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1.  *     A sura which We have sent down and which We have ordained in it have We sent down Clear Signs, in order that ye may receive admonition.     A Surah [is this] which We have bestowed from on high, and which We have laid down in plain terms; [I.e., "the injunctions whereof We have made self-evident by virtue of their wording: thus, according to Bukhari (Kitab at-Tafsir), Abd Allah ibn Abbas explains the expression faradnaha in this context (cf. Fath al-Bari VIII, 361). Tabari, also on the authority of Ibn Abbas advances the same explanation. It would seem that the special stress on God's having laid down this surah "in plain terms" is connected with the gravity of the injunctions spelt out in the sequence: in other words, it implies a solemn warning against any attempt at widening or re-defining those injunctions by means of deductions, inferences or any other considerations unconnected with the plain wording of the Quran.] and in it have We bestowed from on high messages which are clear [in themselves], so that you might keep [them] in mind.     A chapter of the Koran, We descended it, and We made it a duty/commanded it, and We descended in it verses/evidences evidences, maybe/perhaps you mention/remember.     swr+ alnwr bsm allh alrHmn alrHym ? swr+ anzlnaha wfrDnaha wanzlna fyha ayat bynat l`lkm tXkrwn
 
2.  *     The woman and the man guilty of adultery or 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.     AS FOR the adulteress and the adulterer [The term zina signifies voluntary sexual intercourse between a man and a woman not married to one another, irrespective of whether one or both of them are married to other persons or not: hence, it does not - in contrast with the usage prevalent in most Western languages - differentiate between the concepts of "adultery" (i.e., sexual intercourse of married man with a woman other than his wife, or of a married woman with a man other than her husband) and "fornication" (i.e., sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons). For the sake of simplicity I am rendering zina throughout as "adultery", and the person guilty of it as "adulterer" or "adulteress", respectively.] - flog each of them with a hundred stripes, and let not compassion with them keep you from [carrying out] this  law of God, if you [truly] believe in God and the Last Day; and let a group of the believers witness their chastisement. [The number of those to be present has been deliberately left unspecified, thus indicating that while the punishment must be given publicity, it need not be made a "public spectacle".]     The adulteress/fornicatress (F) and the adulterer/fornicator (M), so whip/lash each one from them (B) one hundred whip(s)/lash(es), and mercy/compassion does not take you with them (B) in God's religion/judgment, if you were believing by God and the day the last/Resurrection Day, and a group of people from the believers should witnessed their (B)'s torture.     alzany+ walzany fajldwa kl waHd mnhma mY+ jld+ wlataKXkm bhma raf+ fy dyn allh an kntm tWmnwn ballh walywm alaKr wly$hd `Xabhma TaYf+ mn almWmnyn
 
3.  *     Let no man guilty of adultery or fornication marry and but a woman similarly guilty, or an Unbeliever: nor let any but such a man or an Unbeliever marry such a woman: to the Believers such a thing is forbidden.     [Both are equally guilty:] the adulterer couples with none other than an adulteress - that is, a woman who accords [to her own lust] a place side by side with God; [The term mushrik (fem. mushrikah), which normally signifies a person who associates in his or her mind all manner of imaginary deities or forces with God, or who believes that any created being has a share in His qualities or powers, is here evidently used in the widest metaphorical sense of this term, denoting one who accords to his or her desires a supremacy which is due to God alone, and thus blasphemes against the principles of ethics and morality enjoined by Him. The particle aw (lit., "or") which connects the word mushrikah with the preceding word zaniyah ("adulteress") has in this context - as well as in the next clause, where both these terms appear in their masculine form - an amplifying, explanatory value equivalent to the expression "in other words" or "that is", similar to the use of this particle in 23:6. For a further elucidation of the above passage, see next note.] and with the adulteress couples none other than an adulterer - that is, a man who accords [to his own lust] a place side by side with God: and this is forbidden unto the believers. [Some of the commentators understand this passage in the sense of an injunction: "The adulterer shall not marry any but an adulteress or a mushrikah: and as for the adulteress, none shall marry her but an adulterer or a rnushrik. This interpretation is objectionable on several counts: firstly, the Quran does not ever countenance the marriage of a believer, however great a sin he or she may have committed, with an unbeliever (in the most pejorative sense of this term); secondly, it is a fundamental principle of Islamic Law that once a crime has been expiated by the transgressor's undergoing the ordained legal punishment (in this case, a hundred stripes), it must be regarded, insofar as the society is concerned, as atoned for and done with; and, lastly, the construction of the above passage is clearly that of a statement of fact (Razi), and cannot be interpreted as an injunction. On the other hand, since adultery is an illicit sexual union, the verb yankihu, which appears twice in this passage, cannot have the customary, specific meaning of "he marries" but must, rather, be understood in its general sense - applicable to both lawful and unlawful sexual intercourse - namely, "he couples with". It is in this sense that the great commentator Abu Muslim (as quoted by Razi) explains the above verse, which stresses the fact that both partners are equally guilty inasmuch as they commit their sin consciously - implying that neither of them can cause himself or herself on the ground of having been merely "seduced".]     The adulterer/fornicator does not marry except an the adulteress/fornicatress or a sharer/taker of partners (with God), and the adulteress/fornicatress, none marries her except an adulterer/fornicator or sharer/taker of partners (with God), and that (was) forbidden on the believers.     alzany laynkH ala zany+ aw m$rk+ walzany+ laynkHha ala zan aw m$rk wHrm Xlk `li almWmnyn
 
