24:1  This is a Surah which We have sent down and We have made it mandatory, and We have sent down clear Commandments in it so that you may learn lessons

24:2  The woman and the man guilty of fornication, flog each one of them with a hundred stripes - and let not any pity for them restrain you in regard to a matter prescribed by Allah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day, and let, some of the believers witness the punishment inflicted on them

24:3  A man guilty of adultery (or fornication) shall not marry any but the woman guilty of the same or a mushrik woman, and none shall marry a woman guilty of adultery (or fornication) but the man guilty of the same or a mushrik man: such marriages are forbidden to true believers

24:4  As for those persons who charge chaste women with false accusations but do not produce four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes and never accept their evidence afterwards, for they themselves are transgressors

24:5  except those who repent and reform themselves; Allah is Forgiving and Merciful

24:6  As for those who accuse their own wives but have no witness except themselves, the evidence of one of them is that he shall swear four times by Allah and declare that he is true (in his charge)

24:7  Then the fifth time he shall declare that Allah´s curse be upon him if he be false (in his charge)

24:8  (As for the woman), it shall avert the punishment from her if she swears four times by Allah that the man is false (in his charge

24:9  and the fifth time she invokes Allah´s wrath upon herself, if he be true (in his charge)

24:10  If Allah had not shown you His grace and mercy and if Allah had not been most Forgiving and All-Wise, (you would have been in a great fix because of accusing your wives)

24:11  Those who have invented the slander, are some of your own people. You should not, however, regard this matter as evil for it has good in it for you. Whoso took any part in this, he earned his share of the sin accordingly, and the one, who had the greatest share of responsibility in it, shall have a terrible punishment

24:12  When you heard of it, why didn´t the Believing men and the Believing women have a good opinion of themselves, and why did they not say, "This is a manifest slander?"

24:13  Why did the slanderers not bring four witnesses (to prove their charge)? Now that they have not brought witnesses, they themselves are liars in the sight of Allah

24:14  Were it not for Allah´s grace and mercy towards you in this world and in the Hereafter, a painful scourge would have visited you because of the things in which you were involved

24:15  (Just think how erroneous you were,) when you passed this lie on from one tongue to the other and uttered with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge. You took it as a trifling matter whereas it was a grave offence in the sight of Allah

24:16  Why did you not, as soon as you heard of it, say, "It is not proper for us to utter such a thing? Glory be to Allah! This is a great slander."

24:17  Allah admonishes you that in future you should never repeat a thing like this, if you are true Believers

24:18  Allah makes His Revelations clear to you, and He is All-Knowing, All-Wise

24:19  As for those, who like that indecency should spread among the Believers, they deserve a painful punishment in this world and in the Hereafter, for Allah knows and you do not know (its consequences)

24:20  If Allah had not shown His grace and mercy to you, (this scandal would have produced very evil results): Allah is indeed very Kind and Merciful

24:21  O Believers, do not follow in Satan´s footsteps, for he will incite to indecency and wickedness any who will follow him. If Allah had not shown His Brace and mercy to you, none of you would have been able to cleanse yourself, for it is Allah alone Who cleanses whom He wills, and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing

24:22  Those among you, who are bountiful and persons of means, should not swear on oath that they would withhold their help from their relatives, the indigent and those who have left their homes for the cause of Allah: they should forgive and forbear. Do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful

24:23  Those who charge with slander those Believing women, who are chaste but simple souls, are accursed in this world and in the Hereafter: there is a great punishment for them

24:24  They should not forget the Day when their own tongues and their own hands and test will bear testimony in regard to their misdeeds

24:25  On that Day Allah will give them the full recompense they deserve, and they will realize that Allah is the very Truth, Who makes the Truth manifest

24:26  Impure women are for impure men and impure men for impure women, and pure women are for pure men and pure men for pure women. They are free from those scandals which the slanderers utter. There is forgiveness for them and honourable provision

24:27  O Believers, do not enter other houses than your own until you have the approval of the inmates and have wished them peace; this is the best way for you: it is expected that you will observe it

