The Koran
CHAPTER XXIV.
ENTITLED, LIGHT; REVEALED AT MEDINA.
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.
This Sura have we sent down from heaven; and have ratified the same; and
we have revealed therein evident signs, that ye may be warned. The whore,
and the whoremonger, shall ye scourge with an hundred stripes. And let
not compassion towards them prevent you from executing the judgment of
God; if you believe in God and the last day: and let some of the true believers
be witnesses of their punishment. The whoremonger shall not marry any other
than a harlot, or an idolatress. And a harlot shall no man take in marriage,
except a whoremonger, or an idolater. And this kind of marriage is forbidden
the true believers. But as to those who accuse women of reputation of whoredom,
and produce not four witnesses of the fact, scourge them with fourscore
stripes, and receive not their testimony for ever; for such are infamous
prevaricators: excepting those who shall afterwards repent, and amend;
for unto such will God be gracious and merciful. They who shall accuse
their wives of adultery, and shall have no witnesses thereof besides themselves;
the testimony which shall be required of one of them shall be, that he
swear four times by God that he speaketh the truth: and the fifth time
that he imprecate the curse of God on him, if he be a liar. And it shall
avert the punishment from the wife, if she swear four times by God that
he is a liar; and if the fifth time she imprecate the wrath of God on her,
if he speaketh the truth. If it were not for the indulgence of God towards
you, and his mercy, and that God is easy to be reconciled, and wise; he
would immediately discover your crimes. As to the party among you who have
published the falsehood concerning Ayesha, think it not to be an evil unto
you: on the contrary, it is better for you. Every man of them shall be
punished according to the injustice of which he hath been guilty; and he
among them who hath undertaken to aggravate the same, shall suffer a grievous
punishment. Did not the faithful men, and the faithful women, when ye heard
this, judge in their own minds for the best; and say, This is a manifest
falsehood? Have they produced four witnesses thereof? wherefore since they
have not produced the witnesses, they are surely liars in the sight of
God. Had it not been for the indulgence of God towards you, and his mercy,
in this world and in that which is to come, verily a grievous punishment
had been inflicted on you, for the calumny which ye have spread: when ye
published that with your tongues, and spoke that with your mouths, of which
ye had no knowledge; and esteemed it to be light, whereas it was a matter
of importance in the sight of God. When ye heard it, did ye say, It belongeth
not unto us, that we should talk of this matter: God forbid! this is a
grievous calumny? God warneth you, that ye return not to the like crime
for ever; if ye be true believers. And God declareth unto you his signs;
for God is knowing and wise. Verily they who love that scandal be published
of those who believe, shall receive a severe punishment both in this world,
and in the next. God knoweth, but ye know not. Had it not been for the
indulgence of God towards you, and his mercy, and that God is gracious
and merciful, ye had felt his vengeance. O true believers, follow not the
steps of the devil: for whosoever shall follow the steps of the devil,
he will command him filthy crimes, and that which is unlawful. It it were
not for the indulgence of God, and his mercy towards you, there had not
been so much as one of you cleansed from his guilt for ever: but God cleanseth
whom he pleaseth: for God both heareth and knoweth. Let not those among
you who possess abundance of wealth, and have ability, swear that they
will not give unto their kindred, and the poor, and those who have fled
their country for the sake of God’s true religion: but let them forgive,
and act with benevolence towards them. Do ye not desire that God should
pardon you? And God is gracious and merciful. Moreover they who falsely
accuse modest women, who behave in a negligent manner, and are true believers,
shall be cursed in this world, and in the world to come; and they shall
suffer a severe punishment. One day their own tongues shall bear witness
against them, and their hands, and their feet, concerning that which they
have done. On that day shall God render unto them their just due: and they
shall know that God is the evident truth. The wicked women should be joined
to the wicked men, and the wicked men to the wicked women; but the good
women should be married to the good men, and the good men to the good women.
These shall be cleared from the calumnies which slanderers speak of them:
they shall obtain pardon, and an honorable position. O true believers,
enter not any houses, besides your own houses, until ye have asked leave,
and have saluted the family thereof: this is better for you; peradventure
ye will be admonished. And if ye shall find no person in the houses, yet
do not enter them, until leave be granted you: and if it be said unto you,
Return back; do ye return back. This will be more decent for you; and God
knoweth that which ye do. It shall be no crime in you, and ye enter uninhabited
houses, wherein ye may meet with a convenience. God knoweth that which
ye discover, and that which ye conceal. Speak unto the true believers,
that they restrain their eyes, and keep themselves from immodest actions:
this will be more pure for them; for God is well acquainted with that which
they do. And speak unto the believing women, that they restrain their eyes,
and preserve their modesty, and discover not their ornaments, except what
necessarily appeareth thereof: and let them throw their veils over their
bosoms, and not show their ornaments, unless to their husbands, or their
fathers, or their husbands’ fathers, or their sons, or their husbands’
sons, or their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons,
or their women, or the captives which their right hands shall possess,
or unto such men as attend them, and have no need of women, or unto children,
who distinguish not the nakedness of women. And let them not make a noise
with their feet, that their ornaments which they hide may thereby be discovered.
And be ye all turned unto God, O true believers, that ye may be happy.
Marry those who are single among you, and such as are honest of your men-servants,
and your maid-servants: if they be poor, God will enrich them of his abundance;
for God is bounteous and wise. And let those who find not a match, keep
themselves from fornication, until God shall enrich them of his abundance.
And unto such of your slaves as desire a written instrument allowing them
to redeem themselves on paying a certain sum, write one, if ye know good
in them: and, give them of the riches of God, which he hath given you.
And compel not your maid-servants to prostitute themselves, if they be
willing to live chastely; that ye may seek the casual advantage of this
present life: but whoever shall compel them thereto, verily God will be
gracious and merciful unto such women after their compulsion. And now have
we revealed unto you evident signs, and a history like unto some of the
histories of those who have gone before you, and an admonition unto the
pious. God is the light of heaven and earth: the similitude of his light
is as a niche in a wall, wherein a lamp is placed, and the lamp enclosed
in a case of glass; the glass appears as it were a shining star. It is
lighted with the oil of a blessed tree, an olive neither of the east, nor
of the west: it wanteth little but that the oil thereof would give light,
although no fire touched it. This is light added unto light: God will direct
unto his light whom he pleaseth. God propoundeth parables unto men; for
God knoweth all things. In the houses which God hath permitted to be raised,
and that his name be commemorated therein: men celebrate his praise in
the same morning and evening, whom neither merchandising, nor selling diverteth
from the remembering of God, and the observance of prayer, and the giving
of alms; fearing the day whereon men’s hearts and eyes shall be troubled;
that God may recompense them according to the utmost merit of what they
shall have wrought, and may add unto them of his abundance a more excellent
reward; for God bestoweth on whom he pleaseth without measure. But as to
the unbelievers, their works are like the vapor in a plain, which the thirsty
traveller thinketh to be water, until, when he cometh thereto, he findeth
it to be nothing; but he findeth God with him, and he will fully pay him
his account; and God is swift in taking an account: or, as the darkness
in a deep sea, covered by waves riding on waves, above which are clouds,
being additions of darkness one over the other; when one stretcheth forth
his hand, he is far from seeing it. And unto whomsoever God shall not grant
his light, he shall enjoy no light at all. Dost thou not perceive that
all creatures both in heaven and earth praise God; and the birds also,
extending their wings? Every one knoweth his prayer, and his praise: and
God knoweth that which they do. Unto God belongeth the kingdom of heaven
and earth; and unto God shall be the return at the last day. Dost thou
not see that God gently driveth forward the clouds, and gathereth them
together, and then layeth them on heaps? Thou also seest the rain, which
falleth from the midst thereof; and God sendeth down from heaven as it
were mountains, wherein there is hail; he striketh therewith whom he pleaseth,
and turneth the same away from whom he pleaseth: the brightness of his
lightning wanteth but little of taking away the sight. God shifteth the
night, and the day: verily herein is an instruction unto those who have
sight. And God hath created every animal of water; one of them goeth on
his belly, and another of them walketh upon two feet, and another of them
walketh upon four feet: God createth that which he pleaseth; for God is
almighty. Now have we sent down evident signs: and God directeth whom he
pleaseth into the right way. The hypocrites say, We believe in God, and
on his apostle; and we obey them: yet a part of them turneth back, after
this; but these are not really believers. And when they are summoned before
God and his apostle, that he may judge between them; behold, a part of
them retire: but if the right had been on their side, they would have come
and submitted themselves unto him. Is there an infirmity in their hearts?
