Surah An-Noor

أَلَمْتَرَأَنَّٱللَّهَيُسَبِّحُلَهُۥمَنفِىٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِوَٱلْأَرْضِوَٱلطَّيْرُصَٰٓفَّٰتٍۢكُلٌّۭقَدْعَلِمَصَلَاتَهُۥوَتَسْبِيحَهُۥوَٱللَّهُعَلِيمٌۢبِمَايَفْعَلُونَ

ART THOU NOT aware that it is God whose limit­less glory all [creatures] that are in the heavens and on earth extol, even the birds as they spread out their wings? Each [of them] knows indeed how to pray unto Him and to glorify Him; and God has full knowledge of all that they do:

وَلِلَّهِمُلْكُٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِوَٱلْأَرْضِوَإِلَىٱللَّهِٱلْمَصِيرُ

for, God’s is the dominion over the heavens and the earth, and with God is all journeys’ end.

أَلَمْتَرَأَنَّٱللَّهَيُزْجِىسَحَابًۭاثُمَّيُؤَلِّفُبَيْنَهُۥثُمَّيَجْعَلُهُۥرُكَامًۭافَتَرَىٱلْوَدْقَيَخْرُجُمِنْخِلَٰلِهِۦوَيُنَزِّلُمِنَٱلسَّمَآءِمِنجِبَالٍۢفِيهَامِنۢبَرَدٍۢفَيُصِيبُبِهِۦمَنيَشَآءُوَيَصْرِفُهُۥعَنمَّنيَشَآءُيَكَادُسَنَابَرْقِهِۦيَذْهَبُبِٱلْأَبْصَٰرِ

Art thou not aware that it is God who causes the clouds to move onward, then joins them together, then piles them up in masses, until thou can see rain come forth from their midst? And He it is who sends down from the skies, by degrees, mountainous masses [of clouds] charged with hail, striking therewith whomever He wills and averting it from whomever He wills, [the while] the flash of His lightning well-nigh deprives [men of their] sight!

يُقَلِّبُٱللَّهُٱلَّيْلَوَٱلنَّهَارَإِنَّفِىذَٰلِكَلَعِبْرَةًۭلِّأُو۟لِىٱلْأَبْصَٰرِ

It is God who causes night and day to alter­nate: in this [too], behold, there is surely a lesson for all who have eyes to see!

وَٱللَّهُخَلَقَكُلَّدَآبَّةٍۢمِّنمَّآءٍۢفَمِنْهُممَّنيَمْشِىعَلَىٰبَطْنِهِۦوَمِنْهُممَّنيَمْشِىعَلَىٰرِجْلَيْنِوَمِنْهُممَّنيَمْشِىعَلَىٰٓأَرْبَعٍۢيَخْلُقُٱللَّهُمَايَشَآءُإِنَّٱللَّهَعَلَىٰكُلِّشَىْءٍۢقَدِيرٌۭ

And it is God who has created all animals out of water; and [He has willed that] among them are such as crawl on their bellies, and such as walk on two legs, and such as walk on four. God creates what He will: for, verily, God has the power to will anything.

لَّقَدْأَنزَلْنَآءَايَٰتٍۢمُّبَيِّنَٰتٍۢوَٱللَّهُيَهْدِىمَنيَشَآءُإِلَىٰصِرَٰطٍۢمُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ

INDEED, from on high have We bestowed messages clearly showing the truth; but God guides onto a straight way [only] him that wills [to be guided].

وَيَقُولُونَءَامَنَّابِٱللَّهِوَبِٱلرَّسُولِوَأَطَعْنَاثُمَّيَتَوَلَّىٰفَرِيقٌۭمِّنْهُممِّنۢبَعْدِذَٰلِكَوَمَآأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَبِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

For, [many are] they [who] say, “We believe in God and in the Apostle, and we pay heed!” - but then, some of them turn away after this [assertion]: and these are by no means [true] believers.

