24:1  [This is] a surah which We have sent down, and prescribed it, and We have sent down in it manifest signs so that you may take admonition

24:2  As for the fornicatress and the fornicator, strike each of them a hundred lashes, and let not pity for them overcome you in Allah’s law, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day, and let their punishment be witnessed by a group of the faithful

24:3  The fornicator shall not marry anyone but a fornicatress or an idolatress, and the fornicatress shall be married by none except a fornicator or an idolater, and that is forbidden to the faithful

24:4  As for those who accuse honourable women and do not bring four witnesses, strike them eighty lashes, and never accept any testimony from them after that, and they are transgressors

24:5  excepting those who repent after that and reform, for Allah is indeed all-forgiving, all-merciful

24:6  As for those who accuse their wives, but have no witnesses except themselves, then the testimony of one of them shall be a fourfold testimony [sworn] by Allah that he is indeed stating the truth

24:7  and a fifth [oath] that Allah’s wrath shall be upon him if he were lying

24:8  The punishment shall be averted from her by her testifying with four oaths [sworn] by Allah that he is indeed lying

24:9  and a fifth [oath] that Allah’s wrath shall be upon her if he were stating the truth

24:10  Were it not for Allah’s grace and His mercy upon you, and that Allah is all-clement, all-wise. . .

24:11  Indeed those who initiated the calumny are a band from among yourselves. Do not suppose it is bad for you. Rather it is for your good. Each man among them bears [the onus for] his share in the sin, and as for him who assumed its major burden from among them there is a great punishment for him

24:12  When you [first] heard about it, why did not the faithful, men and women, think well of their folks, and say, ‘This is an obvious calumny’

24:13  Why did they not bring four witnesses to it? So when they could not bring the witnesses, they are liars in Allah’s sight

24:14  Were it not for Allah’s grace and His mercy upon you in this world and the Hereafter, there would have befallen you a great punishment for what you ventured into

24:15  when you were receiving it on your tongues, and were mouthing something of which you had no knowledge, supposing it to be a light matter, while it was a grave [matter] with Allah

24:16  And why did you not, when you heard it, say, ‘It is not for us to say such a thing. [O Allah!] You are immaculate! This is a monstrous calumny!’

24:17  Allah advises you lest you should ever repeat the like of it, should you be faithful

24:18  Allah clarifies the signs for you, and Allah is all-knowing, all-wise

24:19  Indeed those who want indecency to spread among the faithful —there is a painful punishment for them in the world and the Hereafter, and Allah knows and you do not know

24:20  Were it not for Allah’s grace and His mercy upon you, and that Allah is all-kind, all-merciful

24:21  O you who have faith! Do not follow in Satan’s steps. Whoever follows in Satan’s steps [should know that] he indeed prompts [you to commit] indecent acts and wrong. Were it not for Allah’s grace and His mercy upon you, not one of you would ever be pure. But Allah purifies whomever He wishes, and Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing

24:22  Let the well-off and the opulent among you not vow not to give to the relatives and the needy, and to those who have migrated in the way of Allah, and let them excuse and forbear. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful

24:23  Indeed those who accuse honourable and unwary faithful women shall be cursed in this world and the Hereafter, and there shall be a great punishment for the

24:24  on the day when witness shall be given against them by their tongues, their hands, and their feet concerning what they used to do

24:25  On that day Allah will pay them in full their due recompense, and they shall know that Allah is the Manifest Reality

24:26  Vicious women are for vicious men, and vicious men for vicious women. Good women are for good men, and good men for good women. These are absolved of what they say [about them]. For them is forgiveness and a noble provision

24:27  O you who have faith! Do not enter houses other than your own until you have announced [your arrival] and greeted their occupants. That is better for you. Maybe you will take admonition

24:28  But if you do not find anyone in them, do not enter them until you are given permission, and if you are told: ‘Turn back,’ then do turn back. That is more decent for you. And Allah knows best what you do

24:29  There will be no sin upon you in entering [without announcing] uninhabited houses wherein you have goods belonging to you. And Allah knows whatever you disclose and whatever you conceal

24:30  Tell the faithful men to cast down their looks and to guard their private parts. That is more decent for them. Allah is indeed well aware of what they do

24:31  And tell the faithful women to cast down their looks and to guard their private parts, and not to display their charms, except for what is outward, and let them draw their scarfs over their bosoms, and not display their charms except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women, or their slave girls, or male dependants lacking [sexual] desire, or children uninitiated to women’s parts. And let them not thump their feet to make known their hidden ornaments. Rally to Allah in repentance, O faithful, so that you may be felicitous

24:32  Marry off those who are single among you and the upright among your male slaves and your female slaves. If they are poor, Allah will enrich them out of His grace, and Allah is all-bounteous, all-knowing

24:33  Those who cannot afford marriage should be continent until Allah enriches them out of His grace. As for those who seek an emancipation deal from among your slaves, make such a deal with them if you know any good in them, and give them out of the wealth of Allah which He has given you. Do not compel your female slaves to prostitution when they desire to be chaste, seeking the transitory wares of the life of this world. Should anyone compel them, then after their compulsion Allah is indeed all-forgiving, all-merciful

24:34  Certainly We have sent down to you manifest signs and a description of those who passed before you, and an advice for the Godwary

24:35  Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is a niche wherein is a lamp —the lamp is in a glass, the glass as it were a glittering star— lit from a blessed olive tree, neither eastern nor western, whose oil almost lights up, though fire should not touch it. Light upon light. Allah guides to His Light whomever He wishes. Allah draws parables for mankind, and Allah has knowledge of all things

