24:1  We have sent down aChapter, and We have ordained it. We have sent down clear signs in it so that you may receive warning.

24:2  Concerning the woman and man guilty of adultery/fornication, flog each of them with a hundred lashes. Do not let pity for them stop you in this judgment by Allah, if you believe in Allah and the last day. A group of believers should witness their punishment.

24:3  The man guilty of adultery/fornication should marry only a woman similarly guilty or an unbeliever. Such a woman should marry only such a man or an unbeliever. To the believers, such a thing is forbidden.

24:4  Those who accuse chaste women and do not produce four witnesses should be flogged with eighty lashes. Reject their evidence thereafter. Such people are defiantly disobedient.

24:5  [That] unless they repent afterwards and reform. Truly, Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

24:6  As for those who accuse their spouses and have no evidence but their own, accept the solitary evidence if each one bears witness four times by Allah that he is telling the truth.

24:7  The fifth time he invokes the blame of Allah on himself if he is lying.

24:8  Punishment would be averted from (the wife) if she bears witness four times by Allah that (her husband) is telling a lie.

24:9  The fifth time she invokes the blame of Allah on herself if he is telling the truth.

24:10  What if it were not for Allah’s grace and mercy on you? Allah is Most Responsive, Perfectly Wise.

24:11  Truly, those who produced the lie [claiming that Aishah, wife of the Prophet, had been unfaithful to him] are a group among you. Do not think it is bad for you. On the contrary, it is good for you. Every person among them will reap what he/she earned from the sin. The one who started the gossip among them will be harshly penalized.

24:12  Why did the believing men and believing women, when they heard of it, not think the best thoughts on it and say, “This is obviously a lie”?

24:13  Why did they not bring four witnesses to prove it? If they haven’t brought witnesses, such people, in the sight of Allah, are liars.

24:14  If it were not for the grace and mercy of Allah upon you in this world and the next, a harsh punishment would have overcome you because you rushed into this [gossip].

24:15  You accepted it onto your own tongues and said from your mouths something about which you had no knowledge. You thought it was a simple matter. It was serious in the sight of Allah.

24:16  Why did you not say, when you heard of it, “It is not right for us to speak of this”? [Why did you not say,] “Glory to You; this is severe slander”?

24:17  Allah admonishes you so you may never repeat such conduct if you are believers.

24:18  Allah makes the signs plain to you, for Allah is the All-knowing, the Perfectly Wise.

24:19  Truly, those who love scandal to be circulated among the believers will have a horrible punishment in this life and in the hereafter. Allah knows, and you do not know.

24:20  What if it were not for the grace and mercy of Allah on you and that Allah is full of kindness, the Most Merciful?

24:21  O Believers, do not follow Satan’s footsteps. Anyone who follows Satan’s footsteps perpetuates corruption and immorality. If it were not for the grace and mercy of Allah, no one would remain pure, but Allah purifies whom He pleases. Allah is the All-hearing, the All-knowing.

24:22  Those among you graced with Allah’s favor and prosperity should not neglect helping their relatives, those in need, and those who have been deployed for the service of Allah. Be forgiving and benevolent if you expect Allah to forgive you of your sins. Allah is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

24:23  Truly, those who slander virtuous women –even imprudent but believing women— are condemned in this life and in the hereafter. A grievous penalty awaits them.

24:24  On that day, their tongues, hands, and feet will testify against them because of their actions.

24:25  On that day, Allah will pay them their fair dues, and they will realize that Allah is the apparent truth.

24:26  Vile women are for vile men, and vile men are for vile women. Women of purity are for men of purity, and men of purity are for women of purity. These are not affected by what people say. For them there is forgiveness and an honorable provision.

24:27  O Believers, do not enter houses other than your own until you have asked permission and greeted those in them. That is best for you so you may be mindful.

24:28  If you find no one at home, do not enter until permission is given to you. If you are asked to go away, then go away. That makes for greater purity for yourselves. Allah knows well all that you do.

24:29  No fault is on your part if you enter houses not in use for living, which serve some use for you. Allah has knowledge of what you reveal and what you conceal.

24:30  Say to the believing men that they should lower their gazes [eg, do not cast flirtatious glances]. [They should] guard their modesty [ie, act and dress modestly, covering private areas].

24:31  Say to the believing women that they should lower their gazes [eg, do not cast flirtatious glances]. [They should] guard their modesty [ie, act and dress modestly, covering private areas]. They should not [make a vain] display of their beauty except what is apparent [ie, what is appropriate for any given society]. They should cover their breasts with their outer garments and not [openly] display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers or their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons and also their female servants, male servants free of sexual desires, and also small children who have no idea of sexual discretion. Also, they should not tap their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden attributes. O Believers, turn all together towards Allah that you may succeed.

24:32  Marry those among you who are single or the virtuous ones among your male or female slaves. If they are in poverty, Allah will give them means from His grace. Allah is All-embracing, the All-knowing.

24:33  Those who are unable to become married should keep themselves chaste until Allah enables them from His grace. If any of your slaves ask for a deed in writing [for their freedom], give such a deed if you know any good in them. Give them something out of the abundance that Allah has given to you. Do not force your female slaves, who want to be chaste, into prostitution in order that you may make a gain in the goods of this life. If anyone forces them, even after such coercion, Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

24:34  Certainly, We have already sent down to you verses making things clear, an illustration from people who became deceased before you, and a warning for those who fear.

24:35  Allah is the Light of Heaven and Earth. The parable of His light is as if there were a niche within which is a lamp encased in crystal-clear glass glowing like a brilliant star. The lamp is lit [with oil] from an olive tree from neither east nor west [a universal tree], and the oil is so perfect that it is luminous even without the fire. Light upon light! Allah guides whom He will to His light. Allah sets forth such parables for the sake of humanity. Allah does have all knowledge.