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;--     And as for those who accuse chaste women [of adultery], [The term rnuhsanat denotes literally "women who are fortified [against unchastity]", i.e., by marriage and/or faith and self-respect, implying that, from a legal point of view, every woman must he considered chaste unless a conclusive proof to the contrary is produced. (The passage relates to women other than the accusers own wife, for in the latter case - as shown in verses 6 - 9 - the law of evidence and the consequences are different.] and then are unable to produce four witnesses [in support of their accusation], flog them with eighty stripes [By obvious implication, this injunction applies also to cases where a woman accuses a man of illicit sexual intercourse, and is subsequently unable to prove her accusation legally. The severity of the punishment to be meted out in such cases, as well as the requirement of four witnesses - instead of the two that Islamic Law regards as sufficient in all other criminal and civil suits - is based on the imperative necessity of preventing slander and off-hand accusations. As laid down in several authentic sayings of the Prophet, the evidence of the four witnesses must be direct, and not merely circumstantial: in other words, it is not sufficient for them to have witnessed a situation which made it evident that sexual intercourse was taking or had taken place: they must have witnessed the sexual act as such, and must be able to prove this to the entire satisfaction of the judicial authority (Razi, summing up the views of the greatest exponents of Islamic Law). Since such a complete evidence is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to obtain, it is obvious that the purpose of the above Quranic injunction is to preclude, in practice, all third-party accusations relating to illicit sexual intercourse - for, "man has been created weak"     And those who blame and accuse the chaste/married then they did not come with witnesses/testifiers,so whip/lash them eighty whip(s)/lash(es), and do not accept for them a testimony/certification, ever (E), and those are the debauchers.     walXyn yrmwn almHSnat xm lm yatwa barb`+ $hda' fajldwhm xmanyn jld+ wlatqblwa lhm $had+ abda wawlYk hm alfasqwn
 
5.  *     Unless they repent thereafter and mend (their conduct); for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.     excepting [from this interdict] only those who afterwards repent and made amends: [I.e., who publicly withdraw their accusation after having suffered the punishment of flogging - which, being a legal right of the wrongly accused person, cannot be obviated by mere repentance and admission of guilt. Thus, the above-mentioned exemption relates only to the interdict on giving testimony and not to the punishment by flogging.] for, behold, God is much forgiving, a dispenser of grace.     Except those who repented from after that, and corrected/repaired, so then God (is) forgiving, merciful.     ala alXyn tabwa mn b`d Xlk waSlHwa fan allh Gfwr rHym
 
6.  *     And for those who launch a charge against their spouses, and have (in support) no evidence but their own,--their solitary evidence (can be received) if they bear witness four times (with an oath) by Allah that they are solemnly telling the truth;     And as for those who accuse their own wives [of adultery], but have no witnesses except themselves, let each of these [accusers] call God four times to witness that he is indeed telling the truth, [Lit., "then the testimony of any of these shall be four testimonies [or "solemn affirmations"] before God".]     And those who blame and accuse their spouses, and (there) were not for them witnesses/testifiers except themselves, so testimony/certification (of) one of them, four testimonies/certifications by God that he truly is from (E) the truthful.     walXyn yrmwn azwajhm wlm ykn lhm $hda' ala anfshm f$had+ aHdhm arb` $hadat ballh anh lmn alSadqyn
 
