Surah 24. An-Nur

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"?¹⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

The interjection subhanaka ("O Thou who art limitless in Thy glory") stresses here the believer's moral duty to bethink himself of God whenever he is tempted to listen to, or to repeat, a calumny (since every such rumour must be considered a calumny unless its truth is legally proved).

Why did you not, when you heard about it, say: "It is not befitting for us to talk about it, God forbid! This is a monstrous slander?"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Wherefore, when ye heard it, said ye not: It is not for us to speak of this. Glory be to Thee (O Allah); This is awful calumny.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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

  - Mohammad Asad

Allah admonishes you never to repeat a mistake like this, if you are true believers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Allah admonisheth you that ye repeat not the like thereof ever, if ye are (in truth) believers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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

  - Mohammad Asad

Allah has made His revelations clear to you, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And He expoundeth unto you His revelations. Allah is Knower, Wise.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Verily, as for those who like [to hear] foul slander²⁰ spreadagainst [any of] those who have attained to faith-grievous suffering awaits them in this world ²¹ and in the life to come: for God knows [the full truth], whereas you know [it] not.²²

  - Mohammad Asad

The term fahishah signifies anything that is morally reprehensible or abominable: hence, "immoral conduct" in the widest sense of this expression. In the above context it refers to unfounded or unproven allegations of immoral conduct, in other words, "foul slander".

I.e., the legal punishment as stipulated in verse {4} of this surah.

This Qur~anic warning against slander and, by obvious implication, against any attempt at seeking out other people’s faults finds a clear echo in several well-authenticated sayings of the Prophet: "Beware of all guesswork [about one another], for, behold, all [such] guesswork is most deceptive (akdhab al-hadith); and do not spy upon one another, and do not try to bare [other people’s] failings" (Muwatta’; almost identical versions of this Tradition have been quoted by Bukhari, Muslim and Abu Da’ud); "Do not hurt those who have surrendered themselves to God (al-muslimin), and do not impute evil to them, and do not try to uncover their nakedness [i.e., their faults]: for, behold, if anyone tries to uncover his brother’s nakedness, God will uncover his own nakedness [on the Day of Judgment]" (Tirmidhi); and, "Never does a believer draw a veil over the nakedness of another believer without God’s drawing a veil over his own nakedness on Resurrection Day" (Bukhari). All these injunctions have received their seal, as it were, in the Qur~anic exhortation: "Avoid most guesswork [about one another] - for, behold, some of [such] guesswork is [in itself] a sin" ( 49:12 ).

Those who love to broadcast such slanders among the believers will have a painful punishment in this life and in the Hereafter. Allah knows and you do not know.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! those who love that slander should be spread concerning those who believe, theirs will be a painful punishment in the world and the Hereafter. Allah knoweth. Ye know not.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And were it not for God's favour upon you and His grace, and that God is compasionate, a dispenser of grace...!²³

  - Mohammad Asad

See verse {10} of this surah and the corresponding note [11].

Were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah towards you, this scandal would have produced very bad results for you. Allah is indeed very Kind, most Merciful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you, and that Allah is Clement, Merciful, (ye had been undone).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

O YOU who have attained to faith! Follow not Satan's footsteps: for he who follows Satan's footsteps [will find that], behold, he enjoins but deeds of abomination and all that runs counter to reason.²⁴ And were it not for God's favour upon you and His grace, not one of you would ever have remained pure. For [thus it is:] it is God who causes whomever He wills to grow in purity: for God is all-hearing, all-knowing.

  - Mohammad Asad

In this context, the term al-munkar has apparently the same meaning as in 16:90 (explained in the corresponding note [109]) since, as the sequence shows, it clearly relates to the unreasonable self-righteousness of so many people who "follow Satan’s footsteps" by imputing moral failings to others and forgetting that it is only due to God’s grace that man, in his inborn weakness, can ever remain pure.

