24. The Light

  1. A sura which We have sent down and whichWe have ordained in it have We sent down Clear Signs, in order that ye mayreceive admonition.

  2. The woman and the man guilty of adulteryor fornication,- flog each of them with a hundred stripes: Let notcompassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if yebelieve in Allah and the Last Day: and let a party of the Believers witnesstheir punishment.

  3. Let no man guilty of adultery orfornication marry and but a woman similarly guilty, or an Unbeliever: norlet any but such a man or an Unbeliever marry such a woman: to the Believerssuch a thing is forbidden.

  4. And those who launch a charge againstchaste women, and produce not four witnesses (to support theirallegations),- flog them with eighty stripes; and reject their evidence everafter: for such men are wicked transgressors;-

  5. Unless they repent thereafter and mend(their conduct); for Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful.

  6. And for those who launch a chargeagainst their spouses, and have (in support) no evidence but their own,-their solitary evidence (can be received) if they bear witness four times(with an oath) by Allah that they are solemnly telling the truth;

  7. And the fifth (oath) (should be) thatthey solemnly invoke the curse of Allah on themselves if they tell a lie.

  8. But it would avert the punishment fromthe wife, if she bears witness four times (with an oath) By Allah, that (herhusband) is telling a lie;

  9. And the fifth (oath) should be that shesolemnly invokes the wrath of Allah on herself if (her accuser) is tellingthe truth.

  10. If it were not for Allah.s grace andmercy on you, and that Allah is Oft- Returning, full of Wisdom,- (Ye wouldbe ruined indeed).

  11. Those who brought forward the lie are abody among yourselves: think it not to be an evil to you; On the contrary itis good for you: to every man among them (will come the punishment) of thesin that he earned, and to him who took on himself the lead among them, willbe a penalty grievous.

  12. Why did not the believers – men andwomen – when ye heard of the affair,- put the best construction on it intheir own minds and say, “This (charge) is an obvious lie” ?

  13. Why did they not bring four witnesses toprove it? When they have not brought the witnesses, such men, in the sightof Allah, (stand forth) themselves as liars!

  14. Were it not for the grace and mercy ofAllah on you, in this world and the Hereafter, a grievous penalty would haveseized you in that ye rushed glibly into this affair.

  15. Behold, ye received it on your tongues,and said out of your mouths things of which ye had no knowledge; and yethought it to be a light matter, while it was most serious in the sight ofAllah.

  16. And why did ye not, when ye heard it,say? – “It is not right of us to speak of this: Glory to Allah. this is amost serious slander!”

  17. Allah doth admonish you, that ye maynever repeat such (conduct), if ye are (true) Believers.

  18. And Allah makes the Signs plain to you:for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.

  19. Those who love (to see) scandalpublished broadcast among the Believers, will have a grievous Penalty inthis life and in the Hereafter: Allah knows, and ye know not.

  20. Were it not for the grace and mercy ofAllah on you, and that Allah is full of kindness and mercy, (ye would beruined indeed).

  21. O ye who believe! follow not Satan’sfootsteps: if any will follow the footsteps of Satan, he will (but) commandwhat is shameful and wrong: and were it not for the grace and mercy of Allahon you, not one of you would ever have been pure: but Allah doth purify whomHe pleases: and Allah is One Who hears and knows (all things).

  22. Let not those among you who are enduedwith grace and amplitude of means resolve by oath against helping theirkinsmen, those in want, and those who have left their homes in Allah.scause: let them forgive and overlook, do you not wish that Allah shouldforgive you? For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

  23. Those who slander chaste women,indiscreet but believing, are cursed in this life and in the Hereafter: forthem is a grievous Penalty,-

  24. On the Day when their tongues, theirhands, and their feet will bear witness against them as to their actions.

  25. On that Day Allah will pay them back(all) their just dues, and they will realise that Allah is the (very) Truth,that makes all things manifest.

  26. Women impure are for men impure, and menimpure for women impure and women of purity are for men of purity, and menof purity are for women of purity: these are not affected by what peoplesay: for them there is forgiveness, and a provision honourable.

