النور
The Light
Explanations are simplified from tafsirs by Ibn Kathir, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, and Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Spot an inaccuracy? Let us know.
yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū lā tattabiʿū khuṭuwāti l-shayṭāni waman yattabiʿ khuṭuwāti l-shayṭāni fa-innahu yamuru bil-faḥshāi wal-munkari walawlā faḍlu l-lahi ʿalaykum waraḥmatuhu mā zakā minkum min aḥadin abadan walākinna l-laha yuzakkī man yashāu wal-lahu samīʿun ʿalīmun
O you who have believed, do not follow the footsteps of Satan. And whoever follows the footsteps of Satan - indeed, he enjoins immorality and wrongdoing. And if not for the favor of Allāh upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have been pure, ever, but Allāh purifies whom He wills, and Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.
walā yatali ulū l-faḍli minkum wal-saʿati an yu'tū ulī l-qur'bā wal-masākīna wal-muhājirīna fī sabīli l-lahi walyaʿfū walyaṣfaḥū alā tuḥibbūna an yaghfira l-lahu lakum wal-lahu ghafūrun raḥīmun
And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give [aid] to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of Allāh, and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allāh should forgive you? And Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
inna alladhīna yarmūna l-muḥ'ṣanāti l-ghāfilāti l-mu'mināti luʿinū fī l-dun'yā wal-ākhirati walahum ʿadhābun ʿaẓīmun
Indeed, those who [falsely] accuse chaste, unaware and believing women are cursed in this world and the Hereafter; and they will have a great punishment
yawma tashhadu ʿalayhim alsinatuhum wa-aydīhim wa-arjuluhum bimā kānū yaʿmalūna
On a Day when their tongues, their hands and their feet will bear witness against them as to what they used to do.
yawma-idhin yuwaffīhimu l-lahu dīnahumu l-ḥaqa wayaʿlamūna anna l-laha huwa l-ḥaqu l-mubīnu
That Day, Allāh will pay them in full their true [i.e., deserved] recompense, and they will know that it is Allāh who is the manifest Truth [i.e., perfect in justice].
al-khabīthātu lil'khabīthīna wal-khabīthūna lil'khabīthāti wal-ṭayibātu lilṭṭayyibīna wal-ṭayibūna lilṭṭayyibāti ulāika mubarraūna mimmā yaqūlūna lahum maghfiratun wariz'qun karīmun
Evil words are for evil men, and evil men are [subjected] to evil words. And good words are for good men, and good men are [an object] of good words. Those [good people] are declared innocent of what they [i.e., slanderers] say. For them is forgiveness and noble provision.
yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū lā tadkhulū buyūtan ghayra buyūtikum ḥattā tastanisū watusallimū ʿalā ahlihā dhālikum khayrun lakum laʿallakum tadhakkarūna
O you who have believed, do not enter houses other than your own houses until you ascertain welcome and greet their inhabitants. That is best for you; perhaps you will be reminded [i.e., advised].
fa-in lam tajidū fīhā aḥadan falā tadkhulūhā ḥattā yu'dhana lakum wa-in qīla lakumu ir'jiʿū fa-ir'jiʿū huwa azkā lakum wal-lahu bimā taʿmalūna ʿalīmun
And if you do not find anyone therein, do not enter them until permission has been given you. And if it is said to you, "Go back," then go back; it is purer for you. And Allāh is Knowing of what you do.
laysa ʿalaykum junāḥun an tadkhulū buyūtan ghayra maskūnatin fīhā matāʿun lakum wal-lahu yaʿlamu mā tub'dūna wamā taktumūna
There is no blame upon you for entering houses not inhabited in which there is convenience for you. And Allāh knows what you reveal and what you conceal.
qul lil'mu'minīna yaghuḍḍū min abṣārihim wayaḥfaẓū furūjahum dhālika azkā lahum inna l-laha khabīrun bimā yaṣnaʿūna
Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allāh is [fully] Aware of what they do.
waqul lil'mu'mināti yaghḍuḍ'na min abṣārihinna wayaḥfaẓna furūjahunna walā yub'dīna zīnatahunna illā mā ẓahara min'hā walyaḍrib'na bikhumurihinna ʿalā juyūbihinna walā yub'dīna zīnatahunna illā libuʿūlatihinna aw ābāihinna aw ābāi buʿūlatihinna aw abnāihinna aw abnāi buʿūlatihinna aw ikh'wānihinna aw banī ikh'wānihinna aw banī akhawātihinna aw nisāihinna aw mā malakat aymānuhunna awi l-tābiʿīna ghayri ulī l-ir'bati mina l-rijāli awi l-ṭif'li alladhīna lam yaẓharū ʿalā ʿawrāti l-nisāi walā yaḍrib'na bi-arjulihinna liyuʿ'lama mā yukh'fīna min zīnatihinna watūbū ilā l-lahi jamīʿan ayyuha l-mu'minūna laʿallakum tuf'liḥūna
And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment [i.e., beauty] except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess [i.e., slaves], or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allāh in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
wa-ankiḥū l-ayāmā minkum wal-ṣāliḥīna min ʿibādikum wa-imāikum in yakūnū fuqarāa yugh'nihimu l-lahu min faḍlihi wal-lahu wāsiʿun ʿalīmun
And marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male slaves and female slaves. If they should be poor, Allāh will enrich them from His bounty, and Allāh is all-Encompassing and Knowing.
