Surah An-Nur English Translation & Transliteration

¹This is a surah that We have sent down and made obligatory, in which We have made known many definitive rulings, and which We have set out in detail so that you may reflect and take heed.

²Give each of the woman and the man who commit unlawful sexual intercourse (zina) a hundred strokes. If you believe in Allah and the Last Day, do not let any feeling of pity for them keep you from carrying out the rulings of Allah's religion. And let a group of the believers witness the punishment given to them.

³A man guilty of zina may marry only a woman guilty of zina or a woman who associates partners with Allah. And a woman guilty of zina may marry only a man guilty of zina or a man who associates partners with Allah. Such a marriage has been forbidden to the believers.

⁴As for those who accuse chaste women of zina and cannot prove it with four witnesses, give them eighty strokes and never accept their testimony, for they are transgressors who have strayed from the path.

⁵Except for those who repent after this and set themselves right. There is no doubt that Allah is most forgiving and most merciful.

⁶When husbands accuse their wives of zina and have no witnesses other than themselves, such a husband must swear by Allah four times that he is telling the truth.

⁷And the fifth time the husband must say: "May Allah's curse be upon me if I am lying."

⁸And if the wife swears by Allah four times that her husband is lying, she is spared the punishment.

⁹And the fifth time the wife must say: "May Allah's wrath be upon me if my husband is telling the truth."

¹⁰Were it not for Allah's grace and mercy toward you in this way, how would things have been with you? But Allah readily accepts repentance and does everything in its proper place.

¹¹The truth is that those who devised that slander are a group from among you. But do not regard it as something bad for you; on the contrary, it has turned out to be good for you. Each of them will have a punishment in proportion to the sin he has earned. As for the ringleader of this affair, a terrible punishment awaits him.

¹²Yet when you heard this slander, should you not, as believing men and believing women, have thought well of one another and said, "This is an obvious slander"?

¹³And should not those who made this slander have brought four witnesses? Since they did not bring the witnesses, they are liars in Allah's sight.

¹⁴Were it not for Allah's grace and mercy upon you in this world and the Hereafter, a terrible punishment would have struck you for being swept along by this gossip.

¹⁵For you were passing this slander from tongue to tongue and talking loosely about something of which you had no knowledge, thinking it a trivial matter. Yet in Allah's sight it is a very grave sin.

¹⁶Yes, as soon as you heard this slander, should you not have said: "It is not fitting for us to speak of such things. Far be it! This is a monstrous slander"?

¹⁷Since you are believers, Allah admonishes you never to become involved in such a thing again.

¹⁸And Allah makes His rulings clear to you. Allah knows all things and judges rightly.

¹⁹For those who like indecency to spread among those who believe there is a painful punishment in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah knows everyone's intentions and thoughts, but you do not.

²⁰And were it not for Allah's grace and mercy upon you, and His treating you with compassion and mercy, how would things have been with you?

²¹O you who believe, do not follow in Satan's footsteps. Whoever follows in Satan's footsteps, let him know well that he commands only what is ugly and evil. Were it not for Allah's grace and mercy upon you, none of you would ever be cleansed of his sins. But Allah cleanses whoever deserves it. For Allah hears all and knows everyone's intentions.

²²Let not those among you who are well-off and generous swear not to help their relatives, the needy, and those who have left their homes in Allah's way. Would you not like Allah to forgive you? Then let them too forgive and overlook. For Allah is matchless in forgiveness and an infinite source of mercy.

²³Those who slander innocent, unsuspecting believing women who live chastely are cursed in this world and the Hereafter, and for them there is a terrible punishment.

²⁴On that day their tongues, their hands, and their feet will bear witness against them for what they have done.

²⁵On that day Allah will give them in full the punishment they deserve, and they will come to know plainly that Allah is the evident Truth.

²⁶Bad women are suited to bad men, and bad men to bad women. Good women are worthy of good men, and good men of good women. These pure people are free of the slanders the others utter. For them there is forgiveness and abundant blessing.

²⁷—O you who believe! Do not enter houses other than your own without first asking the owner's permission and greeting the household. If you think about it, doing so is to your own benefit.

