The Light - سورة النور

[This
is] a surah which We have sent down and made [that within
it] obligatory and revealed therein verses of clear evidence
that you might remember.






The
[unmarried] woman or [unmarried] man found guilty of اللهم اهدنيual
intercourse - lash each one of them with a hundred lashes,
and do not be taken by pity for them in the religion of Allah
, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a
group of the believers witness their punishment.






The
fornicator does not marry except a [female] fornicator or
polytheist, and none marries her except a fornicator or a
polytheist, and that has been made unlawful to the believers.






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 after. And those are the defiantly
disobedient,






Except for those who repent thereafter and reform, for indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.






And
those who accuse their wives [of adultery] and have no
witnesses except themselves - then the witness of one of them
[shall be] four testimonies [swearing] by Allah that indeed, he
is of the truthful.






And the fifth [oath will be] that the curse of Allah be upon him if he should be among the liars.






But
it will prevent punishment from her if she gives four
testimonies [swearing] by Allah that indeed, he is of the liars.






And the fifth [oath will be] that the wrath of Allah be upon her if he was of the truthful.






And
if not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy... and
because Allah is Accepting of repentance and Wise.






Indeed,
those who came with falsehood are a group among you. Do not
think it bad for you; rather it is good for you. For every
person among them is what [punishment] he has earned from the
sin, and he who took upon himself the greater portion thereof
- for him is a great punishment.






Why,
when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing
women think good of one another and say, "This is an obvious
falsehood"?






Why
did they [who slandered] not produce for it four witnesses?
And when they do not produce the witnesses, then it is they,
in the sight of Allah , who are the liars.



And
if it had not been for the favor of Allah upon you and His
mercy in this world and the Hereafter, you would have been
touched for that [lie] in which you were involved by a great
punishment






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 Allah , tremendous.






And
why, when you heard it, did you not say, "It is not for
us to speak of this. Exalted are You, [O Allah ]; this is a
great slander"?






Allah warns you against returning to the likes of this [conduct], ever, if you should be believers.






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






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






And if it had not been for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy... and because Allah is Kind and Merciful.






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






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






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






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






That
Day, Allah will pay them in full their deserved recompense,
and they will know that it is Allah who is the perfect in
justice.






Evil
words are for evil men, and evil men are [subjected] to
evil words. And good words are for good men, and good men are
[an object] of good words. Those [good people] are declared
innocent of what the slanderers say. For them is forgiveness
and noble provision.






O
you who have believed, do not enter houses other than your
own houses until you ascertain welcome and greet their
inhabitants. That is best for you; perhaps you will be
reminded.






And
if you do not find anyone therein, do not enter them until
permission has been given you. And if it is said to you, "Go
back," then go back; it is purer for you. And Allah is
Knowing of what you do.






There
is no blame upon you for entering houses not inhabited in
which there is convenience for you. And Allah knows what you
reveal and what you conceal.






Tell
the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard
their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is
Acquainted with what they do.






And
tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision
and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment
except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a
portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose
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 Allah in repentance, all of you, O
believers, that you might succeed.






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







But
let them who find not [the means for] marriage abstain [from
اللهم اهدنيual relations] until Allah enriches them from His bounty. And
those who seek a contract [for eventual emancipation] 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 Allah which He has given you. And do
not compel your slave girls to prostitution, if they desire
chastity, to seek [thereby] the temporary interests of worldly
life. And if someone should compel them, then indeed, Allah is
[to them], after their compulsion, Forgiving and Merciful.






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






Allah
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 [white]
star lit from [the oil of] 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. Allah guides to His light
whom He wills. And Allah presents examples for the people, and
Allah is Knowing of all things.






[Such
niches are] in mosques which Allah has ordered to be raised
and that His name be mentioned therein; exalting Him within
them in the morning and the evenings






[Are]
men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the
remembrance of Allah and performance of prayer and giving of
zakah. They fear a Day in which the hearts and eyes will
[fearfully] turn about -






That
Allah may reward them [according to] the best of what they
did and increase them from His bounty. And Allah gives provision
to whom He wills without account.






But
those who disbelieved - 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 Allah before
Him, and He will pay him in full his due; and Allah is swift
in account.