O believers! Do not follow the footsteps of Shaitan: because anyone who follows the footsteps of Shaitan is seduced by him to commit acts of indecency and wickedness. If there had not been the grace and mercy of Allah upon you, none of you would have ever been purified from that sin, for it is Allah Alone Who purifies whom He pleases, and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O ye who believe! Follow not the footsteps of the devil. Unto whomsoever followeth the footsteps of the devil, lo! he commandeth filthiness and wrong. Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you, not one of you would ever have grown pure. But Allah causeth whom He will to grow. And Allah is Hearer, Knower.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Hence, [even if they have been wronged by slander,] let not those of you who have been graced with [God's] favour and ease of life ever become remiss in helping²⁵ [the erring ones among] their near of kin, and the needy, and those who have forsaken the domain of evil for the sake of God,²⁶ but let them pardon and forbear. [For,] do you not desire that God should forgive you your sins, seeing that God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace?²⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

Or: "Swear that [henceforth] they would not help [lit., "give to"] .. .", etc. Both these meanings - "he swore [that]" and "he became remiss [in]" - are attributable to the verb ala, which appears in the above sentence in the form ya’tal. My rendering is based on the interpretation given to this verb by the great philologist Abu Ubayd al-Qasim al-Harawi (cf. Lane I, 84).

For an explanation of this rendering of the designation al-muhajirun (or, in other places, alladhina hajaru). see surah {2}, note [203].

It is generally assumed that this verse refers to Abu Bakr, who swore that he would never again help his poor relative, the muhajir Mistah (whom he used to support until then) after the latter had taken part in slandering Abu Bakr's daughter, 'A'ishah (see note [12] above). There is no doubt that this assumption of the commentators is well-founded, but there is also no doubt that the ethical purport of the above verse is timeless and, therefore, independent of the fact or facts with which it appears to be historically linked. (This view finds additional support in the use of the plural form throughout the above passage.) The call to "pardon and forbear" is fully consonant with the Qur'anic principle of countering evil with good (see 13:22 and the corresponding note [44]).

Let not those among you who are endowed with grace and amplitude of means swear to withhold their help from their relatives, the indigent and those who left their homes for the cause of Allah - rather let them forgive and overlook - do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And let not those who possess dignity and ease among you swear not to give to the near of kin and to the needy, and to fugitives for the cause of Allah. Let them forgive and show indulgence. Yearn ye not that Allah may forgive you? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[But,] verily, those who [falsely, and without repentance,²⁸ ] accuse chaste women who may have been unthinkingly careless but have remained true to their faith,²⁹ shall be rejected [from God's grace] in this world as well as in the life to come: and awesome suffering awaits them

  - Mohammad Asad

According to Razi, the absence of repentance is incontrovertibly implied in the condemnation expressed in the sequence, since the Qur'an makes it clear in many places that God always accepts a sinner's sincere repentance.

Lit., "chaste, unmindful [or "careless"] believing women", i.e., virtuous women who thoughtlessly expose themselves to situations on which a slanderous construction may be put.

Those who accuse chaste but careless believing women are cursed in this life, and in the Hereafter they shall have a grievous punishment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! as for those who traduce virtuous, believing women (who are) careless, cursed are they in the world and the Hereafter. Theirs will be an awful doom.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

on the Day when their own tongues and hands and feet will bear witness against them by [recalling] all that they did!

  - Mohammad Asad

Such people should not forget that Day when their own tongues, their own hands and their own feet will testify against their misdeeds.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

On the day when their tongues and their hands and their feet testify against them as to what they used to do,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

On that day will God pay them in full their just due, and they will come to know that God alone is the Ultimate Truth, manifest, and manifesting [the true nature of all that has ever been done].³⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

Regarding the double meaning ("manifest" and "manifesting") inherent in the adjective mubin, see note [2] on 12:1 ; for my rendering of God's attribute al-haqq as "the Ultimate Truth", see note [99] on 20:114 . In this particular instance, the active form of mubin ("manifesting") apparently relates to God's revelation, on Judgement Day, of the true nature of man's actions and, thus, of the enormity of the sin to which this passage refers.

