Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 1–7

24. An-Noor · The Light

Madinan64 verses

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

سُورَةٌ أَنزَلْنَٰهَا وَفَرَضْنَٰهَا وَأَنزَلْنَا فِيهَآ ءَايَٰتٍۭ بَيِّنَٰتٍۢ لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

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

ٱلزَّانِيَةُ وَٱلزَّانِى فَٱجْلِدُوا۟ كُلَّ وَٰحِدٍۢ مِّنْهُمَا مِا۟ئَةَ جَلْدَةٍۢ ۖ وَلَا تَأْخُذْكُم بِهِمَا رَأْفَةٌۭ فِى دِينِ ٱللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ ۖ وَلْيَشْهَدْ عَذَابَهُمَا طَآئِفَةٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

24:2As 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.2

ٱلزَّانِى لَا يَنكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةًۭ وَٱلزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنكِحُهَآ إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌۭ ۚ وَحُرِّمَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

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

وَٱلَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ ٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَأْتُوا۟ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَ فَٱجْلِدُوهُمْ ثَمَٰنِينَ جَلْدَةًۭ وَلَا تَقْبَلُوا۟ لَهُمْ شَهَٰدَةً أَبَدًۭا ۚ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْفَٰسِقُونَ

24:4As for those who accuse chaste women and do not bring four witnesses, strike them eighty lashes, and never accept any testimony from them after that, and they are transgressors,3

إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ تَابُوا۟ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ

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

وَٱلَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَٰجَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُمْ شُهَدَآءُ إِلَّآ أَنفُسُهُمْ فَشَهَٰدَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ أَرْبَعُ شَهَٰدَٰتٍۭ بِٱللَّهِ ۙ إِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ

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

وَٱلْخَٰمِسَةُ أَنَّ لَعْنَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِن كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْكَٰذِبِينَ

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

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 2

1.Islam is the religion of chastity and virtue. Islam has not advocated any kind of favour in this question. It stresses investigation of the question and its evidence. But after proving the crime, Islam does not show any favour but wants to bring punishment in public view so that the result of one who destroys the reputation of others would come in the notice of other people and others can take a lesson from it and as a result, the community can take a lesson.

Verse 3

2.This is not a law but a warning and an example: Who will be fond of a fornicator man except a fornicator woman and the same way who wilt be the friend of fornicator woman except a fornicator man? Or only a polytheist can take a step because polytheism itself is not less than evil itself. And when it is proved, then be careful! Do not be an adulterer as your pleasure would attract you towards an adulterer woman or rather the pleasure of fornication of a woman would submit her to the fornicator man. Nobody can then hope of sincerity from them.

Verse 4

3.This attitude is interpreted by such virtues and its punishment is also very severe whether this work is accomplished by man or woman.

Verse 6

4.This deed is called a curse where husband blames his wife and then both swear and escape from punishment and the link of marriage is ruined and a wife becomes unlawful for him forever.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. Benefit

    Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) has said: Protect your wealth and the chastity of your women by the recitation of Surah Nur. The effect of reciting this Surah daily is that no family member indulges in sinful deeds.

  2. 1

    The special characteristic of this Surah is that its commands have been enjoined as obligations. They are accorded great importance. The problem of honour and reputation are solved therein and arrangement is made for its protection. That is why probably that the Surah is called Surah Nur.

  3. 2

    Apparently this law is applicable to all adulterers, men or women. But in traditions it is limited to unmarried people. That is, if men or women are married and can establish legal sexual relationships, but in spite of it they indulge in adultery, they should not be lashed. Rather they should be stoned to death.

  4. 3

    Here ‘Mohsinaat’ denotes chaste women whether they are married or unmarried otherwise stoning is for those who have husbands that can fulfill their sexual urge yet they indulge in fornication. Similarly ‘Mohsin’ are the married men who indulge in adultery.

  5. Benefit

    Regarding the penalties there is a tradition from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) that the judge who reduces one lash will be asked: How come you are more merciful than Us? And one who gives a lash more shall be asked: How come you are more wise than Us?