²⁸If you find no one there, do not enter until you are given permission. And if you are told, "Go back," then go back at once. That is more decent for you. Allah knows with what intention you act.

²⁹There is no blame on you in entering uninhabited houses in which there are belongings of yours. Allah knows what you disclose and what you conceal.

³⁰Tell the believing men to lower their gaze from what is forbidden and to guard their chastity and honor. That is purest for them. Surely Allah is aware of what they do.

³¹And tell the believing women too to lower their gaze from what is forbidden and to guard their chastity and honor. Let them not display the places of their adornment, except what necessarily shows; let them draw their head coverings down over their breasts and necklines, and not show their charms and beauty to anyone except their husbands, their fathers, their fathers-in-law, their own sons, their stepsons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, believing women, those they possess, male servants who have no need of women, or young children who have not yet developed any desire for women. And let them not stamp their feet on the ground while walking to make their adornments known. O believers, repent of the mistakes you have made, so that you may attain salvation.

³²Marry off the single among you, and those of your captives who are in good standing. If they are poor, let them know that Allah will enrich them out of His grace and generosity. Allah's grace and bounty are vast; He knows who is in what condition.

³³Let those who cannot find the material means to marry guard their chastity and honor until Allah enriches them from His grace. If any of those under your protection wish to make a contract with you to gain their freedom by paying a price, make such a contract with them if you see this ability in them, and give them from the means Allah has granted you. If they wish to remain chaste, do not cause them to rebel against you by forcing them into marriage in order to make worldly gain from them. Whoever gives up forcing them, Allah will treat them with pardon and forgiveness.

³⁴Indeed, We have sent down to you clear verses/rulings, many examples concerning those who came and went before you, and admonitions for those who wish to guard themselves and stay protected.

³⁵Allah is the source of the light of the heavens and the earth. The symbol of His light is a niche in a wall with a lamp in it; the lamp is in a crystal glass; the glass is like a star shining like a pearl; its fuel comes from a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost give light even if no fire touched it. Light upon light. Allah brings to that light whoever chooses that light. And Allah gives people such examples to explain the truths. For Allah knows all things in all their dimensions.

³⁶(This light) shines in houses/mosques in which Allah has permitted that He be exalted, that His name be remembered, and that the greatness of His glory be proclaimed morning and evening.

³⁷There are men of such mettle that neither trade nor buying and selling can distract them from the remembrance of Allah/the Quran, from performing the prayer, or from giving zakat. For they fear a day on which eyes and hearts will be turned upside down with fear.

³⁸And Allah will reward them according to the best of what they did, and give them more and more from His presence. Allah grants boundless reward to those who act as they should.

³⁹As for the disbelievers who cover up the truth, their good deeds are like a mirage in the desert: the one parched with thirst thinks it is water, but when he reaches it he finds nothing; he finds only Allah there beside him, and He settles his account in full. For Allah is swift in reckoning.

⁴⁰Or their deeds are like the dense darkness in the depths of the ocean, covered by wave upon wave, with black clouds settled over them: utter pitch darkness, so that if a person stretches out his hand, he can scarcely see even his own hand. Indeed, whoever has not been illumined by Allah's light, the Quran, cannot escape the darkness and reach the light.

⁴¹Do you not see that the beings in the heavens and on the earth, and the birds flying in rows, proclaim Allah's supreme power? Indeed, each of them knows how to implore Him and to move in accordance with the law He has laid down. And Allah knows very well what they do.

⁴²For the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah, and in the end the return is to Allah.

⁴³And do you not see how Allah drives the clouds, then joins them together and makes them dense, and piles them up into heaps? Then you see rain falling from between those clouds. And from cloud masses like mountains He sends down hail, striking with it whomever He wills and keeping it away from whomever He wills. The flash from the lightning of the clouds almost blinds the eyes.

⁴⁴Allah keeps turning the night and the day, one after the other. Surely in this there is a lesson for those who have insight.

⁴⁵Allah created every living creature from water. Some of them crawl on their bellies, some walk on two feet, and some walk on four; for Allah creates as He wills. There is no doubt that Allah sets a measure for all things.

⁴⁶Indeed, We have sent down verses that make the truth plain. For Allah guides to the straight path, through these verses, whoever wishes.

