Surah An-Noor

سُورَةٌأَنزَلْنَٰهَاوَفَرَضْنَٰهَاوَأَنزَلْنَافِيهَآءَايَٰتٍۭبَيِّنَٰتٍۢلَّعَلَّكُمْتَذَكَّرُونَ

A Surah [is this] which We have bestowed from on high, and which We have laid down in plain terms; and in it have We bestowed from on high messages which are clear [in themselves], so that you might keep [them] in mind.

ٱلزَّانِيَةُوَٱلزَّانِىفَٱجْلِدُوا۟كُلَّوَٰحِدٍۢمِّنْهُمَامِا۟ئَةَجَلْدَةٍۢوَلَاتَأْخُذْكُمبِهِمَارَأْفَةٌۭفِىدِينِٱللَّهِإِنكُنتُمْتُؤْمِنُونَبِٱللَّهِوَٱلْيَوْمِٱلْءَاخِرِوَلْيَشْهَدْعَذَابَهُمَاطَآئِفَةٌۭمِّنَٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

AS FOR the adulteress and the adulterer flog each of them with a hundred stripes, and let not compassion with them keep you from [carrying out] this law of God, if you [truly] believe in God and the Last Day; and let a group of the believers witness their chastisement.

ٱلزَّانِىلَايَنكِحُإِلَّازَانِيَةًأَوْمُشْرِكَةًۭوَٱلزَّانِيَةُلَايَنكِحُهَآإِلَّازَانٍأَوْمُشْرِكٌۭوَحُرِّمَذَٰلِكَعَلَىٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

[Both are equally guilty:] the adulterer couples with none other than an adulteress - that is, a woman who accords [to her own lust] a place side by side with God; and with the adulteress couples none other than an adulterer - that is, a man who accords [to his own lust] a place side by side with God: and this is forbidden unto the believers.

وَٱلَّذِينَيَرْمُونَٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتِثُمَّلَمْيَأْتُوا۟بِأَرْبَعَةِشُهَدَآءَفَٱجْلِدُوهُمْثَمَٰنِينَجَلْدَةًۭوَلَاتَقْبَلُوا۟لَهُمْشَهَٰدَةًأَبَدًۭاوَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَهُمُٱلْفَٰسِقُونَ

And as for those who accuse chaste women [of adultery], and then are unable to produce four witnesses [in support of their accusation], flog them with eighty stripes and ever after refuse to accept from them any testimony - since it is they, they that are truly depraved!

إِلَّاٱلَّذِينَتَابُوا۟مِنۢبَعْدِذَٰلِكَوَأَصْلَحُوا۟فَإِنَّٱللَّهَغَفُورٌۭرَّحِيمٌۭ

excepting [from this interdict] only those who afterwards repent and made amends: for, behold, God is much forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

وَٱلَّذِينَيَرْمُونَأَزْوَٰجَهُمْوَلَمْيَكُنلَّهُمْشُهَدَآءُإِلَّآأَنفُسُهُمْفَشَهَٰدَةُأَحَدِهِمْأَرْبَعُشَهَٰدَٰتٍۭبِٱللَّهِإِنَّهُۥلَمِنَٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ

And as for those who accuse their own wives [of adultery], but have no witnesses except them­selves, let each of these [accusers] call God four times to witness that he is indeed telling the truth,

وَٱلْخَٰمِسَةُأَنَّلَعْنَتَٱللَّهِعَلَيْهِإِنكَانَمِنَٱلْكَٰذِبِينَ

and the fifth time, that God’s curse be upon him if he is telling a lie.

وَيَدْرَؤُا۟عَنْهَاٱلْعَذَابَأَنتَشْهَدَأَرْبَعَشَهَٰدَٰتٍۭبِٱللَّهِإِنَّهُۥلَمِنَٱلْكَٰذِبِينَ

But [as for the wife, all] chastisement shall be averted from her by her calling God four times to witness that he is indeed telling a lie,

وَٱلْخَٰمِسَةَأَنَّغَضَبَٱللَّهِعَلَيْهَآإِنكَانَمِنَٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ

and the fifth [time], that God’s curse be upon her if he is telling the truth,

وَلَوْلَافَضْلُٱللَّهِعَلَيْكُمْوَرَحْمَتُهُۥوَأَنَّٱللَّهَتَوَّابٌحَكِيمٌ

AND WERE it not for God’s favour upon you, [O man,] and His grace, and that God is a wise acceptor of repentance...!