  27. O ye who believe! enter not houses otherthan your own, until ye have asked permission and saluted those in them:that is best for you, in order that ye may heed (what is seemly).

  28. If ye find no one in the house, enternot until permission is given to you: if ye are asked to go back, go back:that makes for greater purity for yourselves: and Allah knows well all thatye do.

  29. It is no fault on your part to enterhouses not used for living in, which serve some (other) use for you: AndAllah has knowledge of what ye reveal and what ye conceal.

  30. Say to the believing men that theyshould lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greaterpurity for them: And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do.

  31. And say to the believing women that theyshould lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should notdisplay their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appearthereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not displaytheir beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband’sfathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers or their brothers’sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their righthands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small childrenwho have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike theirfeet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O yeBelievers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss.

  32. Marry those among you who are single, orthe virtuous ones among yourselves, male or female: if they are in poverty,Allah will give them means out of His grace: for Allah encompasseth all, andhe knoweth all things.

  33. Let those who find not the wherewithalfor marriage keep themselves chaste, until Allah gives them means out of Hisgrace. And if any of your slaves ask for a deed in writing (to enable themto earn their freedom for a certain sum), give them such a deed if ye knowany good in them: yea, give them something yourselves out of the means whichAllah has given to you. But force not your maids to prostitution when theydesire chastity, in order that ye may make a gain in the goods of this life.But if anyone compels them, yet, after such compulsion, is Allah,Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (to them),

  34. We have already sent down to you versesmaking things clear, an illustration from (the story of) people who passedaway before you, and an admonition for those who fear ((Allah)).

  35. Allah is the Light of the heavens andthe earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and withinit a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliantstar: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of thewest, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Lightupon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forthParables for men: and Allah doth know all things.

  36. (Lit is such a Light) in houses, whichAllah hath permitted to be raised to honour; for the celebration, in them,of His name: In them is He glorified in the mornings and in the evenings,(again and again),-

  37. By men whom neither traffic normerchandise can divert from the Remembrance of Allah, nor from regularPrayer, nor from the practice of regular Charity: Their (only) fear is forthe Day when hearts and eyes will be transformed (in a world wholly new),-

  38. That Allah may reward them according tothe best of their deeds, and add even more for them out of His Grace: forAllah doth provide for those whom He will, without measure.

  39. But the Unbelievers,- their deeds arelike a mirage in sandy deserts, which the man parched with thirst mistakesfor water; until when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing: But hefinds Allah (ever) with him, and Allah will pay him his account: and Allahis swift in taking account.

  40. Or (the Unbelievers’ state) is like thedepths of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with billow topped bybillow, topped by (dark) clouds: depths of darkness, one above another: if aman stretches out his hands, he can hardly see it! for any to whom Allahgiveth not light, there is no light!

  41. Seest thou not that it is Allah Whosepraises all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate, and the birds(of the air) with wings outspread? Each one knows its own (mode of) prayerand praise. And Allah knows well all that they do.

  42. Yea, to Allah belongs the dominion ofthe heavens and the earth; and to Allah is the final goal (of all).

  43. Seest thou not that Allah makes theclouds move gently, then joins them together, then makes them into a heap? -then wilt thou see rain issue forth from their midst. And He sends down fromthe sky mountain masses (of clouds) wherein is hail: He strikes therewithwhom He pleases and He turns it away from whom He pleases, the vivid flashof His lightning well-nigh blinds the sight.

  44. It is Allah Who alternates the Night andthe Day: verily in these things is an instructive example for those who havevision!

  45. And Allah has created every animal fromwater: of them there are some that creep on their bellies; some that walk ontwo legs; and some that walk on four. Allah creates what He wills for verilyAllah has power over all things.

  46. We have indeed sent down signs that makethings manifest: and Allah guides whom He wills to a way that is straight.

  47. They say, “We believe in Allah and inthe apostle, and we obey”: but even after that, some of them turn away: theyare not (really) Believers.

  48. When they are summoned to Allah and Hisapostle, in order that He may judge between them, behold some of themdecline (to come).

  49. But if the right is on their side, theycome to him with all submission.

  50. Is it that there is a disease in theirhearts? or do they doubt, or are they in fear, that Allah and His Messengerwill deal unjustly with them? Nay, it is they themselves who do wrong.

  51. The answer of the Believers, whensummoned to Allah and His Messenger, in order that He may judge betweenthem, is no other than this: they say, “We hear and we obey”: it is such asthese that will attain felicity.

  52. It is such as obey Allah and HisMessenger, and fear Allah and do right, that will win (in the end),

  53. They swear their strongest oaths byAllah that, if only thou wouldst command them, they would leave (theirhomes). Say: “Swear ye not; Obedience is (more) reasonable; verily, Allah iswell acquainted with all that ye do.”

  54. Say: “Obey Allah, and obey theMessenger. but if ye turn away, he is only responsible for the duty placedon him and ye for that placed on you. If ye obey him, ye shall be on rightguidance. The Messenger.s duty is only to preach the clear (Message).

  55. Allah has promised, to those among youwho believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety, grant themin the land, inheritance (of power), as He granted it to those before them;that He will establish in authority their religion – the one which He haschosen for them; and that He will change (their state), after the fear inwhich they (lived), to one of security and peace: ‘They will worship Me(alone) and not associate aught with Me. ‘If any do reject Faith after this,they are rebellious and wicked.

  56. So establish regular Prayer and giveregular Charity; and obey the Messenger. that ye may receive mercy.

  57. Never think thou that the Unbelieversare going to frustrate ((Allah)’s Plan) on earth: their abode is the Fire,-and it is indeed an evil refuge!

  58. O ye who believe! let those whom yourright hands possess, and the (children) among you who have not come of ageask your permission (before they come to your presence), on three occasions:before morning prayer; the while ye doff your clothes for the noonday heat;and after the late-night prayer: these are your three times of undress:outside those times it is not wrong for you or for them to move aboutattending to each other: Thus does Allah make clear the Signs to you: forAllah is full of knowledge and wisdom.

  59. But when the children among you come ofage, let them (also) ask for permission, as do those senior to them (inage): Thus does Allah make clear His Signs to you: for Allah is full ofknowledge and wisdom.

  60. Such elderly women as are past theprospect of marriage,- there is no blame on them if they lay aside their(outer) garments, provided they make not a wanton display of their beauty:but it is best for them to be modest: and Allah is One Who sees and knowsall things.

  61. It is no fault in the blind nor in oneborn lame, nor in one afflicted with illness, nor in yourselves, that yeshould eat in your own houses, or those of your fathers, or your mothers, oryour brothers, or your sisters, or your father’s brothers or your father’ssisters, or your mohter’s brothers, or your mother’s sisters, or in housesof which the keys are in your possession, or in the house of a sincerefriend of yours: there is no blame on you, whether ye eat in company orseparately. But if ye enter houses, salute each other – a greeting ofblessing and purity as from Allah. Thus does Allah make clear the signs toyou: that ye may understand.

  62. Only those are believers, who believe inAllah and His Messenger. when they are with him on a matter requiringcollective action, they do not depart until they have asked for his leave;those who ask for thy leave are those who believe in Allah and HisMessenger. so when they ask for thy leave, for some business of theirs, giveleave to those of them whom thou wilt, and ask Allah for their forgiveness:for Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful.

  63. Deem not the summons of the Messengeramong yourselves like the summons of one of you to another: Allah doth knowthose of you who slip away under shelter of some excuse: then let thosebeware who withstand the Messenger.s order, lest some trial befall them, ora grievous penalty be inflicted on them.

  64. Be quite sure that to Allah doth belongwhatever is in the heavens and on earth. Well doth He know what ye areintent upon: and one day they will be brought back to Him, and He will tellthem the truth of what they did: for Allah doth know all things.