7.  *     And the fifth (oath) (should be) that they solemnly invoke the curse of Allah on themselves if they tell a lie.     and the fifth time, that God's curse be upon him if he is telling a lie.     And the fifth that God's curse/torture (is) on him, if he was from the liars/deniers/falsifiers.     walKams+ an l`n+ allh `lyh an kan mn alkaXbyn
 
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;     But [as for the wife, all] chastisement shall be averted from her by her calling God four times to witness that he is indeed telling a lie,     And pushes away/repels the torture from her that she witnesses/testifies four testimonies/certifications by God that he truly is from (E) the liars/deniers/falsifiers.     wydrAw `nha al`Xab an t$hd arb` $hadat ballh anh lmn alkaXbyn
 
9.  *     And the fifth (oath) should be that she solemnly invokes the wrath of Allah on herself if (her accuser) is telling the truth.     and the fifth [time], that God's curse be upon her if he is telling the truth, [Thus, the husband's accusation is to be regarded as proven if the wife refuses to take an oath to the contrary, and disproved if she solemnly sets her word against his. Inasmuch as this procedure, which is called lian ("oath of condemnation"), leaves the question of guilt legally undecided, both parties are absolved of all the legal consequences otherwise attending upon adultery - resp. an unproven accusation of adultery - the only consequence being a mandatory divorce.]     And the fifth, that God's anger (is) on her if he was from the truthful.     walKams+ an GDb allh `lyha an kan mn alSadqyn
 
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).     AND WERE it not for God's favour upon you, [O man,] and His grace, and that God is a wise acceptor of repentance...! [This sentence, which introduces the section dealing with the condemnation of all unfounded or unproven accusations of unchastity - as well as the similar sentence which closes it in verse 20 - is deliberately left incomplete, leaving it to man to imagine what would have happened to individual lives and to society if God had not ordained all the above-mentioned legal and moral safeguards against possibly false accusations, or if He had made a proof of adultery dependent on mere circumstantial evidence. This idea is further elaborated in verses 14 -15.]     And where it not for God's grace/blessing on you and His mercy, and that God (is) forgiving, wise/judicious.     wlwla fDl allh `lykm wrHmth wan allh twab Hkym
 
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 penalty grievous.     Verily, numerous among you are those who would falsely accuse others of unchastity: [Lit., "those who brought forth the lie (al-ifk, here denoting a false accusation of unchastity) are a numerous group (usbah) among you". The term usbah signifies any group of people, of indeterminate number, banded together for a particular purpose (Taj al-Arus). According to all the commentators, the passage comprising verses 11-20 relates to an incident, which occurred on the Prophet's return from the campaign against the tribe of Mustaliq in the year 5 H. The Prophet's wife Aishah, who had accompanied him on that expedition, was inadvertently left behind when the Muslims struck camp before dawn. After having spent several hours alone, she was found by one of the Prophet's Companions, who led her to the next halting-place of the army. This incident gave rise to malicious insinuations of misconduct on the part of Aishah; but these rumours were short-lived, and her innocence was established beyond all doubt. As is the case with all Quranic allusions to historical events, this one, too, is primarily meant to bring out an ethical proposition valid for all times and all social circumstances: and this is the reason why the grammatical construction of the above passage is such that the past-tense verbs occurring in verses 11-16 can be - and, I believe, should be - understood as denoting the present tense.] [but, O you who are thus wronged,] deem it not a bad thing for you: nay, it is good for you! [I.e., in the sight of God: for, the unhappiness caused by unjust persecution confers - as does every undeserved and patiently borne suffering - a spiritual merit on the person thus afflicted. Cf. the saying of the Prophet, quoted by Bukhari and Muslim: "Whenever a believer is stricken with any hardship, or pain, or anxiety, or sorrow, or harm, or distress - even if it be a thorn that has hurt him - God redeems thereby some of his failings."] [As for the slanderers,] unto every one of them [will be accounted] all that he has earned by [thus] sinning; and awesome suffering awaits any of them who takes it upon himself to enhance this [sin]! [I.e., by stressing, in a legally and morally inadmissible manner, certain "circumstantial" details or aspects of the case in order to make the slanderous, unfounded allegation more believable.]     That those who came with the lies/falsehood a group/band/company from you, do not think/suppose it (is) bad/evil/harm for you, rather/but it is best for you to each/every human from them what he earned/gained from the sin/crime; and who followed his arrogance/great sin from them (there is) for him a great torture.     an alXyn jaWwa balafk `Sb+ mnkm latHsbwh $ra lkm bl hw Kyr lkm lkl amrY mnhm maaktsb mn alaxm walXy twli kbrh mnhm lh `Xab `Zym
 
