Surah 24. An-Nur

A SURAH [is this] which We have bestowed from on high, and which We have laid down in plain terms;¹ and in it have We bestowed from on high messages which are clear [in themselves], so that you might keep [them] in mind.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., "the injunctions whereof We have made self-evident by virtue of their wording": thus, according to Bukhari (Kitab at-Tafsir), ~Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas explains the expression faradnaha in this context (cf. Fath al-Bari VIII, 361). The same explanation, also on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas is advanced by Tabari. It would seem that the special stress on God’s having laid down this surah "in plain terms" is connected with the gravity of the injunctions spelt out in the sequence: in other words, it implies a solemn warning against any attempt at widening or re-defining those injunctions by means of deductions, inferences or any other considerations unconnected with the plain wording of the Qur'an.

This is a Surah which We have revealed and made obligatory; its revelations contain clear verses, so that you may take heed.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

(Here is) a Surah which We have revealed and enjoined, and wherein We have revealed plain tokens, that haply we may take heed.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AS FOR the adulteress and the adulterer² - flog each of them with a hundred stripes, and let not com-passion 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 chastisement³

  - Mohammad Asad

The term zina signifies voluntary sexual intercourse between a man and a woman not married to one another, irrespective of whether one or both of them are married to other persons or not: hence, it does not - in contrast with the usage prevalent in most Western languages - differentiate between the concepts of "adultery" (i.e., sexual intercourse of a married man with a woman other than his wife, or of a married woman with a man other than her husband) and "fornication" (i.e., sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons). For the sake of simplicity I am rendering zina throughout as "adultery", and the person guilty of it as "adulterer" or "adulteress", respectively.

The number of those to be present has been deliberately left unspecified, thus indicating that while the punishment must be given publicity, it need not be made a "public spectacle".

As for the fornicatoress and the fornicator (a female and a male guilty of rape), flog each female and a male guilty of rape one hundred lashes and do not take pity in enforcing the law ordained by Allah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day, and let a party of the believers witness their punishment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

The adulterer and the adulteress, scourge ye each one of them (with) a hundred stripes. And let not pity for the twain withhold you from obedience to Allah, if ye believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a party of believers witness their punishment.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[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;⁴ 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.⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

The term mushrik (fem. mushrikah), which normally signifies a person who associates in his or her mind all manner of imaginary deities or forces with God, or who believes that any created being has a share in His qualities or powers, is here evidently used in the widest metaphorical sense of this term, denoting one who accords to his or her desires a supremacy which is due to God alone, and thus blasphemes against the principles of ethics and morality enjoined by Him. The particle aw (lit., "or") which connects the word mushrikah with the preceding word zaniyah ("adulteress") has in this context - as well as in the next clause, where both these terms appear in their masculine form - an amplifying, explanatory value equivalent to the expression "in other words" or "that is", similar to the use of this particle in 23:6 . For a further elucidation of the above passage, see next note.

Some of the commentators understand this passage in the sense of an injunction: "The adulterer shall not marry any but an adulteress or a mushrikah; and as for the adulteress, none shall marry her but an adulterer or a mushrik." This interpretation is objectionable on several counts: firstly, the Qur'an does not ever countenance the marriage of a believer, however great a sin he or she may have committed, with an unbeliever (in the most pejorative sense of this term) secondly, it is a fundamental principle of Islamic Law that once a crime has been expiated by the transgressor's undergoing the ordained legal punishment (in this case, a hundred stripes), it must be regarded, insofar as the society is concerned, as atoned for and done with; and, lastly, the construction of the above passage is clearly that of a statement of fact (Razi), and cannot be interpreted as an injunction. On the other hand, since adultery is an illicit sexual union, the verb yankihu, which appears twice in this passage, cannot have the customary, specific meaning of "he marries" but must, rather, be understood in its general sense - applicable to both lawful and unlawful sexual intercourse - namely, "he couples with". It is in this sense that the great commentator Abu Muslim (as quoted by Razi) explains the above verse, which stresses the fact that both partners are equally guilty inasmuch as they commit their sin consciously - implying that neither of them can excuse himself or herself on the ground of having been merely "seduced".