وَإِذَادُعُوٓا۟إِلَىٱللَّهِوَرَسُولِهِۦلِيَحْكُمَبَيْنَهُمْإِذَافَرِيقٌۭمِّنْهُممُّعْرِضُونَ

And [so it is that] whenever they are summoned unto God and His Apostle in order that [the divine writ] might judge between them, lo! some of them turn away;

وَإِنيَكُنلَّهُمُٱلْحَقُّيَأْتُوٓا۟إِلَيْهِمُذْعِنِينَ

but if the truth happens to be to their liking, they are quite willing to accept it!

أَفِىقُلُوبِهِممَّرَضٌأَمِٱرْتَابُوٓا۟أَمْيَخَافُونَأَنيَحِيفَٱللَّهُعَلَيْهِمْوَرَسُولُهُۥبَلْأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَهُمُٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ

Is there disease in their hearts? Or have they begun to doubt [that this is a divine writ]? Or do they fear that God and His Apostle might deal unjustly with them? Nay, it is [but] they, they who are doing wrong [to themselves]!

إِنَّمَاكَانَقَوْلَٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَإِذَادُعُوٓا۟إِلَىٱللَّهِوَرَسُولِهِۦلِيَحْكُمَبَيْنَهُمْأَنيَقُولُوا۟سَمِعْنَاوَأَطَعْنَاوَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَهُمُٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ

The only response of believers, whenever they are summoned unto God and His Apostle in order that [the divine writ] might judge between them, can be no other than, “We have heard, and we pay heed!”- and it is they, they who shall attain to a happy state:

وَمَنيُطِعِٱللَّهَوَرَسُولَهُۥوَيَخْشَٱللَّهَوَيَتَّقْهِفَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَهُمُٱلْفَآئِزُونَ

for, they who pay heed unto God and His Apostle, and stand in awe of God and are conscious of Him, it is they, they who shall triumph [in the end]!

وَأَقْسَمُوا۟بِٱللَّهِجَهْدَأَيْمَٰنِهِمْلَئِنْأَمَرْتَهُمْلَيَخْرُجُنَّقُللَّاتُقْسِمُوا۟طَاعَةٌۭمَّعْرُوفَةٌإِنَّٱللَّهَخَبِيرٌۢبِمَاتَعْمَلُونَ

Now [as for those half-hearted ones,] they do swear by God with their most solemn oaths that if thou [O Apostle] shouldst ever bid them to do so, they would most certainly go forth [and sacrifice themselves]. Say: “Swear not! Reasonable compliance [with God’s message is all that is required of you]. Verily, God is aware of all that you do!”

قُلْأَطِيعُوا۟ٱللَّهَوَأَطِيعُوا۟ٱلرَّسُولَفَإِنتَوَلَّوْا۟فَإِنَّمَاعَلَيْهِمَاحُمِّلَوَعَلَيْكُممَّاحُمِّلْتُمْوَإِنتُطِيعُوهُتَهْتَدُوا۟وَمَاعَلَىٱلرَّسُولِإِلَّاٱلْبَلَٰغُٱلْمُبِينُ

Say: “Pay heed unto God, and pay heed unto the Apostle.” And if you turn away [from the Apostle, know that] he will have to answer only for whatever he has been charged with, and you, for what you have been charged with; but if you pay heed unto him, you will be on the right way. Withal, the Apostle is not bound to do more than clearly deliver the message [entrust­ed to him].

وَعَدَٱللَّهُٱلَّذِينَءَامَنُوا۟مِنكُمْوَعَمِلُوا۟ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِلَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْفِىٱلْأَرْضِكَمَاٱسْتَخْلَفَٱلَّذِينَمِنقَبْلِهِمْوَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّلَهُمْدِينَهُمُٱلَّذِىٱرْتَضَىٰلَهُمْوَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُممِّنۢبَعْدِخَوْفِهِمْأَمْنًۭايَعْبُدُونَنِىلَايُشْرِكُونَبِىشَيْـًۭٔاوَمَنكَفَرَبَعْدَذَٰلِكَفَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَهُمُٱلْفَٰسِقُونَ

God has promised those of you who have attained to faith and do righteous deeds that, of a certainty, He will cause them to accede to power on earth, even as He caused [some of] those who lived before them to accede to it; and that, of a certainty, He will firmly establish for them the religion which He has been pleased to bestow on them; and that, of a certainty, He will cause their erstwhile state of fear to be replaced by a sense of security [seeing that] they worship Me [alone], not ascribing divine powers to aught beside Me. But all who, after [having understood] this, choose to deny the truth - it is they, they who are truly iniquitous!

وَأَقِيمُوا۟ٱلصَّلَوٰةَوَءَاتُوا۟ٱلزَّكَوٰةَوَأَطِيعُوا۟ٱلرَّسُولَلَعَلَّكُمْتُرْحَمُونَ

Hence, [O believers,] be constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues, and pay heed unto the Apostle, so that you might be graced with God’s mercy.

لَاتَحْسَبَنَّٱلَّذِينَكَفَرُوا۟مُعْجِزِينَفِىٱلْأَرْضِوَمَأْوَىٰهُمُٱلنَّارُوَلَبِئْسَٱلْمَصِيرُ

[And] think not that those who are bent on denying the truth can elude [their final reckoning even if they remain unscathed] on earth: the fire is their goal [in the life to come] - and vile indeed is such a journey’s end!

يَٰٓأَيُّهَاٱلَّذِينَءَامَنُوا۟لِيَسْتَـْٔذِنكُمُٱلَّذِينَمَلَكَتْأَيْمَٰنُكُمْوَٱلَّذِينَلَمْيَبْلُغُوا۟ٱلْحُلُمَمِنكُمْثَلَٰثَمَرَّٰتٍۢمِّنقَبْلِصَلَوٰةِٱلْفَجْرِوَحِينَتَضَعُونَثِيَابَكُممِّنَٱلظَّهِيرَةِوَمِنۢبَعْدِصَلَوٰةِٱلْعِشَآءِثَلَٰثُعَوْرَٰتٍۢلَّكُمْلَيْسَعَلَيْكُمْوَلَاعَلَيْهِمْجُنَاحٌۢبَعْدَهُنَّطَوَّٰفُونَعَلَيْكُمبَعْضُكُمْعَلَىٰبَعْضٍۢكَذَٰلِكَيُبَيِّنُٱللَّهُلَكُمُٱلْءَايَٰتِوَٱللَّهُعَلِيمٌحَكِيمٌۭ

O YOU who have attained to faith! At three times [of day], let [even] those whom you rightfully pos­sess, as well as those from among you who have not yet attained to puberty, ask leave of you [before intruding upon your privacy]: before the prayer of daybreak, and whenever you lay aside your garments in the middle of the day, and after the prayer of nightfall: the three occasions on which your nakedness is likely to be bared. Beyond these [occasions], neither you nor they will incur any sin if they move [freely] about you, attending to [the needs of] one another. In this way God makes clear unto you His mes­sages: for God is all-knowing, wise!

وَإِذَابَلَغَٱلْأَطْفَٰلُمِنكُمُٱلْحُلُمَفَلْيَسْتَـْٔذِنُوا۟كَمَاٱسْتَـْٔذَنَٱلَّذِينَمِنقَبْلِهِمْكَذَٰلِكَيُبَيِّنُٱللَّهُلَكُمْءَايَٰتِهِۦوَٱللَّهُعَلِيمٌحَكِيمٌۭ

Yet when the children among you attain to puberty, let them ask leave of you [at all times], even as those [who have reached maturity] before them have been enjoined to ask it. In this way God makes clear unto you His mes­sages: for God is all-knowing, wise!

وَٱلْقَوَٰعِدُمِنَٱلنِّسَآءِٱلَّٰتِىلَايَرْجُونَنِكَاحًۭافَلَيْسَعَلَيْهِنَّجُنَاحٌأَنيَضَعْنَثِيَابَهُنَّغَيْرَمُتَبَرِّجَٰتٍۭبِزِينَةٍۢوَأَنيَسْتَعْفِفْنَخَيْرٌۭلَّهُنَّوَٱللَّهُسَمِيعٌعَلِيمٌۭ

AND [know that] women advanced in years, who no longer feel any sexual desire, incur no sin if they discard their [outer] garments, provided they do not aim at a showy display of [their] charms. But [even so,] it is better for them to abstain [from this]: and God is all-hearing, all-knowing.