Medinan, 64 verses
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
(This is) a chapter which We have sent it down and made it mandatory and We have sent down clear verses in it, so that you may take notice.
Flog each female adulterer/fornicator and male adulterer/fornicator one hundred lashes, and do not let pity for them take you away from God’s law if you believe in God and the Last Day, and a group of the believers should witness their punishment.
The male adulterer/fornicator should only marry a female adulterer/fornicator or a female idolater, and the female adulterer/fornicator should only get married to a male adulterer/fornicator or a male idolater, and that is forbidden to the believers.
And those who accuse chaste women, and do not bring four witnesses, then flog them eighty lashes and do not ever accept their testimony, and they are the disobedient ones.
Except those who repent and straighten out after that, then indeed God is forgiving and merciful.
And those who accuse their spouses, and there is no witnesses for them except themselves, then their individual testimony (is acceptable) if they testify four times (swearing) by God that he is certainly of the truthful ones.
And the fifth (oath) that God’s curse be on him if he is of the liars.
And it will prevent the punishment from her if she testifies four times (swearing) by God that indeed he is of the liars.
And the fifth (oath) that God’s anger be on her if he is of the truthful ones.
And if it was not for God’s grace and mercy on you (you would be in trouble). God is the acceptor of repentance and wise.
Those who brought the lie (and accusation) were a group of you. Do not think that it (the accusation) is bad for you, but it is good for you. For every one of them earned a share of the sin, and the one among them who had greatest (share) of it, will have a great punishment.
Why when you heard it, the believing men and the believing women did not think well of themselves and they did not say: “This is an obvious lie.”
Why did they not bring four witnesses for it? So when they did not bring the witnesses, then they are the liars in God’s view.
And if it was not for God’s grace and mercy on you in this world and in the Hereafter, a great punishment would have touched you because of what you engaged in.
When you receive it (the accusation) through each other’s tongues and you say with your mouths what you have no knowledge of it, and you think it is insignificant, while it is significant in God's view.
And why when you heard it, you did not say: “It is not for us to speak of this, You are flawless (glory to You), this is a great false accusation.”
God advises you that do not ever repeat anything like it if you are believers.
And God clarifies the signs for you, and God is knowledgeable and wise.
Indeed those who like to spread indecency among those who believe will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter, and God knows and you do not know.
And if it was not for God’s grace and mercy on you, (you would be in trouble) and indeed God is gentle and merciful.
You who believe, do not follow Satan's footsteps, and whoever follows Satan's footsteps (should know that), indeed he instructs to indecency and to unacceptable (and wrong). And if it was not for God’s grace and mercy on you, none of you would ever be purified (absolved), but God purifies anyone He wants. God hears all and knows all.
And those who have grace and abundance (of wealth) should not swear that they would not give to the relatives (and close ones), and the needy, and the migrants in God’s way, and they should excuse and overlook. Do you not like God to forgive you? God is forgiving and merciful.
Those who accuse the unaware chaste believing women are cursed in this world and the Hereafter and they will have a great punishment,
on a day that their tongues and their hands and their feet testify against them for what they used to do,
on that day God pays them back in full their rightful dues, and they will know that God is the obvious truth.
Bad women are for bad men and bad men are for bad women, and good women are for good men and good men are for good women. They are clear of what they say (about them), they will have forgiveness and honorable provision.
You who believe, do not enter any houses except your houses until you have asked permission and have greeted its residents. That is better for you, so that you may take notice.
And if you do not find anyone in it, then do not enter it until permission is given to you, and if you are told to go back, then (do not enter and) go back, as that is purer (and better) for you. And God knows well what you do.
There is no blame on you if you enter vacant houses in which you have goods. God knows what you disclose and what you hide.
Tell the believing men to lower their eyes (and do not look lustfully) and guard their private parts. That is purer (and better) for them. God is well aware of what they do.
And tell the believing women to lower their eyes (and do not look lustfully) and guard their private parts, and they should not show their beauty except what is apparent of it, and they should put their scarves over their breasts, and they should not show their beauty except to their husbands or their fathers or their father in-law or their sons or their husbands' sons or their brothers or their brothers' sons or their sisters' sons or their women (companions) or those whom their right hands own or the male dependents with no desire (of women) or children who do not know about the private parts of women, and they should not stomp their feet to expose what they hide from their beauty. And all you believers repent to God, so that you may be successful.
And marry off the singles among you and the righteous among your male and female servants. If they are poor, God enriches them from His grace, and God is bountiful and knowledgeable.
And those who do not find (any way) to marry, should abstain (from sex) until God enriches them from His bounty. And those among what your right hands own who ask for the certificate (of freedom), then write it for them if you know any good in them, and give them some of God’s possession that He gave you. And do not force your maids into prostitution looking for gain of this world’s life, if they want to be chaste. And if anyone forces them, then after their compulsion God is forgiving and merciful (to them).
And We have certainly sent down to you clear (and clarifying) verses, and example of those who passed away before you, and an advice for those who are cautious (of God).
God is the light of the skies and the earth. Example of His light is like a lamp holder, in it is a lamp, the lamp is in a glass, the glass is as if it is a brilliant star (which is) lit by (the oil of) a blessed olive tree, that is neither on the east nor the west (so it gets sunlight equally all day), and its oil almost glows (by itself) even though fire has not touched it. Light upon light, God guides whom He wants to His light. And God gives the examples for the people, and God knows everything.
(This light is) in the houses that God has permitted His name to be raised and to be mentioned in it, and He is glorified in it in the mornings and the afternoons.
Men whom neither business nor trade (selling and buying) distracts them from remembering God and performing mandatory prayer and giving to mandatory charity, and they are afraid of a day in which the hearts and the eyes will turnabout (from agitation),
so that God rewards them better than what they did, and gives them more out of His grace. And God provides for anyone He wants without any limit.
Those who disbelieve, their works are like a mirage in a desert that a thirsty person imagines it as water until he gets to it and finds it to be nothing, and he finds God with him, and He pays back his account (in full), and God is quick in reckoning.
Or like darkness in a deep sea covered by a wave, over which is a wave with clouds on top of it. Darkness, one on top of the other (such that) when he brings out his hand, he almost does not see it, and anyone who God did not put a light for him, then there is no light for him.
Do you not see that everyone in the skies and the earth and the birds with their wings outspread glorify God, each one knows its prayer and its glorification? God knows well what they do.
And the rule of the skies and the earth belongs to God, and the final return is to God.
Do you not see that God gently drives the clouds, then joins them together then makes them a pile, then you see the raindrops come out from within it, and He sends down hail that are within the mountains (of clouds) from the sky, then He strikes anyone He wants with it, and turns it away from anyone He wants, and the flash of its lightning almost takes away the sight (and blinds people)?
God alternates night and day. Indeed there is a lesson in that for those who have insight.
And God created all creatures from water, and some of them walk on their bellies and some of them walk on two legs and some of them walk on four. God creates what He wants. Indeed God is capable of everything.
We have certainly sent down clarifying verses, and God guides anyone He wants to a straight path.
And they say: “We have believed in God and the messenger and we have obeyed.” Then some of them turn away after that, and they are not believers.
And when they are invited that God and His messenger judge between them, suddenly some of them turn away.
And if the truth is for them (they are right), they come to him obediently.
Is there a disease in their hearts, or do they doubt, or are they afraid that God and His messenger deal unfairly about them? No, but they are the wrongdoers.
Indeed word of the believers, when they are invited to God and His messenger to judge between them, is to say: “We hear and we obey.” And they are the successful ones.
And whoever obeys God and His messenger and fears (the punishment of) God and is cautious of Him, then they are the triumphant ones.
They solemnly swear by God that if you order them they shall go out (and fight), say: “Do not swear, reasonable obedience (is enough), indeed God is well aware of what you do.”
Say: “Obey God and obey the messenger.” But if you turn away, he is only responsible for what he is charged with and you are responsible for what you are charged with, and if you obey him you are guided. And the messenger's responsibility is only clearly delivering (the message).
God has promised those who believe among you and do good that He shall make them successors (of power) on the earth as He made those before them successors, and He shall strengthen their way of life (religion) for them which He has approved for them, and afterward He shall replace their fear with security. (And then) they will serve Me (alone) and not associate anything with Me, and whoever disbelieves after that, they are the disobedient ones.
And perform mandatory prayer and give to mandatory charity and obey the messenger so that you may receive mercy.
Do not think that those who disbelieve weaken/escape (God) on the earth. Their housing will be the fire, certainly a miserable destination.
You who believe, those whom your right hands own and those (children) among you who have not reached puberty should ask your permission at three times (before coming to your rooms). Before morning mandatory prayer, and when you put off your clothes during noon time, and after evening mandatory prayer. (These are) three times of privacy for you. There is no blame on you or on them to circulate around you and each other at other times. That is how God clarifies the signs for you, and God is knowledgeable and wise.
And when your children reach puberty, then they should ask permission (at all times) as those before them asked for permission. That is how God clarifies His signs for you, and God is knowledgeable and wise.
And the women past menopause who do not expect a marriage, then there is no blame on them if they put off their clothes without displaying their beauty. And if they avoid that, it is better for them. God hears all and knows all.
There is no blame on the blind and no blame on the lame (crippled) and no blame on the sick and not on yourselves if you eat in your 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 whatever (houses that) you have its keys or (house of) your friend. There is no blame on you if you eat together or separately. So when you enter any houses then greet each other, a blessed and pure greeting from God. That is how God clarifies the signs for you that you may understand.
The believers are only those who believe in God and His messenger, and when they are with him on a public matter, they do not go away until they ask his permission. Indeed those who ask your permission, they are those who believe in God and His messenger. So when they ask your permission for (taking care of) some of their affairs, then give permission to any one of them whom you want and ask God for their forgiveness. Indeed God is forgiving and merciful
Do not consider the messenger’s call among you as a call from each other. God certainly knows those among you who slip away hiding (behind others). So those who oppose His/his order should beware of a disaster happening to them or a painful punishment happening to them.
No doubt, indeed everything in the skies and the earth belongs to God, He certainly knows what you are up to it (and your intentions), and He will tell them of what they did on the day that they are returned to Him. God knows everything.