24:36  In houses Allah has allowed to be raised and wherein His Name is celebrated, He is glorified therein, morning and evening

24:37  by men whom neither trading nor bargaining distracts from the remembrance of Allah, and the maintenance of prayer and the giving of zakat. They are fearful of a day wherein the heart and the sight will be transformed

24:38  so that Allah may reward them by the best of what they have done, and enhance them out of His grace, and Allah provides for whomever He wishes without any reckoning

24:39  As for the faithless, their works are like a mirage in a plain, which the thirsty man supposes to be water. When he comes to it, he finds it to be nothing; but there he finds Allah, who will pay him his full account, and Allah is swift at reckoning

24:40  Or like the manifold darkness in a deep sea, covered by billow upon billow, overcast by clouds, manifold [layers of] darkness, one on top of another: when he brings out his hand, he can hardly see it, and one whom Allah has not granted any light has no light

24:41  Have you not regarded that Allah is glorified by everyone in the heavens and the earth, and the birds spreading their wings. Each knows his prayer and glorification, and Allah knows best what they do

24:42  To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and toward Allah is the destination

24:43  Have you not regarded that Allah drives the clouds, then He composes them, then He piles them up, whereat you see the rain issuing from its midst? And He sends down from the sky hail, out of the mountains that are in it, and He strikes with it whomever He wishes, and turns it away from whomever He wishes. The brilliance of its lightening almost takes away the sight

24:44  Allah alternates the night and the day. There is indeed a moral in that for those who have insight

24:45  Allah created every animal from water. Among them are some that creep upon their bellies, and among them are some that walk on two feet, and among them are some that walk on four. Allah creates whatever He wishes. Indeed Allah has power over all things

24:46  Certainly We have sent down manifest signs, and Allah guides whomever He wishes to a straight path

24:47  They say, ‘We have faith in Allah and His Apostle, and we obey.’ Then after that a part of them refuse to comply, and they do not have faith

24:48  When they are summoned to Allah and His Apostle that He may judge between them, behold, a part of them turn aside

24:49  But if justice be on their side, they come compliantly to him

24:50  Is there a sickness in their hearts? Or do they have doubts or fear that Allah and His Apostle will be unjust to them? Rather it is they who are the wrongdoers

24:51  All the response of the faithful, when they are summoned to Allah and His Apostle that He may judge between them, is to say, ‘We hear and obey.’ It is they who are the felicitous

24:52  Whoever obeys Allah and His Apostle, and fears Allah and is wary of Him —it is they who will be the triumphant

24:53  They swear by Allah with solemn oaths that if you order them they will surely go forth. Say, ‘Do not swear! Honourable obedience [is all that is expected of you]. Allah is indeed well aware of what you do.’

24:54  Say, ‘Obey Allah, and obey the Apostle.’ But if you turn your backs, [you should know that] he is only responsible for his burden and you are responsible for your burden, and if you obey him, you shall be guided, and the Apostle’s duty is only to communicate in clear terms

24:55  Allah has promised those of you who have faith and do righteous deeds that He will surely make them successors in the earth, just as He made those who were before them successors, and He will surely establish for them their religion which He has approved for them, and that He will surely change their state to security after their fear, while they worship Me, not ascribing any partners to Me. And whoever is ungrateful after that —it is they who are the transgressors

24:56  Maintain the prayer and give the zakat, and obey the Apostle so that you may receive [Allah’s] mercy

24:57  Do not suppose that those who are faithless can thwart [Allah] on the earth. Their refuge shall be the Fire, and it is surely an evil destination

24:58  O you who have faith! Let your permission be sought by your slaves and those of you who have not reached puberty three times: before the dawn prayer, and when you put off your garments at noon, and after the night prayer. These are three times of privacy for you. Apart from these, it is not sinful of you or them to frequent one another [freely]. Thus does Allah clarify the signs for you, and Allah is all-knowing, all-wise

24:59  When your children reach puberty, let them ask permission [at all times] just as those who asked permission before them. Thus does Allah clarify His signs for you, and Allah is all-knowing, all-wise

24:60  As for women advanced in years who do not expect to marry, there will be no sin upon them if they put off their cloaks, without displaying their adornment. But it is better for them to be continent, and Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing

24:61  There is no blame upon the blind, nor any blame upon the lame, nor any blame upon the sick, nor upon yourselves if you eat from your own houses, or your fathers’ houses, or your mothers’ houses, or your brothers’ houses, or your sisters’ houses, 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 those whose keys are in your possession, or those of your friends. There will be no blame on you whether you eat together or separately. So when you enter houses, greet yourselves with a salutation from Allah, blessed and good. Thus does Allah clarify His signs for you so that you may apply reason

24:62  Indeed the faithful are those who have faith in Allah and His Apostle, and when they are with him in a collective affair, they do not leave until they have sought his permission. Indeed those who seek your permission —it is they who have faith in Allah and His Apostle. So when they seek your permission for some work of theirs, give permission to whomever of them you wish and plead with Allah to forgive them. Indeed Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful

24:63  Do not consider the Apostle’s summons amongst you to be like your summoning one another. Allah certainly knows those of you who slip away under cover. So let those who disobey his orders beware lest an ordeal should visit them or a painful punishment should befall them

24:64  Look! To Allah indeed belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. He certainly knows what you are up to, and the day they are brought back to Him He will inform them about what they have done, and Allah has knowledge of all things