| | Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar rendition of Surah The Light(an-Nur)
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| 24:1 | | This is a Chapter of the Quran that We caused to descend and We imposed laws in it. We caused to descend signs, clear portents, so that perhaps you will recollect. |
| 24:2 | | The one who is an adulteress and the one who is an adulterer, scourge each one of them one hundred strokes. And let not tenderness for them take you from the judgment of God, if you had been believing in God and the Last Day. And let them bear witness to their punishment by a section of the ones who believe. |
| 24:3 | | The one who is an adulterer will not marry but one who is an adulteress, or one who is a female polytheist. And the one who is an adulteress will not marry but one who is an adulterer, or one who is a male polytheist. All that was forbidden to the ones who believe. |
| 24:4 | | And those who accuse the ones who are free, chaste (f) and, again, bring not four witnesses, then, scourge them eighty strokes and never accept their testimony. And those, they are the ones who disobey. |
| 24:5 | | But those who repented after that and made things right, so, truly, God is Forgiving, Compassionate. |
| 24:6 | | And those who accuse their spouses—and there be no witnesses but themselves—let the testimony of one of them be four testimonies sworn to God that he is among the ones who are sincere |
| 24:7 | | and a fifth that the curse of God be on him, if he had been among the ones who lie. |
| 24:8 | | And it will drive off the punishment from her if she bears witness with four testimonies sworn to God that he is among the ones who lie |
| 24:9 | | and the fifth, that the anger of God be on her if he had been among the ones who are sincere. |
| 24:10 | | And if it were not for the grace of God on you and His mercy and that God is Accepter of Repentance, Wise— |
| 24:11 | | truly, those who drew near with the calumny are many among you. Assume it not worse for you. Nay! It is good for you. To every man of them is what he deserved of sin. And as for those who turned away towards the greater part from among them, there will be a tremendous punishment for him. |
| 24:12 | | Why not when you heard about it, thought not the ones who are male believers and the ones who are female believers the better of themselves and have said: This is a clear calumny? |
| 24:13 | | Why brought they not about four witnesses for it? As they bring not about witnesses, then, with God, those, they are the ones who lie. |
| 24:14 | | If it not were for the grace of God on you and His mercy in the present and in the world to come, certainly, would have afflicted you a tremendous punishment for what you muttered. |
| 24:15 | | When you received it on your tongues and said with your mouths of what there is no knowledge, you assume it insignificant while it is serious with God. |
| 24:16 | | And why, when you heard it, said you not: It will not be for us to assert this. Glory be to Thee! This is a serious false charge to harm the reputation of another. |
| 24:17 | | God admonishes you that you shall never revert to the like of it, if you had been ones who believe. |
| 24:18 | | And He makes manifest for you the signs. And God is Knowing, Wise. |
| 24:19 | | Truly, those who love that indecency be spread about those who believed, they will have a painful punishment in the present and in the world to come. And God knows and you know not. |
| 24:20 | | And if it were not for the grace of God on you and His mercy, you would be ruined, and that God is Gentle, Compassionate. |
| 24:21 | | O those who believed! Follow not in the steps of Satan. And whoever follows in the steps of Satan, then, truly, he commands depravity, and that which is unlawful. And if it were not for the grace of God on you and His mercy, none of you would ever be pure in heart, but God makes pure whom He wills. And God is Hearing, Knowing. |
| 24:22 | | Let those imbued with grace not forswear—and those with plenty among you—to give to those imbued with kinship and to the needy and the ones who emigrate in the way of God. And let them pardon and let them overlook. Love you not that God should forgive you? And God is Forgiving, Compassionate. |
| 24:23 | | Truly, those who accuse the ones who are free, unwary, chaste female believers were cursed in the present and the world to come and for them will be a serious punishment |
| 24:24 | | on a Day when their tongues bear witness against them and their hands and their feet as to what they had been doing. |
| 24:25 | | On that Day God will pay them their account in full, what is their just due. And they will know that God, He is The Clear Truth. |
| 24:26 | | The bad females are for the bad males and the bad males are for the bad females. And who are good females are for who are good males and who are good males are for who are good females. Those are ones declared innocent of what others say. For them is forgiveness and generous provision. |
| 24:27 | | O those who believed! Enter not houses other than your houses until you announced your presence and greeted the people within. That is better for you so that perhaps you will recollect. |
| 24:28 | | And if you find not in it anyone, then, enter them not until permission be given to you. And if it was said to you: Return, then, return. It is purer for you. And God is Knowing of what you do. |
| 24:29 | | There is no blame on you in entering houses without ones who are inhabitants wherein you have enjoyment. And God knows what you show and what you keep back. |
| 24:30 | | Say to the males, ones who believe, to lower their sight and keep their private parts safe. That is purer for them. Truly God is Aware of what they craft. |
| 24:31 | | And say to the females, ones who believe to lower their (f) sight and keep their (f) private parts safe and show not their (f) adornment but what is manifest of it. And let them (f) draw their head coverings over their (f) bosoms; and not show their (f) adornment but to their (f) husbands or their (f) fathers or the fathers of their (f) husbands or their sons or the sons of their (f) husbands or their (f) brothers or the sons of their (f) brothers or the sons of their (f) sisters or their (f) women, or what their (f) right hands possessed, or the ones who heed, imbued with no sexual desire among the men or small male children to whom was not manifest nakedness of women. And let them (f) not stomp their feet so as to be known what they (f) conceal of their adornment. And turn to God altogether for forgiveness. O the ones who believe, so that perhaps you will prosper. |
| 24:32 | | And wed the single among you to the ones in accord with morality of your male bond servants and your female bond servants. If they be poor, God will enrich them of His grace. And God is One Who is Extensive, Knowing. |
| 24:33 | | Let those who find not the means for marriage have restraint until God enriches them of His grace. And for those who are looking for emancipation from among what your right hands possessed, contract with them if you knew good in them. And give them of the wealth of God which He gave you. Compel not your spiritual warriors (f) against their will to prostitution when they (f) wanted chastity, that you be looking for the advantage of this present life. And whoever compels them (f) to it against their (f) will, yet after their (f) compulsion, God will be of them (f), the female, Forgiving, Compassionate. |
| 24:34 | | And, certainly, We caused to descend to you manifest signs and a parable of those who passed away before you and an admonishment for ones who are Godfearing. |
| 24:35 | | God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as a niche in which there is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as if it had been a glittering star, kindled from a blessed olive tree, neither eastern nor western, whose oil of the olive is about to illuminate although no fire touches it. Light on light, God guides to His Light whom He wills! And God propounds parables for humanity, and God is Knowing of everything. |
| 24:36 | | The Light is lit in houses God gave permission to be lifted up and that His Name be remembered in it. Glorifying Him at the first part of the day and the eventide |
| 24:37 | | are men whom neither trade nor trading diverts from the remembrance of God and the performing the formal prayer and the giving of purifying alms for they fear a Day when the hearts will go to and fro and their sight, |
| 24:38 | | that God gives recompense to them according to the fairer of what they did and increases even more for them from His grace. And God provides to whom He wills without reckoning. |
| 24:39 | | As for those who were ungrateful, their actions are like a mirage in a spacious plain. The thirsty one assumes it to be water until he drew near it. He finds it to be nothing. Instead, he found God with him Who paid his account in full, reckoning and God is Swift at reckoning. |
| 24:40 | | Or they are like the shadows in an obscure sea, overcome by a wave, above which is a wave, above which are clouds, shadows, some above some others. When he brought out his hand he almost sees it not. And whomever God assigns no light for him, there is no light for him. |
| 24:41 | | Hast thou not considered that glorifies God whatever is in the heavens and the earth and the birds, ones standing in ranks? Each knew its formal prayer and its glorification. And God is Knowing of what they accomplish. |
| 24:42 | | And to God belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. And to God is the Homecoming. |
| 24:43 | | Hast thou not considered how God propels clouds and, again, brings what is between them together? Again, He lays them into a heap. Thou hast seen the rain drops go forth in the midst. And He sends down from the heaven mountains of rain in which there is hail. And He lights it on whom He wills and turns away from it whom He wills. The gleams of His lightning almost take away the sight. |
| 24:44 | | God turns around and around the nighttime and the daytime. Truly, in this is a lesson for those imbued with insight. |
| 24:45 | | God created every moving creature from water. Among them there is what walks on its belly and of them there is what walks on two feet and of them there is what walks on four. God creates what He wills. Truly, God is Powerful over everything. |
| 24:46 | | Certainly, We caused manifest signs to descend. And God guides whom He wills to a straight path. |
| 24:47 | | And they say: We believed in God and the Messenger, and we obeyed. Again, a group of people among them turn away after this. And those are not of the ones who believe. |
| 24:48 | | And when they were called to God and His Messenger to give judgment among them, then, a group of people among them are ones who turn aside. |
| 24:49 | | But if they would be in the right, they would approach him as ones who are yielding. |
| 24:50 | | Is there a sickness in their hearts? Or were they in doubt? Or be they fearful that God and His Messenger will be unjust to them? Nay! Those, they are the ones who are unjust. |
| 24:51 | | The only saying of the ones who believe had been—when they were called to God and His Messenger that He give judgment between them—to say: We heard and obeyed. And those, they are the ones who prosper. |
| 24:52 | | And whoever obeys God and His Messenger and dreads God and is Godfearing, those, they are the ones who are victorious. |
| 24:53 | | And they swore by God their most earnest oaths that if thou wouldst command them, they would go forth. Say: Swear not; honorable obedience is better. Truly God is Aware of what you do. |
| 24:54 | | Say: Obey God and obey the Messenger. But if you turn away, then, on him was only what was loaded on him, and on you was only what was loaded on you. And if you obey him, you will be truly guided. And there is not a duty on the Messenger but the delivering of the clear message. |
| 24:55 | | God promised those who have believed among you and did as the ones in accord with morality, that He will make them successors in the earth, even as He made of those before them successors and He will establish for them their way of life firmly by which He was content with them and He will substitute a place of sanctuary in place of their fear: They shall worship Me—ascribe nothing as partners with Me. And whoever was ungrateful after that, then, those, they are the ones who disobey. |
| 24:56 | | And perform the formal prayer and give the purifying alms and obey the Messenger so that perhaps you will find mercy. |
| 24:57 | | Assume not those who were ungrateful that they are ones who will frustrate Him in the region. Their place of shelter will be the fire and how miserable the Homecoming! |
| 24:58 | | O those who believed! Let them ask permission—those whom your right hands possessed (f) and those who reach not puberty—three times: Before the dawn formal prayer, when you lay down your garments at the time of noon and after the time of night formal prayer. These are the three times of privacy for you. There is not on you nor on them blame after these. Other than these, go about some of you with some others. Thus, God makes manifest to you the signs. And God is Knowing, Wise. |
| 24:59 | | When infant children were fully grown among you, then, let them ask permission as asked permission those who were before them. Thus, God makes manifest for you His signs. And God is Knowing, Wise. |
| 24:60 | | And women who are past child-bearing, those who hope not for marriage, there is no blame on them (f) if they lay down their (f) garments, not as ones who flaunt themselves and their (f) adornment. And that they have restraint is better for them (f), and God is Hearing, Knowing. |
| 24:61 | | There is no fault on the blind nor fault on the lame nor fault on the sick nor on yourselves that you eat from your 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 paternal uncles or the houses of your paternal aunts or the houses of your maternal uncles or the houses of your maternal aunts or of that for which you possess its keys or your ardent friend. There is no blame on you that you eat altogether or separately. But when you entered houses, then, greet one another with a greeting from God, one that is blessed and what is good. Thus, God makes manifest for you the signs so that perhaps you will be reasonable. |
| 24:62 | | The ones who believe are only those who believe in God and His Messenger. And when they had been with him on a collective matter, they go not until they asked his permission. Truly, those who ask thy permission, those are those who believed in God and His Messenger. So when they ask thy permission for some of their affairs, give permission to whom thou hadst willed of them, and ask God for forgiveness for them. Truly, God is Forgiving, Compassionate. |
| 24:63 | | The supplication of the Messenger among you is not as the supplication of some of you on some other. Surely, God knows those who slip away under cover. And let those who go against his command beware so that a test should not light on them or a painful punishment not light on them. |
| 24:64 | | Surely, to God belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. Surely, He knows what you did. And on the Day when they are returned to Him, then, He will tell them what their hands did, and God is Knowing of everything. |