24:36  [Such light exists] in houses that Allah has permitted to accrue honor because of the celebration within them of His name. In them, He is glorified mornings and evenings.

24:37  [He is glorified] by people who will not be distracted by trade or materialism. [They will not be distracted] from the remembrance of Allah, the tradition of prayer, and the practice of routine charity. They fear only the day when hearts and eyes will be transformed.

24:38  Allah will reward them in accordance with the best of their deeds plus even more for them from His grace. Allah provides for those whom He will, without measure.

24:39  The nonbelievers’ deeds are like a mirage in the desert. It is mistaken for water by the person parched with thirst. When he comes to it, he finds it to be nothing, but he finds Allah with him. (Allah) will pay him in full account. Allah is swift in taking account.

24:40  Or it is like the depths of darkness in a vast ocean overwhelmed with waves billowing with more waves, topped by clouds, with depths of darkness one above the other. If a person stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it. For any to whom Allah does not give light, there is no light.

24:41  Do you not see that Allah is glorified by all beings in the skies and on Earth, including the birds with wings outspread? Each one truly knows its own prayer and praise, and Allah knows well all that they do.

24:42  To Allah belongs the dominion of Heaven and Earth, and to Allah is the final goal.

24:43  Do you not see that Allah guides the clouds, and then He joins them together and makes them into a mass? Do you see rain issue from their midst? He sends down from the sky mountainous masses wherein is hail. He strikes with it whom He pleases, and He averts it from whom He pleases. The vivid flash of lightning nearly blinds the sight.

24:44  Allah alternates the night and the day. Truly, in that is a lesson for those who have vision.

24:45  Allah has created every living creature from water. Among them are those that slide on their bellies, those that can each walk on two legs, and those that each walk on all four. Allah creates whatever He will. Truly, Allah has power over everything.

24:46  Truly, We have imparted clarifying signs, and Allah guides whom He will to the Straight Way.

24:47  They say, “We believe in Allah and in the messenger, and we obey.” Even after that, however, some of them turn aside. They are not believers.

24:48  When they are summoned to Allah and His messenger in order that He may judge among them, some of them refuse.

24:49  If justice is on their side, however, they come to Him with all submission.

24:50  Is there a disease in their hearts, or do they doubt, or do they fear that Allah and His messenger will decide unjustly with them? No, they themselves do wrong.

24:51  The answer from the believers, when summoned to Allah and His messenger, in order that He may judge among them, is no other than this: “We hear, and we obey.” Such as these will attain happiness.

24:52  Those who obey Allah and His messenger and fear Allah and live righteously will succeed.

24:53  They swear by their strongest oaths by Allah that they would go forth if you told them to. Say, “Do not swear. Obedience is better. Truly, Allah is aware of all that you do.”

24:54  Say, “Obey Allah, and obey the messenger. If you turn aside, however, he [the messenger] is only responsible for the duty placed on him. You are responsible for that placed on you. If you obey him, you will be rightly guided. The messenger’s duty is only to preach with clarity.

24:55  Allah has made a promise to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds. It is that He will certainly grant them success in the land as He granted success to those before them. It is that He will establish their religion that He has chosen for them. It is that He will change the fear in which they lived to security. They worship Me and do not associate anything with Me. If any do reject faith after this, they are defiantly disobedient.

24:56  Establish ritual prayer and give the required charity. Obey the messenger so you may receive mercy.

24:57  Never think that the unbelievers are going to escape on earth. Their abode is the fire. It is indeed an evil refuge.

24:58  O Believers, your slaves and those among you who have not attained puberty should ask your permission [to come to you] on three occasions: before morning prayer, when you remove clothing for the noon heat, and after the late-night prayer. These are your three times of privacy. Other than these times, it is fine for you and them to circulate and attend to each other. Thus Allah clarifies the signs for you. Allah is the All-knowing, Perfectly Wise.

24:59  When the children among you do attain puberty, they should ask for permission, along with those older than them. Thus Allah clarifies His signs for you. Allah is the All-knowing, Perfectly Wise.

24:60  Women no longer in their prime [ie, elderly women] who no longer desire marriage have no blame on them if they lay aside their garments, as long as they don’t reveal too much of their bodies. It is best for them, however, to be modest. Allah is the All-hearing, the All-knowing.

24:61  No fault is on the blind or anyone who is lame or one who is sick or yourselves whether you eat in your own homes, or those of your fathers or mothers, or those of your brothers or sisters, or those of your fathers’ brothers or sisters, or those of your mothers’ brothers or sisters, or in houses of which the keys are in your possession, or in the home of a friend of yours. No fault is on you whether you eat in company or separately. If you enter houses, however, salute each other with a blessed and pure greeting as from Allah. Thus Allah clarifies the signs for you so you may understand.

24:62  Believers are only those who believe in Allah and His messenger. When they are with him on a matter requiring collective action, they do not leave until they have asked his permission. Those who ask for permission are those who believe in Allah and His messenger. When they ask for your permission for some business of their own, give permission to whom you will. Ask Allah for their forgiveness. Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

24:63  Do not consider the summons of the messenger among you to be the same as the summons of one of you to another. Allah knows those of you who slip away using some excuse. Those who ignore the messenger’s order should beware, because a trial may befall them or a terrible punishment may be inflicted upon them.

24:64  Undoubtedly, truly, Allah owns whatever is of the skies and earth. Truly, He knows what you intend. One day they will be returned to Him. He will tell them the truth of what they did. Allah is the All-knowing over all things.