12.  *     Why did not the believers--men and women--when ye heard of the affair,--put the best construction on it in their own minds and say, "This (charge) is an obvious lie"?     Why do not the believing men and women, whenever such [a rumour] is heard, [Lit., "whenever you hear it" - the pronoun "you" indicating here the community as a whole.] think the best of one another and say, "This is an obvious falsehood"?     Where it not for when you heard it, the believers (M) and the believers (F) thought/assumed goodness with themselves, and they said: "That (is) evident lies/falsehood."     lwla aX sm`tmwh Zn almWmnwn walmWmnat banfshm Kyra wqalwa hXa afk mbyn
 
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!     why do they not [demand of the accusers that they] [This interpolation is necessary in view of the fact that the believers spoken of in the preceding verse are blamed, not for making the false accusation, but for not giving it the lie.] produce four witnesses to prove their allegation? [Lit., "in support thereof" (alayhi).] - for, if they do not produce such witnesses, it is those [accusers] who, in the sight of God, are liars indeed!     Unless they come on it with four witnesses/testifiers, so if they do not come with witnesses/testifiers, so those are at God they are the liars/deniers/falsifiers.     lwla jaWwa `lyh barb`+ $hda' faX lm yatwa bal$hda' fawlYk `nd allh hm alkaXbwn
 
14.  *     Were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah on you, in this world and the Hereafter, a grievous penalty would have seized you in that ye rushed glibly into this affair.     And were it not for God's favour upon you, [O men,] and His grace in this world and in the life to come, awesome suffering would indeed have afflicted you in result of all [the calumny] in which you indulge [Sc., "yourselves and your whole society". With this and the next verse the discourse returns to, and elaborates, the idea touched upon in verse 10 and explained in the corresponding note.]     And where it not for God's grace/favour/blessing on you and His mercy in the present world and the end (other life), great torture would have touched you in what you flowed/spread in it.     wlwlafDl allh `lykm wrHmth fy aldnya walaKr+ lmskm fy maafDtm fyh `Xab `Zym
 
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.     when you take it up with your tongues, uttering with your mouths something of which you have no knowledge, and deeming it a light matter whereas in the sight of God it is an awful thing!     When you receive it with your tongues/languages and you say with your mouths what knowledge is not for you with it (you have no knowledge of) and you think/suppose it (is) easy/light, and it is at God great.     aX tlqwnh balsntkm wtqwlwn bafwahkm malys lkm bh `lm wtHsbwnh hyna whw `nd allh `Zym
 
16.  *     And why did ye not, when ye heard it, say?--"It is not right of us to speak of this: Glory to Allah. this is a most serious slander!"     And [once again]: Why do you not say, whenever you hear such [a rumour], "It does not behove us to speak of this, O Thou who art limitless in Thy glory: this is an awesome calumny"? [The interjection subhanaka ("O Thou who art limitless in Thy glory") stresses here the believers moral duty to bethink himself of God whenever he is tempted to listen to, or to repeat, a calumny (since every such rumour must be considered a calumny unless its truth is legally proved).]     And if only when you want/listened (to) it, you said: "It (is) not to be for us that we converse/speak with that, Your praise/glory, that (is) great falsehood/slander."     wlwla aX sm`tmwh qltm maykwn lna an ntklm bhXa sbHank hXa bhtan `Zym
 
17.  *     Allah doth admonish you, that ye may never repeat such (conduct), if ye are (true) Believers.     God admonishes you [hereby] lest you ever revert to the like of this [sin], if you are [truly] believers;     God advises/warns you that you return to similar/equal to it ever, if you were believing.     y`Zkm allh an t`wdwa lmxlh abda an kntm mWmnyn
 
18.  *     And Allah makes the Signs plain to you: for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.     for God makes [His] messages clear unto you - and God is all-knowing, Wise!     And God clarifies/explains for you the verses/evidences, and God (is) knowledgeable, wise/judicious.     wybyn allh lkm alayat wallh `lym Hkym
 
