything in
the heavens and the earth. He knows what
you are about. And on the Day they are
returned to Him, He will inform them of
what they did. God has full knowledge of
all things.