⁴⁷Some say, "We have believed in Allah and His Messenger, who conveys His messages, and we have obeyed"; then a group of them go back on their word. These are not believers.

⁴⁸Indeed, when such people are called before the Messenger so that judgment may be given between them according to Allah's Book, a group of them at once turn away.

⁴⁹But if the right is on their side, they come running to the Messenger with an air of submission.

⁵⁰Is there sickness in their hearts, or do they doubt your messengership, or do they fear that Allah and His Messenger, who conveys His messages, will wrong them? No, in fact it is they who persist in error and do wrong!

⁵¹But when the true believers are called before the Messenger so that he may judge between them in accordance with Allah's Book, they say: "We have heard and we have obeyed." It is they who attain salvation.

⁵²Whoever obeys Allah, and therefore His Messenger who conveys His messages, and holds Allah in deep reverence and guards himself, it is they who achieve true success.

⁵³They swear oath upon oath that if you were to give them the order, they would go to war. Say: —Stop swearing; do what you must do and obey the command, for Allah is aware of everything you do!

⁵⁴Say: —Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger who conveys His messages. If you turn away and do not obey, know that he is responsible for his own duty, and you are responsible for the duty laid upon you. If you obey him, you will be on the right path; for the Messenger's duty is only to convey the divine message clearly.

⁵⁵Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good and beneficial deeds that, just as He gave power and authority to those before them, He will make them rulers in their land, strengthen the religion He has chosen and approved for them, and, after periods spent in fear and anxiety, bring them to a life full of security and peace. For they serve Allah alone and associate nothing with Him. Whoever after this is ungrateful and sinks into disbelief, they are the transgressors who have strayed from the path.

⁵⁶Perform the prayer properly, give zakat, and keep obeying the Messenger who conveys Allah's messages, so that you may receive Allah's mercy!

⁵⁷Do not think that the disbelievers who cover up the truth will escape Allah's punishment in this world. In the end they will arrive at the Fire; what an evil final destination it is!

⁵⁸—O you who believe! Let those under your authority, and the members of your household who have not yet reached puberty, ask your permission before coming in to you at these three times of day: before the dawn prayer, at midday when you take off your clothes, and after the night prayer. For these three times are times of privacy for you. Outside these times there is no blame on you or on them in coming and going without permission, for they are people with whom you must live together. Thus does Allah make His rulings clear; for Allah knows all things and judges accordingly.

⁵⁹When your children reach puberty, let them always ask permission when coming in to you, just as their elders ask permission. Thus does Allah make His rulings clear to you. Allah knows all things and judges accordingly.

⁶⁰And there is no blame on elderly women who no longer hope for marriage if they leave off some of their outer garments when going out, provided they do not display themselves immodestly; but it is better for them to act modestly. Allah hears all and knows all.

⁶¹There is no blame on the blind, the lame, or the sick in eating with you. And there is no blame on you in eating together or separately in your own children's houses, or your fathers' houses, or your mothers' houses, or your brothers' houses, or your sisters' houses, or your paternal uncles' houses, or your paternal aunts' houses, or your maternal uncles' houses, or your maternal aunts' houses, or houses whose keys you hold, or your close friends' houses. But when you enter houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allah, a wish for peace, blessing, and goodness. Thus does Allah make His rulings clear, so that perhaps you will reflect as you should.

⁶²The true believers are only those who believe and trust in Allah and His Messenger, who conveys His messages, and who, when they are gathered with him to discuss a public matter, do not go away without asking his permission. O Messenger, those who ask your permission before leaving are the ones who believe and trust in Allah and His Messenger. When they ask your permission for some business of theirs, give permission to whomever you see fit and ask Allah's forgiveness for them! For Allah is matchless in forgiveness and an infinite source of mercy.

⁶³Do not treat the Messenger's call as you treat the calls you make to one another among yourselves. Surely Allah knows very well those among you who slip away secretly. So let those who act against His command beware lest some calamity befall them in this world or a painful punishment strike them in the Hereafter.

⁶⁴Know well that whatever is in the heavens and on the earth belongs to Allah. He certainly knows what state you are in. A day will come when everyone will be brought before Him to give account. Then He will inform them one by one of what they did. For Allah knows all things.