The fornicator shall not marry any but a fornicatoress or a mushrik, and likewise to a fornicatoress, none shall marry her but a fornicator or a mushrik: such marriages are forbidden to the believers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

The adulterer shall not marry save an adulteress or an idolatress, and the adulteress none shall marry save an adulterer or an idolater. All that is forbidden unto believers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And as for those who accuse chaste women [of adultery],⁶ and then are unable to produce four wit-nesses [in support of their accusation], flog them with eiphty stripes;⁷ and ever after refuse to accept from them any testimony-since it is they, they that are truly depraved"-

  - Mohammad Asad

The term muhsanat denotes literally "women who are fortified [against unchastity]", i.e., by marriage and or faith and self-respect, implying that, from a legal point of view, every woman must be considered chaste unless a conclusive proof to the contrary is produced. (This passage relates to women other than the accuser's own wife, for in the latter case - as shown in verses {6-9} - the law of evidence and the consequences are different.

By obvious implication, this injunction applies also to cases where a woman accuses a man of illicit sexual intercourse, and is subsequently unable to prove her accusation legally. The severity of the punishment to be meted out in such cases, as well as the requirement of four witnesses - instead of the two that Islamic Law regards as sufficient in all other criminal and civil suits - is based on the imperative necessity of preventing slander and off-hand accusations. As laid down in several authentic sayings of the Prophet, the evidence of the four witnesses must be direct, and not merely circumstantial: in other words, it is not sufficient for them to have witnessed a situation which made it evident that sexual intercourse was taking or had taken place: they must have witnessed the sexual act as such, and must be able to prove this to the entire satisfaction of the judicial authority (Razi, summing up the views of the greatest exponents of Islamic Law). Since such a complete evidence is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to obtain, it is obvious that the purpose of the above Qur'anic injunction is to preclude, in practice, all third-party accusations relating to illicit sexual intercourse - for, "man has been created weak" ({4: 28}) - and to make a proof of adultery dependent on a voluntary, faith-inspired confession of the guilty parties themselves.

Those who accuse a chaste woman of fornication and do not produce four witnesses to support their allegation, shall be flogged with eighty lashes and their testimony shall not be accepted ever after, for they are the ones who are wicked transgressors

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And those who accuse honorable women but bring not four witnesses, scourge them (with) eighty stripes and never (afterward) accept their testimony--They indeed are evildoers--

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

excepting [from this interdict] only those who afterwards repent and made amends:⁸ for, behold, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., who publicly withdraw their accusation after having suffered the punishment of flogging - which, being a legal right of the wrongly accused person, cannot be obviated by mere repentance and admission of guilt. Thus, the above-mentioned exemption relates only to the interdict on giving testimony and not to the punishment by flogging.

- except those who repent thereafter and mend their conduct; for Allah is surely Forgiving, Merciful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Save those who afterward repent and make amends. (For such) lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And as for those who accuse their own wives [of adultery], but have no witnesses except them-selves, let each of these [accusers] call God four times to witness⁹ that he is indeed telling the truth,

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "then the testimony of any of these shall be four testimonies [or "solemn affirmations"] before God".

Those men who accuse their own wives but have no witness except themselves, each one of them shall be made to swear four times by Allah that his charge is true,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

As for those who accuse their wives but have no witnesses except themselves; let the testimony of one of them be four testimonies, (swearing) by Allah that he is of those who speak the truth;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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

  - Mohammad Asad

and the fifth time calling down upon himself the curse of Allah if he is lying.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And yet a fifth, invoking the curse of Allah on him if he is of those who lie.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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,

  - Mohammad Asad

As for the wife, the punishment shall be averted from her if she swears four times by Allah that his (her husband's) charge is false

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And it shall avert the punishment from her if she bear witness before Allah four times that the thing he saith is indeed false,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and the fifth [time], that God's curse be upon her if he is telling the truth.¹⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

Thus, the husband's accusation is to be regarded as proven if the wife refuses to take an oath to the contrary, and disproved if she solemnly sets her word against his. Inasmuch as this procedure, which is called li'an ("oath of condemnation"), leaves the question of guilt legally undecided, both parties are absolved of all the legal consequences otherwise attending upon adultery - resp. an unproven accusation of adultery - the only consequence being a mandatory divorce.

and the fifth time calls down the wrath of Allah on herself if his charge is true.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And a fifth (time) that the wrath of Allah be upon her if he speaketh truth.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND WERE it not for God's favour upon you, [O man,] and His grace, and that God is a wise acceptor of repentance . . . !¹¹

  - Mohammad Asad

This sentence, which introduces the section dealing with the condemnation of all unfounded or unproven accusations of unchastity - as well as the similar sentence which closes it in verse {20} - is deliberately left incomplete, leaving it to man to imagine what would have happened to individual lives and to society if God had not ordained all the above-mentioned legal and moral safeguards against possibly false accusations, or if He had made a proof of adultery dependent on mere circumstantial evidence. This idea is further elaborated in verses {1-15}.

If it were not for Allah's grace and mercy upon you, you would have no method of handling these situations. Allah is the Acceptor of Repentance, All-Wise.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

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

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Verily, numerous among you are those who would falsely accuse others of unchastity:¹² [but, O you who are thus wronged,] deem it not a bad thing for you: nay, it is good for you!¹³ [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]!¹⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "those who brought forth the lie (al-ifk, here denoting a false accusation of unchastity) are a numerous group ('usbah) among you". The term 'usbah signifies any group of people, of indeterminate number, banded together for a particular purpose (Taj al-'Arus).-According to all the commentators, the passage comprising verses {11-20} relates to an incident which occurred on the Prophet's return from the campaign against the tribe of Mustaliq in the year 5 H. The Prophet's wife 'A'ishah, who had accompanied him on that expedition, was inadvertently left behind when the Muslims struck camp before dawn. After having spent several hours alone, she was found by one of the Prophet's Companions, who led her to the next halting-place of the army. This incident gave rise to malicious insinuations of misconduct on the part of 'A'ishah; but these rumours were short-lived, and her innocence was established beyond all doubt. - As is the case with all Qur'anic allusions to historical events, this one, too, is primarily meant to bring out an ethical proposition valid for all times and all social circumstances: and this is the reason why the grammatical construction of the above passage is such that the past-tense verbs occuring in verses {11-16} can be - and, I believe, should be - understood as denoting the present tense.

I.e., in the sight of God: for, the unhappiness caused by unjust persecution confers - as does every undeserved and patiently borne suffering - a spiritual merit on the person thus afflicted. Cf. the saying of the Prophet, quoted by Bukhari and Muslim: "Whenever a believer is stricken with any hardship, or pain, or anxiety, or sorrow, or harm, or distress - even if it be a thorn that has hurt him - God redeems thereby some of his failings."

I.e., by stressing, in a legally and morally inadmissible manner, certain "circumstantial" details or aspects of the case in order to make the slanderous, unfounded allegation more believable.

Those who concocted the slander are from a clique among you. Do not regard this incident as only an evil, for it also contains a good lesson for you. Whoever took any part in this sin, has earned his share accordingly, and the one who took on himself the leading part, shall have a terrible punishment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! they who spread the slander are a gang among you. Deem it not a bad thing for you; say, it is good for you. Unto every man of them (will be paid that which he hath earned of the sin; and as for him among them who had the greater share therein, his will be an awful doom.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Why do not the believing men and women, whenever such [a rumour] is heard,¹⁵ think the best of one another and say, "This is an obvious falsehood"?

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "whenever you hear it" - the pronoun "you" indicating here the community as a whole.

Why did not the believing men and believing women, when they heard of this slander, think well of their own people, and say: "This is clearly a false accusation?"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Why did not the believers, men and women, when ye heard it, think good of their own folk; and say: It is a manifest untruth?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Why do they not [demand of the accusers¹⁶ that they] produce four witnesses to prove their allegation?¹⁷ - for, if they do not produce such wit-nesses, it is those [accusers] who, in the sight of God, are liars indeed!

  - Mohammad Asad

This interpolation is necessary in view of the fact that the believers spoken of in the preceding verse are blamed, not for making the false accusation, but for not giving it the lie.

Lit., "in support thereof" ('alayhi).

Why did they not produce four witnesses? If they cannot produce the required witnesses, they are the liars in the sight of Allah.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Why did they not produce four witnesses? Since they produce not witnesses, they verily are liars in the sight of Allah.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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 you¹⁸ in result of all [the calumny] in which you indulge

  - Mohammad Asad

Sc., "yourselves and your whole society". With this and the next verse the discourse returns to, and elaborates, the idea touched upon in verse {10} and explained in note [11].

Were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah towards you in this world and the Hereafter, you would have been severely punished for your involvement in this scandal;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you in the world and the Hereafter an awful doom had overtaken you for that whereof ye murmured.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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!

  - Mohammad Asad

when you passed on with your tongues and uttered with your mouths that about which you had no knowledge. You took it lightly while it was a very serious offence in the sight of Allah.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When ye welcomed it with your tongues, and uttered with your mouths that whereof ye had no knowledge, ye counted it a trifle. In the sight of Allah it is very great.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall