سورة النور   

Surah Name: An-Noor Meaning: The Light

  • Revealed at Makkah
  • Its basic theme is the guarding of one's shame. The violation of chastity and modesty has been declared as heinous and a punishable crime.

    • Islam authorizes a Qadhi (judge) to adjudge after carefully evaluating eye witness accounts. The circumstantial evidence, the plea of guilty or not guilty by the accused must be duly taken into account. Punishment aims at reforming the society, as well as the criminal, and when awarded by a Qadhi is termed as T'azir. However, there are four aspects in which a Qadhi cannot alter the punishment prescribed by Shari'ah. He can only evaluate the available evidence and decide whether the crime was committed or not. Allah-SWT Himself has prescribed the punishment, termed as Hudud. These crimes are; (1) theft (2) accusing chaste women (3) drinking alcohol and (4) adultery.

    All these crimes are so heinous that wherever committed, the society is divested of peace and tranquillity. It fails to flourish even in the worldly sense, and is ruined from the religious point of view as it loses the very belief in Allah-SWT ’s Greatness. The use of inebriating drinks and adultery in the Western society present great lessons of admonition, including complete deterioration of the sanctity of relationships. There remains no importance of lineage, nor any concept of modesty and honour. The children of Adam are living a life below the moral standards of animals while the very fibre of relationships, both worldly and religious, has frayed. A society stripped of modesty, chastity and sanctity of relationships can, by no stretch of imagination, be termed as a human society. It is only an outward facade of superiority which the West puts up for the world; otherwise they are hollow and feeble inside. Despite employing all its military power, America returned from Vietnam in humiliation. Russia invaded and occupied Afghanistan but was destroyed in her war with the Mujahidin. Forty countries jointly attacked Iraq but could not cause it harm equal to what America, Britain and France incurred in turn. They only use threats and deceit to control the world. If only the Muslim of today would waken and take to Jihad, with Allah-SWT's Grace, these nations would soon realise their worth. They are societies plagued by alcohol and adultery, and are a loathsome burden on the earth. So Islam has enjoined preventive measures to fight these evil forces.

  • Total Number of Rukū / Sections 9
  • Total Number of Āyāt / Parts 64
  • Sūrah / Chapter number 24
  • Rukū / Section 3 contains Āyāt / Parts 6
  • Siparah/ Volume 18

bismillah

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ وَمَن يَتَّبِعْ خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَإِنَّهُ يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاء وَالْمُنكَرِ وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَا مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُزَكِّي مَن يَشَاء وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo la tattabiAAoo khutuwati a(l)shshaytani waman yattabiAA khutuwati a(l)shshaytani fainnahu yamuru bi(a)lfahshai wa(a)lmunkari walawla fadlu Allahi AAalaykum warahmatuhu ma zaka minkum min ahadin abadan walakinna Allaha yuzakkee man yashao wa(A)llahu sameeAAun AAaleem(un)

O you who believe! Do not follow the footsteps of Satan. And whoever follows his footsteps, then Satan only bids to indecency and abomination. And had there not been Allah-SWT's Grace upon you and His-SWT Mercy, not one of you could have ever been cleansed, but Allah-SWT cleanses whoever He-SWT will. And Allah-SWT is Hearing, Knowing.

(24:21)

وَلَا يَأْتَلِ أُوْلُوا الْفَضْلِ مِنكُمْ وَالسَّعَةِ أَن يُؤْتُوا أُوْلِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلْيَعْفُوا وَلْيَصْفَحُوا أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَن يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Wala yatali oloo alfadli minkum wa(al)ssaAAati an yutoo olee alqurba wa(a)lmasakeena wa(a)lmuhajireena fee sabeeli Allahi walyaAAfoo walyasfahoo ala tuhibboona an yaghfira Allahu lakum wa(A)llahu ghafoorun raheem(un)

And let not the men of affluence and plenty among you swear off from giving to the kindred and the needy and the emigrants in the way of Allah-SWT , let them pardon and overlook. Do you not love that Allah-SWT should forgive you? And Allah-SWT is Forgiving, Merciful.

(24:22)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْغَافِلَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ لُعِنُوا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

Inna allatheena yarmoona almuhsanati alghafilati almuminati luAAinoo fee a(l)ddunya wa(a)lakhirati walahum AAathabun AAatheem(un)

Verily those who accuse chaste, unknowing, believing women shall be cursed in the world and the Hereafter, and for them shall be a mighty chastisement.

(24:23)

يَوْمَ تَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ وَأَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

Yawma tashhadu AAalayhim alsinatuhum waaydeehim waarjuluhum bima kanoo yaAAmaloon(a)

On the Day when their tongues and hands and feet will bear witness against them for what they used to work.

(24:24)

يَوْمَئِذٍ يُوَفِّيهِمُ اللَّهُ دِينَهُمُ الْحَقَّ وَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ الْمُبِينُ

Yawmaithin yuwaffeehimu Allahu deenahumu alhaqqa wayaAAlamoona anna Allaha huwa alhaqqu almubeen(u)

On that Day Allah-SWT shall pay them their recompense in full and they shall know that Allah-SWT is Manifestly True.