walyastaʿfifi alladhīna lā yajidūna nikāḥan ḥattā yugh'niyahumu l-lahu min faḍlihi wa-alladhīna yabtaghūna l-kitāba mimmā malakat aymānukum fakātibūhum in ʿalim'tum fīhim khayran waātūhum min māli l-lahi alladhī ātākum walā tuk'rihū fatayātikum ʿalā l-bighāi in aradna taḥaṣṣunan litabtaghū ʿaraḍa l-ḥayati l-dun'yā waman yuk'rihhunna fa-inna l-laha min baʿdi ik'rāhihinna ghafūrun raḥīmun
But let them who find not [the means for] marriage abstain [from sexual relations] until Allāh enriches them from His bounty. And those who seek a contract [for eventual emancipation] from among whom your right hands possess - then make a contract with them if you know there is within them goodness and give them from the wealth of Allāh which He has given you. And do not compel your slave girls to prostitution, if they desire chastity, to seek [thereby] the temporary interests of worldly life. And if someone should compel them, then indeed, Allāh is [to them], after their compulsion, Forgiving and Merciful.
walaqad anzalnā ilaykum āyātin mubayyinātin wamathalan mina alladhīna khalaw min qablikum wamawʿiẓatan lil'muttaqīna
And We have certainly sent down to you distinct verses and examples from those who passed on before you and an admonition for those who fear Allāh.
al-lahu nūru l-samāwāti wal-arḍi mathalu nūrihi kamish'katin fīhā miṣ'bāḥun l-miṣ'bāḥu fī zujājatin l-zujājatu ka-annahā kawkabun durriyyun yūqadu min shajaratin mubārakatin zaytūnatin lā sharqiyyatin walā gharbiyyatin yakādu zaytuhā yuḍīu walaw lam tamsashu nārun nūrun ʿalā nūrin yahdī l-lahu linūrihi man yashāu wayaḍribu l-lahu l-amthāla lilnnāsi wal-lahu bikulli shayin ʿalīmun
Allāh is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp; the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allāh guides to His light whom He wills. And Allāh presents examples for the people, and Allāh is Knowing of all things.
fī buyūtin adhina l-lahu an tur'faʿa wayudh'kara fīhā us'muhu yusabbiḥu lahu fīhā bil-ghuduwi wal-āṣāli
[Such niches are] in houses [i.e., mosques] which Allāh has ordered to be raised and that His name be mentioned [i.e., praised] therein; exalting Him within them in the morning and the evenings
rijālun lā tul'hīhim tijāratun walā bayʿun ʿan dhik'ri l-lahi wa-iqāmi l-ṣalati waītāi l-zakati yakhāfūna yawman tataqallabu fīhi l-qulūbu wal-abṣāru
[Are] men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allāh and performance of prayer and giving of zakāh. They fear a Day in which the hearts and eyes will [fearfully] turn about -
liyajziyahumu l-lahu aḥsana mā ʿamilū wayazīdahum min faḍlihi wal-lahu yarzuqu man yashāu bighayri ḥisābin
That Allāh may reward them [according to] the best of what they did and increase them from His bounty. And Allāh gives provision to whom He wills without account [i.e., limit].
wa-alladhīna kafarū aʿmāluhum kasarābin biqīʿatin yaḥsabuhu l-ẓamānu māan ḥattā idhā jāahu lam yajid'hu shayan wawajada l-laha ʿindahu fawaffāhu ḥisābahu wal-lahu sarīʿu l-ḥisābi
But those who disbelieved - their deeds are like a mirage in a lowland which a thirsty one thinks is water until, when he comes to it, he finds it is nothing but finds Allāh before him, and He will pay him in full his due; and Allāh is swift in account.
aw kaẓulumātin fī baḥrin lujjiyyin yaghshāhu mawjun min fawqihi mawjun min fawqihi saḥābun ẓulumātun baʿḍuhā fawqa baʿḍin idhā akhraja yadahu lam yakad yarāhā waman lam yajʿali l-lahu lahu nūran famā lahu min nūrin
Or [they are] like darknesses within an unfathomable sea which is covered by waves, upon which are waves, over which are clouds - darknesses, some of them upon others. When one puts out his hand [therein], he can hardly see it. And he to whom Allāh has not granted light - for him there is no light.