Or
[they are] 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 [therein], he can hardly see it. And he to whom
Allah has not granted light - for him there is no light.






Do
you not see that Allah is exalted by whomever is within the
heavens and the earth and [by] the birds with wings spread [in
flight]? Each [of them] has known his [means of] prayer and
exalting [Him], and Allah is Knowing of what they do.







And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and to Allah is the destination.






Do
you not see that Allah drives clouds? Then He brings them
together, then He makes them into a mass, and you see the
rain emerge from within it. And He sends down from the sky,
mountains [of clouds] within which is hail, and He strikes
with it whom He wills and averts it from whom He wills. The
flash of its lightening almost takes away the eyesight.






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






Allah
has created every [living] creature from water. And of them
are those that move on their bellies, and of them are those
that walk on two legs, and of them are those that walk on
four. Allah creates what He wills. Indeed, Allah is over all
things competent.






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






But
the hypocrites say, "We have believed in Allah and in the
Messenger, and we obey"; then a party of them turns away after
that. And those are not believers.






And
when they are called to [the words of] Allah and His
Messenger to judge between them, at once a party of them turns
aside [in refusal].






But if the right is theirs, they come to him in prompt obedience.






Is
there disease in their hearts? Or have they doubted? Or do
they fear that Allah will be unjust to them, or His Messenger?
Rather, it is they who are the wrongdoers.






The
only statement of the [true] believers when they are called
to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they
say, "We hear and we obey." And those are the successful.






And
whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger and fears Allah and is
conscious of Him - it is those who are the attainers.






And
they swear by Allah their strongest oaths that if you ordered
them, they would go forth [in Allah 's cause]. Say, "Do not
swear. [Such] obedience is known. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted
with that which you do."






Say,
"Obey Allah and obey the Messenger; but if you turn away -
then upon him is only that [duty] with which he has been
charged, and upon you is that with which you have been
charged. And if you obey him, you will be [rightly] guided.
And there is not upon the Messenger except the [responsibility
for] clear notification."

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






And establish prayer and give zakah and obey the Messenger - that you may receive mercy.






Never
think that the disbelievers are causing failure [to Allah ]
upon the earth. Their refuge will be the Fire - and how
wretched the destination.






O
you who have believed, let those whom your right hands
possess and those who have not [yet] reached puberty among you
ask permission of you [before entering] at three times: before
the dawn prayer and when you put aside your clothing [for
rest] 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 [periods], for they continually circulate
among you - some of you, among others. Thus does Allah make
clear to you the verses; and Allah is Knowing and Wise.






And
when the children among you reach puberty, let them ask
permission [at all times] as those before them have done. Thus
does Allah make clear to you His verses; and Allah is Knowing
and Wise.






And
women of post-menstrual age who have no desire for marriage -
there is no blame upon them for putting aside their outer
garments [but] not displaying adornment. But to modestly refrain
[from that] is better for them. And Allah is Hearing and
Knowing.






There
is not upon the blind [any] constraint nor upon the lame
constraint nor upon the ill constraint nor upon yourselves when
you eat from your [own] houses or the houses of your fathers
or the houses of your mothers or the houses of your brothers
or the houses of your sisters or the houses of your father's
brothers or the houses of your father's sisters or the houses
of your mother's brothers or the houses of your mother's
sisters or [from houses] whose keys you possess or [from the
house] of your friend. There is no blame upon you whether you
eat together or separately. But when you enter houses, give
greetings of peace upon each other - a greeting from Allah ,
blessed and good. Thus does Allah make clear to you the verses
[of ordinance] that you may understand.






The
believers are only those who believe in Allah and His
Messenger and, when they are [meeting] with him for a matter
of common interest, do not depart until they have asked his
permission. Indeed, those who ask your permission, [O Muhammad]
- those are the ones who believe in Allah 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 Allah . Indeed, Allah is Forgiving
and Merciful.






Do
not make [your] calling of the Messenger among yourselves as
the call of one of you to another. Already Allah knows those
of you who slip away, concealed by others. So let those beware
who dissent from the Prophet's order, lest fitnah strike them
or a painful punishment.






Unquestionably,
to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and earth. Already
He knows that upon which you [stand] and [knows] the Day
when they will be returned to Him and He will inform them of
what they have done. And Allah is Knowing of all things.