On that Day, Allah will give them the full reward they deserve, then they will realize that Allah is the One Who manifests the Truth.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

On that day Allah will pay them their just due, and they will know that Allah, He is the Manifest Truth.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[In the nature of things,] corrupt women are for corrupt men, and corrupt men, for corrupt women - just as good women are for good men, and good men, for good women. [Since God is aware that] these are innocent of all that evil tongues may impute to them,³¹ forgiveness of sins shall be theirs, and a mr`~t excellent cilstenance!³²

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "innocent of all that they [i.e., the slanderers] may say".

See note [5] on 8:4 . The reference, in this context, to God's "forgiveness of sins" (maghfirah) is obviously meant to stress the innate weakness of man's nature, which makes him prone to sinning, however good and pure he may be (cf. 4:28 ).

Unclean women are for unclean men, and unclean men are for unclean women; and pure women are for pure men, and pure men are for pure women. They are free from the slanderer's accusations; for them there shall be forgiveness and honorable provision from Allah.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Vile women are for vile men, and vile men for vile women. Good women are for good men, and good men for good women; such are innocent of that which people say: For them is pardon and a bountiful provision.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

O YOU who have attained to faith! Do not enter houses other than your own unless you have obtained permission and greeted their inmates. This is [enjoyed by you] for your own good, so that you might bear [your mutual rights] in mind.³³

  - Mohammad Asad

This categorical prohibition connects with the preceding passages inasmuch as it serves as an additional protection of individuals against possible slander. In its wider purport, it postulates the inviolability of each person's home and private life. (For the socio-political implications of this principle, see State and Government in Islam, pp. 84 ff.)

O believers! Do not enter houses other than your own until you have sought permission and said greetings of peace to the occupants; this is better for you, so that you may be mindful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O ye who believe! Enter not houses other than your own without first announcing your presence and invoking peace upon the folk thereof. That is better for you, that ye may be heedful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Hence, [even] if you find no one within [the house], do not enter it until you are given leave;³⁴ and if you are told, "Turn back," then turn back. This will be most conducive to your purity; and God has full knowledge of all that you do.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., by the rightful owner or caretaker.

If you do not find the person you wanted to see, then do not enter until permission is given to you; and if you are asked to go back, then go back; this is more fitting for you; and Allah is cognizant of what you do.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And if ye find no one therein, still enter not until permission hath been given. And if it be said unto you: Go away again, then go away, for it is purer for you. Allah knoweth what ye do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[On the other hand,] you will incur no sin if you [freely] enter houses not intended for living in but serving a purpose useful to you:³⁵ but [always remember that] God knows all that you do openly, and all that you would conceal.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "uninhabited houses wherein there are things of use (mata') for you". In the consensus of all the authorities, including the Companions of the Prophet, this relates to buildings or premises of a more or less public nature, like inns, shops, administrative offices, public baths, etc., as well as to ancient ruins.

There is no blame on you if you enter houses which are not used for dwelling and in which you have something belonging to you; and Allah knows what you reveal and what you conceal.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

(It is) no sin for you to enter uninhabited houses wherein is comfort for you. Allah knoweth what ye proclaim and what ye hide.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

TELL the believing men to lower their gaze and to be mindful of their chastity:³⁶ this will be most con-ducive to their purity- [and,] verily, God is aware of all that they do.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "to restrain [something] of their gaze and to guard their private parts". The latter expression may be understood both in the literal sense of "covering one's private parts" - i.e., modesty in dress - as well as in the metonymical sense of "restraining one's sexual urges", i.e., restricting them to what is lawful, namely, marital intercourse (cf. {23:5-6}). The rendering adopted by me in this instance allows for both interpretations. The "lowering of one's gaze", too, relates both to physical and to emotional modesty (Razi).

Enjoin the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that is chaster for them. Surely Allah is well aware of their actions.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is purer for them. Lo! Allah is Aware of what they do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall