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2. The woman and the man guilty of fornication,- flog each of them with a hundred stripes. Let not compassion move you in their

case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if ye believe in Allah and the Last Day: and let a party of the Believers witness their

punishment.

3. The adulterer cannot have sexual relations with any but an adulteress, or idolatress. And the adulteress, none can have sexual

relations with her but an adulterer or an idolater: to the Believers such a thing is forbidden.

4. And those who launch a charge against chaste women, and produce not four witnesses (to support their allegations),- flog them

with eighty stripes; and reject their evidence ever after: for such men are wicked transgressors;-

5. Except those who repent thereafter and mend (their conduct); for Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful.

6. And for those who launch a charge against their wives, and have (in support) no evidence but their own,- let one of them testify

four times by Allah that he is of those who speak the truth;

7. And the fifth (oath) (should be) that he solemnly invoke the curse of Allah on himself if he tell a lie.

8. But it would avert the punishment from the wife, if she bears witness four times (with an oath) By Allah, that (her husband) is

telling a lie;

9. And the fifth (oath) should be that she solemnly invokes the wrath of Allah on herself if (her accuser) is telling the truth.

10. If it were not for Allah's grace and mercy on you, and that Allah is Oft- Returning, full of Wisdom,- (ye would be ruined

indeed).

11. Those who brought forward the lie are a body among yourselves: think it not to be an evil to you; on the contrary it is good for

you: to every man among them (will come the punishment) of the sin that he earned, and to him who took on himself the lead

among them, will be a chastisement grievous.

12. Why did not the believers - men and women - when ye heard of the affair,- though well of their people and say, "This (charge)

is an obvious lie" ?

13. Why did they not bring four witnesses to prove it? When they have not brought the witnesses, such men, in the sight of Allah,

(stand forth) themselves as liars!

14. Were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah on you, in this world and the Hereafter, a grievous chastisement would have

seized you in that ye rushed glibly into this affair.

15. Behold, ye received it on your tongues, and said out of your mouths things of which ye had no knowledge; and ye thought it to

be a light matter, while it was most serious in the sight of Allah.

16. And why did ye not, when ye heard it, say? - "It is not right of us to speak of this: Glory to Thee (our Lord), this is a most

serious slander!"

17. Allah doth admonish you, that ye may never repeat such (conduct), if ye are (true) Believers.

18. And Allah makes the Signs plain to you: for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.

19. Those who love (to see) scandal circulate among the Believers, will have a grievous chastisement in this life and in the

Hereafter: Allah knows, and ye know not.

20. Were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah on you, and that Allah is full of kindness and mercy, (ye would be ruined indeed).

21. O ye who believe! Follow not Satan's footsteps: if any will follow the footsteps of Satan, he will (but) command what is

indecent and wrong: and were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah on you, not one of you would ever have been pure: but Allah

doth purify whom He pleases: and Allah is One Who hears and knows (all things).

22. Let not those among you who are endued with grace and amplitude of means resolve by oath against helping their kinsmen,

those in want, and those who have left their homes in Allah's cause: let them forgive and overlook, do you not wish that Allah

should forgive you? For Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful.

23. Those who slander chaste, indiscreet, and believing women, are cursed in this life and in the Hereafter: for them is a grievous

chastisement,-

24. On the Day when their tongues, their hands, and their feet will bear witness against them as to their actions.

25. On that Day Allah will pay them back (all) their just dues, and they will realize that Allah is the (very) Truth, that makes all

things manifest.

26. Women impure are for men impure, and men impure for women impure and women of purity are for men of purity, and men of

purity are for women of purity: these are innocent of all what people say: for them there is forgiveness, and a provision honorable.

27. O ye who believe! Enter not houses other than your own, until ye have asked permission and saluted those in them: that is

best for you, in order that ye may heed (what is seemly).

28. If ye find no one in the house, enter not until permission is given to you: if ye are asked to go back, go back: that makes for

greater purity for yourselves: and Allah knows well all that ye do.

29. It is no fault on your part to enter houses not used for living in, which serve some (other) use for you: and Allah has

knowledge of what ye reveal and what ye conceal.

30. Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them:

and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do.

31. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their

beauty and ornaments except what (ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display

their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or

their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male attendants free

of sexual desires, or small children who have no carnal of women; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw

attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah in repentance, that ye may be

successful.

32. Marry those among you who are single, or the virtuous ones among yourselves, male or female: if they are in poverty, Allah

will give them means out of His grace: for Allah Ample-giving, and He knoweth all things.

33. Let those who find not the wherewithal for marriage keep themselves chaste, until Allah gives them means out of His grace.

And if any of your slaves ask for a deed in writing (for emancipation), give them such a deed if ye know any good in them: yea,

give them something yourselves out of the means which Allah has given to you. But force not your maids to prostitution when they

desire chastity, in order that ye may make a gain in the goods of this life. But if anyone compels them, yet, after such compulsion,

is Allah, Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (to them),

34. We have already sent down to you verses making things clear, an illustration from (the story of) people who passed away

before you, and an admonition for those who fear (Allah).

35. Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the

Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west,

whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah

doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things.

36. (Lit is such a Light) in houses, which Allah hath permitted to be raised to honor; for the celebration, in them, of His name. In

them is He glorified in the mornings and in the evenings, (again and again),-

37. By men whom neither trade nor sale can divert from the Remembrance of Allah, nor from regular prayer, nor from paying

Zakat: Their (only) fear is for the Day when hearts and eyes will be turned about,-

38. That Allah may reward them according to the best of their deeds, and add even more for them out of His Grace: for Allah doth

provide for those whom He will, without measure.

39. But the Unbelievers,- their deeds are like a mirage in sandy deserts, which the man parched with thirst mistakes for water;

until when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing: but he finds Allah there, and Allah will pay him his account: and Allah is

swift in taking account.

40. Or (the Unbelievers' state) is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with billow topped by billow,

topped by (dark) clouds: depths of darkness, one above another: if a man stretches out his hands, he can hardly see it! For any to

whom Allah giveth not light, there is no light!

41. Seest thou not that it is Allah Whose praises all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate, and the birds (of the air) with

wings outspread? Each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise. And Allah knows well all that they do.

42. Yea, to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; and to Allah is the return.

43. Seest thou not that Allah makes the clouds move gently, then joins them together, then makes them into a heap? - then wilt

thou see rain issue forth from their midst. And He sends down from the sky mountain masses (of clouds) wherein is hail: He strikes

therewith whom He pleases and He turns it away from whom He pleases, the vivid flash of its lightning well-nigh blinds the sight.

44. It is Allah Who alternates the Night and the Day: verily in these things is an instructive example for those who have vision!

45. And Allah has created every animal from water: of them there are some that creep on their bellies; some that walk on two

legs; and some that walk on four. Allah creates what He wills: for verily Allah has power over all things.

46. We have indeed sent down signs that make things manifest: and Allah guides whom He wills to a way that is straight.

47. They say, "We believe in Allah and in the messenger, and we obey": but even after that, some of them turn away: they are not

(really) Believers.

48. When they are summoned to Allah and His messenger, in order that He may judge between them, behold some of them

decline (to come).

49. But if the right is on their side, they come to him with all submission.

50. Is it that there is a disease in their hearts? Or do they doubt, or are they in fear, that Allah and His Messenger will deal unjustly

with them? Nay, it is they themselves who do wrong.