24:28  Then, if you do not find anyone therein, do not enter until you have been given permission, and if you are told to go back, you should go back. This is a purer way for you; and Allah has full knowledge of what you do

24:29  There is, however, no harm if you enter houses which are not dwelling places, but contain something useful for you; Allah knows what you disclose and what you conceal

24:30  And O Prophet, enjoin the Believing men to restrain their gaze and guard their private parts. This is a more righteous way for them: Allah has knowledge of what they do

24:31  O Prophet, enjoin the Believing women to restrain their gaze and guard their private parts. and not to display their adornment except that which is displayed of itself, and to draw their veils over their bosoms and not to display their adornment except before their husbands, their fathers, the fathers of their husbands, their sons and the sons of their husbands (from other wives), their brothers, their brothers´ sons, their sisters´ sons, their female associates and those in their possession and male attendants incapable of sex desire and those boys who have not yet attained knowledge of sex matters concerning women; also forbid them to stamp their feet on the ground lest their hidden ornaments should be displayed. O Believers, turn all together towards Allah: it is expected that you will attain true success

24:32  Arrange marriages between the single men and women among your and between your slave men and slave women, who are righteous,, if they be indigent, Allah will provide means for them out of His bounty: Allah has boundless resources and He is AllKnowing

24:33  And those, who cannot find a match, should observe continence till Allah provides them with means out of His bounty And if those who are in your possession, ask for a deed of emancipation, execute the deed of emancipation with them, provided that you find some good in them; and give them something out of the means Allah has given you. And do not force your slave-girls into prostitution for your own worldly gains when they themselves want to keep chaste; and if anyone forces them into it, after such a compulsion Allah will be forgiving and merciful for them

24:34  We have sent down to you Revelations giving clear guidance and cited examples of the peoples who went before you to serve as warning and We have imparted admonitions for the God-fearing

24:35  Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth: His light (in the universe) may be likened (to the light of) a lamp in a niche: the lamp is in a glass shade: the glass shade is like a glittering star and lamp is lit with the olive oil of a blessed tree which is neither eastern nor western: its oil is (so fine) as if it were going to shine forth by itself though no fire touched it (as though all the means of increasing) light upon light (were provided); Allah guides to His light whomever He wills. He cites parables to make the Message clear to the people; He has perfect knowledge of everything

24:36  (Those who obtain guidance to His light are found) in the houses which He has enjoined to raise up and to mention His name therein. In them such people glorify Him morning and evenin

24:37  as are not diverted by trade and merchandise from remembering Him and from establishing Salat and paying Zakat, for they fear the Day when the hearts will be overturned and the eyes will become petrified

24:38  (And they behave like this) so that Allah may reward them for their excellent deeds and, in addition to it, show His favour to them out of His bounty: Allah provides without stint for anyone He pleases

24:39  (On the other hand,) the deeds of those who disbelieved, maybe likened to a mirage in a waterless desert, which the thirsty one took for water; but when he reached there he found nothing to drink; nay, he found there Allah Who settled his full account, and Allah is very swift at reckoning

24:40  Or (their efforts may be likened to those of a man trying to swim in) a deep dark ocean, covered with billows, one over the other, and above it a cloud: darkness upon darkness: so much so that if he stretches out his hand, he cannot see it. There is no light for the one whom Allah does not give light

24:41  Do you not observe that all those who are in the heavens and the earth, and the birds with outspread wings, glorify Allah? Each one knows the mode of its prayer and glorification, and Allah has full knowledge of all they do

24:42  The kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah alone, and all shall have to return to Him

24:43  Do you not observe that Allah makes the cloud move gently then joins its pieces together: then gathers it into a mass of thick cloud: then you see that rain-drops fall down from its midst: and He sends down hail out of the high up mountains in the heaven: then He smites with it whom He wills and turns it away from whom He pleases: then a flash of lightning from it dazzles the eyes

24:44  He alternates the day and the night: there is indeed a lesson in it for those who have observing eyes

24:45  And Allah created every creature from a sort of water: of them some one crawls upon its belly: another walks on two legs and still another on four; Allah creates whatever He wills for He has power over everythin

24:46  We have sent down Revelations that make the reality quite plain; however, Allah guides to the straight path whomsoever He pleases

24:47  These people say "We have believed in Allah and the Messenger and we have submitted"; but soon after this, some of them turn away (from obedience): such people are not true Believers

24:48  When they are called to Allah and His Messenger so that the Messenger may judge between them, a party of them turns away

24:49  However, if the truth be on their side, they come towards the Messenger in all obedience

24:50  Are their hearts afflicted with the disease (of hypocrisy)? Or, are they in doubt? Or, do they fear that Allah and His Messenger will be unjust to them? In fact, they themselves are unjust

24:51  As regards the Believers, when they are called towards Allah and His Messenger so that the Messenger may judge between them, they say, "We have heard and obeyed"; such are the people who attain true success

24:52  and only those attain true success who obey Allah and His Messenger and fear Allah and refrain from His disobedience

24:53  They (the hypocrites) solemnly swear by Allah and say, "If you order us, we will leave our homes." Say to them, "Do not swear oaths for your ´obedience´ is well known; Allah is fully aware of what you are doing. "

24:54  Say, "Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, but if you turn away, you should note it well that the Messenger is responsible for the duty entrusted to him and you are responsible for the duty entrusted to you. If you obey him, you will be rightly guided, for the responsibility of the Messenger is only to convey the Message clearly to you

24:55  Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do righteous deeds, that He will make them successors in the land just as He made those who passed away before them, and that He will establish their religion, which He has approved for them, on strong foundations and will change their (present) state of fear into peace and security. Let them worship Me and associate none with Me; and the one who disbelieves after this," shall be of those who are perverse transgressors

24:56  Therefore, establish Salat, pay the Zakat dues and obey the Messenger; it is expected that you will be shown mercy

24:57  Do not think about those who have disbelieved that they will be able to frustrate Allah in the land; their abode is Hell and it is a very evil abode

24:58  O Believers, your slaves and those of your children, who have not yet become sex conscious, must ask your permission before coming in to see you on three occasions: before the Fajr Prayer and at noon when you put off your clothes and after the ´Isha´ Prayer. These are your three times of privacy. There is no sin for you or for them if they come without permission at other times than these, for you have to visit: ne another over and over again. In this way Allah makes His Comm andments clear to you for He is All-Knowing, All-Wise

24:59  And when your children have grown sex conscious, they should receive your permission for this just as their elders get permission. In this way Allah makes His Revelations plain to you for He is All-Knowing, AllWise

24:60  There is no sin for such elderly women as are past the age of marriage, if they lay aside their outer graments provided that they do not mean to display their adornment. Nevertheless, if they behave modestly, it would be better for them: for Allah hears everything and knows everything

24:61  There is no harm if a blind or a lame or a sick person (takes a meal at another´s house): nor is there any harm for yourselves if you take meals at your own houses or at the houses of your fathers and grandfathers or at the houses of your mothers and grandmothers or at your brothers´ houses or at your sisters´ houses or at the houses of your paternal uncles or at the houses of your paternal aunts or at the houses of your maternal uncles or at the houses of your maternal aunts or from the houses whose keys are in your possession or at the houses of your friends. There is no harm if you take your meals together or separately; however, when you enter the houses, you should send greetings of peace on your people, for the prayer of greetings prescribed by Allah is blessed and pure. Thus Allah makes His Revelation´s clear to you. It is expected that you will use your common sense to grasp these

24:62  True Believers are those who sincerely believe in Allah and His Messenger and who do not leave him without permission when they are with the Messenger for some common good; only those who ask your permission sincerely believe in Allah and His Messenger. Therefore, when they ask your permission for a private business, you may give permission to whomever you like, and ask Allah´s forgiveness for such people: Allah is indeed Forgiving and Merciful

24:63  O Believers, do not consider the summoning by the Messenger like the summoning among you by one another. Allah knows well those of you who steal away, concealing themselves behind others. Let those who disobey the order of the Messenger beware lest they should be involved in some affliction, or are visited by a woeful scourge

24:64  Beware! whatever is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah. He knows whatever you are doing. On the Day you shall return to Him, He will let you know what you have. done: He has full knowledge of everything