إِنَّٱلَّذِينَجَآءُوبِٱلْإِفْكِعُصْبَةٌۭمِّنكُمْلَاتَحْسَبُوهُشَرًّۭالَّكُمبَلْهُوَخَيْرٌۭلَّكُمْلِكُلِّٱمْرِئٍۢمِّنْهُممَّاٱكْتَسَبَمِنَٱلْإِثْمِوَٱلَّذِىتَوَلَّىٰكِبْرَهُۥمِنْهُمْلَهُۥعَذَابٌعَظِيمٌۭ

Verily, numerous among you are those who would falsely accuse others of unchastity: [but, O you who are thus wronged,] deem it not a bad thing for you: nay, it is good for you! [As for the slanderers,] unto every one of them [will be accounted] all that he has earned by [thus] sinning; and awesome suffering awaits any of them who takes it upon himself to enhance this [sin]!

لَّوْلَآإِذْسَمِعْتُمُوهُظَنَّٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَوَٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتُبِأَنفُسِهِمْخَيْرًۭاوَقَالُوا۟هَٰذَآإِفْكٌۭمُّبِينٌۭ

Why do not the believing men and women, whenever such [a rumour] is heard, think the best of one another and say, “This is an obvious falsehood”?

لَّوْلَاجَآءُوعَلَيْهِبِأَرْبَعَةِشُهَدَآءَفَإِذْلَمْيَأْتُوا۟بِٱلشُّهَدَآءِفَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَعِندَٱللَّهِهُمُٱلْكَٰذِبُونَ

why do they not [demand of the accusers that they] their allegation? for, if they do not produce such wit­nesses, it is those [accusers] who, in the sight of God, are liars indeed!

وَلَوْلَافَضْلُٱللَّهِعَلَيْكُمْوَرَحْمَتُهُۥفِىٱلدُّنْيَاوَٱلْءَاخِرَةِلَمَسَّكُمْفِىمَآأَفَضْتُمْفِيهِعَذَابٌعَظِيمٌ

And were it not for God’s favour upon you, [O men,] and His grace in this world and in the life to come, awesome suffering would indeed have afflicted you in result of all [the calumny] in which you indulge

إِذْتَلَقَّوْنَهُۥبِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْوَتَقُولُونَبِأَفْوَاهِكُممَّالَيْسَلَكُمبِهِۦعِلْمٌۭوَتَحْسَبُونَهُۥهَيِّنًۭاوَهُوَعِندَٱللَّهِعَظِيمٌۭ

when you take it up with your tongues, uttering with your mouths something of which you have no knowledge, and deeming it a light matter whereas in the sight of God it is an awful thing!

وَلَوْلَآإِذْسَمِعْتُمُوهُقُلْتُممَّايَكُونُلَنَآأَننَّتَكَلَّمَبِهَٰذَاسُبْحَٰنَكَهَٰذَابُهْتَٰنٌعَظِيمٌۭ

And [once again]: Why do you not say, whenever you hear such [a rumour], “It does not behove us to speak of this, O Thou who art limitless in Thy glory: this is an awesome calumny”?

يَعِظُكُمُٱللَّهُأَنتَعُودُوا۟لِمِثْلِهِۦٓأَبَدًاإِنكُنتُممُّؤْمِنِينَ

God admonishes you [hereby] lest you ever revert to the like of this [sin], if you are [truly] believers;

وَيُبَيِّنُٱللَّهُلَكُمُٱلْءَايَٰتِوَٱللَّهُعَلِيمٌحَكِيمٌ

for God makes [His] messages clear unto you - and God is all-knowing, Wise!

إِنَّٱلَّذِينَيُحِبُّونَأَنتَشِيعَٱلْفَٰحِشَةُفِىٱلَّذِينَءَامَنُوا۟لَهُمْعَذَابٌأَلِيمٌۭفِىٱلدُّنْيَاوَٱلْءَاخِرَةِوَٱللَّهُيَعْلَمُوَأَنتُمْلَاتَعْلَمُونَ

Verily, as for those who like [to hear] foul slander spread against [any of] those who have attained to faith grievous suffering awaits them in this world and in the life to come: for God knows [the full truth], whereas you know [it] not.

وَلَوْلَافَضْلُٱللَّهِعَلَيْكُمْوَرَحْمَتُهُۥوَأَنَّٱللَّهَرَءُوفٌۭرَّحِيمٌۭ

And were it not for God’s favour upon you and His grace, and that God is compassionate, a dispenser of grace...!