24:1  A surah— WE have sent it down and WE have ordained it. In it WE have sent down telling signs, to enable you to mindfully heed.

24:2  The adulteress and the adulterer—flog each of them with a hundred stripes, and do not let compassion for them withhold you, in regard to the way of Allah if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a group from among the believers be witnesses to their punishment.

24:3  The adulterer does not pledge marital fidelity to any except an adulteress or a woman who worships other than God; and an adulteress does not pledge marital fidelity to any except an adulterer or a man who worships other than God. And forbidden is that unto the believers.

24:4  Those who accuse chaste women [of adultery] and then do not bring four witnesses— flog them with eighty lashes and do not ever accept testimony from them. Those are the truly iniquitous ones—

24:5  Except the ones who repent after that and make amends. Surely, Allah is forgiving, ever merciful.

24:6  Those who accuse their spouses and do not have any witnesses except themselves— let the testimony of one of them be four testimonies, by [oath upon] Allah, that he is categorically of the truthful.

24:7  And a fifth [oath], that the denunciation of Allah be upon him if he be of the liars.

24:8  And her testifying, four testimonies sworn upon Allah, that he is categorically of the liars, will avert the punishment from her.

24:9  And a fifth that the indignation of Allah be upon her if he was of the truthful.

24:10  Were it not for the grace of Allah upon you, and HIS mercy, and that Allah is clement, all-wise…

24:11  Surely, the ones who brought forth the malicious falsehood are a pack from among you. Do not figure it is bad for you. On the contrary, it bears good for you. For every person among them is what he has earned from the sin [of his]. Whereas the one among them who undertook the bulk of it, for him is a transcendent consequence.

24:12  Why did not, when you heard about it, the believing men and believing women assume the best about themselves and say, “This is blatant falsehood.”

24:13  Why did they not bring forward four witnesses to it? So then, when they did not bring the witnesses, in the sight of Allah, they are the ones who are the liars.

24:14  If it were not for the grace of Allah upon you and HIS mercy in this world and the Hereafter, a transcendent consequence would have afflicted you through what you verbosely poured in it—

24:15  When you joined in with your tongues, uttering through your own mouths, that which you had no knowledge of. You deemed it to be insignificant, while in the sight of Allah it is colossal.

24:16  And why had you not said, when you heard it, “It is not for us to engage in talk about this. YOURS is all glory and might! This is a monstrous slander!”

24:17  Allah admonishes you against ever repeating anything like it if you be believers.

24:18  Allah makes HIS messages clear to you. Allah is ever knowing, all-wise.

24:19  Surely, the ones who love spreading the scurrilous across the ones who have embraced Faith—for them is an agonizing punishment in the world and in the Hereafter. Allah knows, whereas you know not.

24:20  …And were it not for the grace of Allah upon you and HIS mercy and that Allah is indeed kind, ever merciful.

24:21  O you who have embraced Faith, do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Whoever follows the footsteps of Satan, [be well warned], Satan enjoins the scurrilous and the immoral. If it were not for the grace of Allah upon you, and HIS mercy, not one of you would ever be pure. But Allah purifies whom HE wills. Allah is all-hearing, all- knowing.

24:22  The possessors of surplus and of vast means amongst you must not forswear giving to kinsfolk, and the needy, and those who emigrated in the way of Allah. Let them forgive and forget. Do you not desire the forgiveness of Allah for yourselves? Allah is forgiving, ever merciful.

24:23  Verily, those who cast aspersions upon unsuspecting chaste believing women, they will be denounced in this world and in the Hereafter. Theirs is a transcendent consequence.

24:24  One day their tongues, their hands, and their feet will testify against them about what they were doing.

24:25  On that day WE will pay them in full their deserved due, and they will know that Allah is the all-pervasive Reality.

24:26  Foul [words and actions] are owned by foul people, and foul people are owned by foul [words and actions]. And pristine and pious [words and actions] are for good and pious people, and good and pious people are to have pristine and pious [words and actions]. They are the ones ever exonerated from what those others say. For them is forgiveness and a noble provision.

24:27  O you who have embraced Faith, do not enter residences other than your own residences, until you are on familiar terms, and you bid peace upon its residents. That is better for you, and to enable you to be mindful.

24:28  Accordingly, if you do not find anyone to be there, then do not enter until you are given permission. And if it is said to you, “Go away,” then turn back. That is morally purer for you. Allah is ever knowing of what you do.

24:29  There is not to be any blame upon you if you enter homes not lived-in, in which there is utility for you. Allah knows what you disclose and what you conceal.

24:30  Say to the believing men they should lower their gaze and maintain their modesty. That is morally purer for them. Verily, Allah is fully aware with what they engage in.

24:31  Say to the believing women they should lower their gaze and maintain their modesty and not reveal their adornment except that which of it had become evident. And let them extend their head covers over their bosoms, and not reveal their adornment, except to their husband-guardians, or their fathers, or the fathers of their husband-guardians, or their sons, or the sons of their husband-guardians, or their brothers, or the sons of the brothers, or the sons of their sisters, or their womenfolk, or those their right hands have possessed, or attendants from amongst men bereft of vigor, or children who notice not women’s nakedness. And they should not be conspicuous with their gait that what is concealed of their adornment becomes noticeable. And turn, all together, unto Allah in repentance, O believers to enable you to attain spiritual success.

24:32  Help wed the single among you and the righteous amongst your servants and maids. If they are poor, Allah will grant them sufficiency from HIS bounty. Allah is infinite, ever knowing.

24:33  Let those who cannot wed seek to be chaste until Allah gives them sufficiency from HIS bounty. If some from amongst those whom your right hands have possessed seek the written guarantee, then write it for them, if you have known of goodness in them, and give unto them from the wealth of Allah which HE has bestowed upon you. And do not compel your maids into prostitution in the quest for temporal gains of earthly life when they desire chastity. And if anyone coerces them, surely Allah, after their coercion, is forgiving, ever merciful.

24:34  WE have already sent down expressive verses to you all, and [many] an example of the ones who have passed before you, and sound admonition for the conscientious.

24:35  Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of HIS light is like a niche, in it a lamp, the lamp in a glass, the glass as if it were a brilliant star. It is fueled from a blessed olive tree— [self-luminescent], not limited to any sun’s rising or by any sun’s setting; its oil near glowing though the flame touches it not. Light upon light. Allah guides to HIS light whom HE wills, and Allah offers parables for humankind. Allah is ever knowing of all things.

24:36  In houses Allah has allowed that they be raised, and that HIS name be remembered therein, they contemplate HIS limitless glory therein, during the day’s unfolding and the day’s folding—

24:37  Men not distracted away, by a trade or a sale, from the remembrance of Allah, [or distracted from] keeping up of their prayers, and giving of Zakat, fearing a day in which the hearts and sights will turn inwards and to the past, [i.e., ever conscious of what they send ahead]

24:38  that Allah may reward them by the best of what they ever did and magnify HIS grace for them. Allah provides beyond reckoning to whom HE wills.

24:39  While the ones who had disbelieved, their deeds are like a mirage in a barren plain. The stricken of thirst figures it is water until when he gets to it, he finds not anything while he has found Allah to be with him! And so, HE paid him fully his due. And Allah is swift of reckoning.

24:40  Or [their deeds are] like the layers of darkness in a fathomless sea, waves covering it, waves above it, clouds over that — [layers] of darkness, one above the other. When he puts out his hand, scarcely can he see it. For whosoever Allah has not rendered a light— not for him is any light.

24:41  Have you not realized that it is Allah! In expression of deference to HIM exists whoever is in the heavens and the earth, and the birds gliding with spread-out wings. Each being has ever known its prayer and its manner of deference to HIM. Allah is ever knowing of all that they do.

24:42  To Allah belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth, and unto Allah is the end [of all journeys].

24:43  [O man] do you not see that Allah thrusts the clouds, then binds them to their center, then HE renders them into a heap— thence you see the rain emerge from its midst. HE sends down from the sky, from within [heaped] mountains, some hail [too]—HE whelms whom HE wills with it and diverts it from whom HE wills. The flash of its lightning nearly snapping away the sights.

24:44  Allah cycles the night and the day. Surely, in that are lessons for people of insight.

24:45  It is Allah WHO has created every animal from water—some from among them crawl on their bellies, and some from among them walk on two legs, and some from among them walk on four. Allah creates what HE wills. Surely, Allah has almighty control over all things and their measure.

24:46  Allah has sent down expressive signs. Allah guides whom HE wills unto a timelessly straight path.

24:47  They say, “We believe in Allah and HIS messenger, and we obey.” Then a party of them turns away after that. Those are not anywise believers.

24:48  When they are called to Allah and HIS messenger, so that he may judge between them— right away a faction of them are shunners.

24:49  And if the right to claim is theirs, they come to him eager to obey.

24:50  Is there a disease in their hearts, or are they mired in doubt, or do they fear prejudice from Allah and HIS messenger against them? Rather, they are the unjust ones.

24:51  Their saying [i.e., the insincere ones saying when it suits them], ‘We have heard, and we have obeyed is ever the only expression of the true believers—whenever they are called unto Allah and HIS messenger, so he would judge between them. And those are the spiritually successful ones.

24:52  Whoever obeys Allah and HIS messenger and is in awe of Allah and is conscious of HIM— those are the winners.

24:53  They swear by Allah, their most earnest oaths, that if you ordered them, they would certainly [obey and] set out [for the mission]. Say, “Do not swear. Obedience is discernable.” Surely, Allah is ever aware of all that you do.”

24:54  Say, “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger.” For if you turn away— upon [the Messenger] is only that [duty] which is placed on him, and upon you is what is placed on you. If you obey him, you will acquire guidance, and upon the Messenger is nothing but [the duty of] clear conveyance.

24:55  Allah has promised those among you who have embraced Faith and have done the right deeds: HE shall grant them firm succession in the land, like HE granted succession to those before them. HE shall firmly plant their Faith for them, which HE has approved of for them. And HE will indeed profoundly change them— [planting] security, after their fear. They will worship ME, and they will not associate partners with ME in any way. And whosoever disbelieves after that— then those are the iniquitous ones.

24:56  Maintain the Prayers for anchor and give Zakat and obey the Messenger to enable you to receive mercy.

24:57  Do not you ever think that the ones who disbelieve can be thwarters [of God’s will] on earth. Their shelter is the fire. And indeed, wretched is the end.

24:58  O you who have embraced Faith, let the ones whom your right hands have possessed, and the ones among you who have not reached the age of puberty, seek permission from you on three occasions: before the morning prayer, the while during mid-day you cast off your clothing, and after the night prayer—three privacies for you. There is no blame upon you nor upon them, if beyond these [occasions], some of you make rounds attending to others. Thus does Allah make clear the revelations for you. Allah is ever knowing, all-wise.

24:59  When the children among you reach the age of puberty, let them seek permission, like the permission sought by the ones older than them. Thus does Allah make clear HIS revelations for you. Allah is ever knowing, all-wise.

24:60  The postmenopausal amongst the women, who do not contemplate marriage, not upon them is any blame, if they do away with their cloaks— apart from ones who flaunt themselves in finery. But that they try to refrain is better for them. Allah is ever hearing, ever knowing.

24:61  No sanction upon the blind, and no sanction upon the lame, and no sanction upon the sick [where they eat]. And neither is there a sanction upon you mutually, that you eat at any of the homes of your own, or the homes of your fathers, or the homes of your mothers, or the homes of your brothers, or the homes of your sisters or the homes of paternal aunts, or the homes of your maternal aunts, or the homes of your paternal uncles, or the homes of your maternal uncles, or [at homes] to which you own the keys [i.e., to which you are given access], or at your friend’s. No blame is upon you that you eat all together, or in subgroups [as convenient or necessary]. So, when you enter [these] homes, reciprocate invocations of peace upon yourselves, as a purely blessed salutation from Allah. Thus does Allah clearly state the verses for you, to enable you to use reason.

24:62  The believers are the ones who believe in Allah and HIS Messenger, and when they are with him on a collective undertaking, they do not leave until they have taken his permission. The ones who ask for your permission, those ones believe in Allah and HIS messenger. So, when they ask your permission on account of some situation of theirs, give leave to whoever of them you will, and ask for forgiveness of Allah for them. Surely, Allah is forgiving, ever merciful.

24:63  Do not treat the summon of the Messenger between you, like the summon of one of you to another. Allah indeed knows those among you who slip away, given cover by others. So, let those who oppose his bidding beware, lest a trial should afflict them, or an agonizing punishment should befall them.

24:64  Unquestionably, to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. HE already knows what you are set upon. And on a day, they will be returned to HIM, then HE will inform them of what they did. And Allah is ever knowing of all things.