(24:25)

الْخَبِيثَاتُ لِلْخَبِيثِينَ وَالْخَبِيثُونَ لِلْخَبِيثَاتِ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ لِلطَّيِّبِينَ وَالطَّيِّبُونَ لِلطَّيِّبَاتِ أُوْلَئِكَ مُبَرَّؤُونَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ

Alkhabeethatu lilkhabeetheena wa(a)lkhabeethoona lilkhabeethati wa(al)ttayyibatu li(l)ttayyibeena wa(al)ttayyiboona li(l)ttayyibati olaika mubarraoona mimma yaqooloona lahum maghfiratun warizqun kareem(un)

Vile women are for vile men, and vile men are for vile women, and clean women are for clean men and clean men are for clean women; these are quit of what the people say. And for them is forgiveness and an honoured provision.

(24:26)
In The Name of Allah-SWT the Most Gracious, The Most Merciful
SECRETS OF REVELATION:

O' Muslims! Do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Whoever listens to him or goes along with him, is coaxed into immorality and obscenity. Or he adopts such measures and presents immorality in such a fashion that one cannot help falling for his trap. All activities that spread vulgarity in society such as musical concerts, nudity and obscene movies, generally organised under the guise of cultural heritage, are works of the same devil. And it does not befit a believer to associate himself with such enterprises, lest his own faith is also divested. And had it not been for Allah-SWT's Mercy no one would have been spared from such influences nor could anyone repent and get rid of these evils. And Allah-SWT purifies whoever sincerely seeks reformation from Him-SWT . He-SWT grants the capacity to repent and also accepts the repentance.

 

Effects Of This Acceptance

The immediate effect is that a person becomes weary of his past sins and deliberately avoids repeating these in future. His practical life is reformed. This is however; attained by seeking Allah-SWT's Forgiveness with the utmost sincerity, for He-SWT is All Hearing, Knowing.

 

The address now turns to those who had unwittingly indulged in the scandalous gossip as discussed earlier. Hadhrat Mistah-RAU was one of them. He was a poor relative of Hadhrat Abu Bakr Siddiq-RAU, who supported him financially. After the truth was revealed, Hadhrat Abu Bakr Siddiq-RAU swore not to help him anymore. Allah-SWT disallowed it on the ground that a single mistake or lapse on part of a person must not nullify the rest of his good deeds.

 

It is indeed a lesson of tolerance for the Islamic society. Anyone can make mistakes and even blunders. But once he repents and reforms himself, his other good deeds must not be ignored so that he may return to normal life, for the outcast become the bane of society. Therefore, the affluent must not vow to stop helping, especially when the beneficences are needy and deserving relatives who have also migrated in the Cause of Allah-SWT . They must be forgiven and their mistakes overlooked. Human shortcomings must be overlooked particularly when a person takes to reformation, for anyone can err. Would one not like to be relented and forgiven by Allah-SWT , Who-SWT is extremely Gracious and Merciful? So Hadhrat Abu Bakr Siddiq-RAU revoked his pledge and resumed his financial support to Hadhrat Mistah-RAU.

 

And the people slandering chaste women who guard their honour and are unaware of the evils prevalent in the society and have perfect faith like the noble wives of the Holy Prophet-SW, are accursed and deprived of Allah-SWT’s Clemency both in this world as well as in the Akhirah. For them lurks a great torment and one day their own limbs will testify against them; their tongues, their hands and their feet will speak, exposing their conduct.

 

Rampage Of The Tongue

There was a lady from the family of butchers. She converted to Shia'ism and managed to mislead a few others also. She was extremely impudent towards the Holy Prophets-SW household and would often speak abusively in private gatherings. Some years before her death, her tongue dangled out about three inches. It would not retract even after treatment from the best available doctors. Whenever she would try to speak, with her tongue dangling out, the movement of her jaws would only create sound like the howling of a dog. A very noble physician also treated her; but she died in the same condition. This is an admonition manifest in this world, while in the Akhirah it will be far worse.

 

Allah-SWT will punish the guilty thoroughly in the Akhirah and they will know for sure that He-SWT indeed is the Truthful, fully Aware and capable of unveiling every secret. It is human tendency that vile and immoral women fall for vile and immoral men and can get along with them. Similarly the vile men also prefer vile women and have no liking for noble women, who prefer noble men and are happy to be with them. And pious men always seek pious ladies and so they qualify to be under His-SWT Forgiveness and rightfully deserve His-SWT bounties.

 

Wives Of The Prophet-SW Are Exemplary Women

This evaluation of the human nature proves that the Prophets-AS whose piety and purity is exemplary have wives also of exemplary character. While the Holy Prophet-SW is the leader of all, his wives also lead the women of the world in terms of purity, chastity, modesty and honour. It is a law that no wife of a Prophet-SW was ever involved in any immorality. Although the wives of Prophets Nuh-AS and Lut-AS were not Muslims, yet no finger can be raised on their morality. Hadhrat ibn 'Abbas-RAU asserts a principle categorically that no Prophet's wife ever committed any act of immodesty.

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