Do they doubt? Or do they fear lest God and his apostle act unjustly towards
them? But themselves are the unjust doers. The saying of the true believers,
when they are summoned before God and his apostle, that he may judge between
them, is no other than that they say, We have heard, and do obey: and these
are they who shall prosper. Whoever shall obey God and his apostle, and
shall fear God, and shall be devout toward him; these shall enjoy great
felicity. They swear by God, with a most solemn oath, that if thou commandest
them, they will go forth from their houses and possessions. Say, Swear
not to a falsehood: obedience is more requisite: and God is well acquainted
with that which ye do. Say, Obey God, and obey the apostle: but if ye turn
back, verily it is expected of him that he perform his duty; and of you
that ye perform your duty; and if ye obey him, ye shall be directed: but
the duty of our apostle is only public preaching. God promiseth unto such
of you as believe, and do good works, that he will cause them to succeed
the unbelievers in the earth, as he caused those who were before you to
succeed the infidels of their time; and that he will establish for them
their religion which pleaseth them, and will change their fear into security.
They shall worship me; and shall not associate any other with me. But whoever
shall disbelieve after this; they will be the wicked doers. Observe prayer,
and give alms, and obey the apostle: that ye may obtain mercy. Think not
that the unbelievers shall frustrate the designs of God on earth: and their
abode hereafter shall be hell fire; a miserable journey shall it be thither!
O true believers, let your slaves and those among you who shall not have
attained the age of puberty, ask leave of you, before they come into your
presence, three times in the day; namely, before the morning prayer, and
when ye lay aside your garments at noon, and after the evening prayer.
These are the three times for you to be private: it shall be no crime in
you, or in them, if they go in to you without asking permission after these
times, while ye are in frequent attendance, the one of you on the other.
Thus God declareth his signs unto you; for God is knowing and wise. And
when your children attain the age of puberty, let them ask leave to come
into your presence at all times, in the same manner as those who have attained
that age before them, ask leave. Thus God declareth his signs unto you;
and God is knowing and wise. As to such women as are past child-bearing,
who hope not to marry again, because of their advanced age; it shall be
no crime in them, if they lay aside their outer garments, not showing their
ornaments; but if they abstain from this, it will be better for them. God
both heareth and knoweth. It shall be no crime in the blind, nor shall
it it be any crime in the lame, neither shall it be any crime in the sick,
or in yourselves, that ye eat in your houses, or in the house of your fathers,
or in the houses of your mothers, or in the houses of your brothers, or
the houses of your sisters, or the houses of your uncles on the father’s
side, or the houses of your aunts on the father’s side, or the houses of
your uncles on the mother’s side, or the houses of your aunts on the mother’s
side, or in those houses the keys whereof ye have in your possession, or
in the house of your friend. It shall not be any crime in you whether ye
eat together, or separately. And when ye enter any houses, salute one another
on the part of God, with a blessed and a welcome salutation. Thus God declareth
his signs unto you, that ye may understand. Verily they only are true believers,
who believe in God and his apostle, and when they are assembled with him
on any affair, depart not, until they have obtained leave of him. Verily
they who ask leave of thee, are those who believe in God and his apostle.
When therefore they ask leave of thee to depart, on account of any business
of their own, grant leave unto such of them as thou shall think fit, and
ask pardon for them of God; for God is gracious and merciful. Let not the
calling of the apostle be esteemed among you, as your calling the one to
the other. God knoweth such of you as privately withdraw themselves from
the assembly, taking shelter behind one another. But let those who withstand
his command, take heed; lest some calamity befall them in this world, or
a grievous punishment be inflicted on them in the life to come. Doth not
whatever is in heaven and on earth belong to God? He well knoweth what
ye are about: and on a certain day they shall be assembled before him;
and he shall declare unto them that which they have done; for God knoweth
all things.
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