19.  *     Those who love (to see) scandal published broadcast among the Believers, will have a grievous Penalty in this life and in the Hereafter: Allah knows, and ye know not.     Verily, as for those who like [to hear] foul slander spread against [any of] those who have attained to faith [The term fahishah signifies anything that is morally reprehensible or abominable: hence, "immoral conduct" in the widest sense of this expression. In the above context it refers to unfounded or unproven allegations of immoral conduct, in other words, "foul slander".] grievous suffering awaits them in this world [I.e., the legal punishment as stipulated in verse 4 of his surah.] and in the life to come: for God knows [the full truth], whereas you know [it] not. [This Quranic warning against slander and, by obvious implication, against any attempt at seeking out other people's faults finds a clear echo in several well-authenticated sayings of the Prophet: "Beware of all guesswork [about one another], for, behold, all [such] guesswork is most deceptive (akdhab al-hadith); and do not spy upon one another and do not try to bare [other people's] failings" (Muwatta; almost identical versions of this Tradition have been quoted by Bukhari, Muslim and Abu Daud): "Do not hurt those who have surrendered themselves to God (al-muslimin) and do not impute evil to them and do not try to uncover their nakedness [i.e., their faults]: for, behold, if anyone tries to uncover his brother's nakedness, God will uncover his own nakedness [on the Day of  judgment]" (Tirmidhi); and, "Never does a believer draw a veil over the nakedness of the other believer without  Gods drawing a veil over his own nakedness on Resurrection Day" (Bukhari). All these injunctions have received their seal, as it were, in the Quranic exhortation: "Avoid most guesswork [about one another] - for, behold, some of [such] guesswork is [in itself] a sin"     That those who love/like that the enormous/atrocious deed spread/circulate in (between) those who believed, for them (is a) painful torture in the present world and the end (other life), and God knows, and you do not know.     an alXyn yHbwn an t$y` alfaH$+ fy alXyn amnwa lhm `Xab alym fy aldnya walaKr+ wallh y`lm wantm lat`lmwn
 
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).     And were it not for God's favour upon you and His grace, and that God is compassionate, a dispenser of grace...! [See verse 10 of this surah and the corresponding note.]     And where it not for God's grace/favour/blessing on you and His mercy, and that God (is) compassionate/merciful, merciful.     wlwla fDl allh `lykm wrHmth wan allh rWwf rHym
 
21.  *     O ye who believe! follow not Satan's footsteps: if any will follow the footsteps of Satan, he will (but) command what is shameful 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).     O You who have attained to faith! Follow not Satan's footsteps: for he who follows Satan's footsteps [will find that], behold, he enjoins but deeds of abomination and all that runs counter to reason. [In this context, the term al-munkar has apparently the same meaning as in 16:90 (explained in the corresponding note) since, as the sequence shows, it clearly relates to the unreasonable self-righteousness of so many people who "follow Satan's footsteps" by imputing moral failings to others and forgetting that it is only due to Gods grace that man, in his inborn weakness, can ever remain pure.] And were it not for God's favour upon you and His grace, not one of you would ever have remained pure. For [thus it is:] God who causes whomever He wills to grow in purity: for God is all-hearing, all-knowing.     You, you those who believed, do not follow the devil's foot steps, and who follows the devil's foot steps, so that he truly orders/commands with the enormous/atrocious deeds, and the defiance of God and His orders/obscenity, and where it not for God's grace/favour/blessing on you and His mercy (there would) not (be) from one from you ever (E) (that) purified/corrected, and but God purifies/corrects whom He wills/wants/intends, and God (is) hearing/listening, knowledgeable.     yaayha alXyn amnwa lattb`wa KTwat al$yTan wmn ytb` KTwat al$yTan fanh yamr balfH$a' walmnkr wlwla fDl allh `lykm wrHmth mazki mnkm mn aHd abda wlkn allh yzky mn y$a' wallh smy` `lym
 
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.     Hence, [even if they have been wronged by slander,] let not those of you who have been graced with God's favour and ease of life ever become remiss in helping [Or: "Swear that [henceforth] they would not help [lit., "give to"]...", etc. Both these meanings - "he swore [that]" and "he became remiss [in]" - are attributable to the verb ala, which appears in the above sentence in the form ya tal. My rendering is based on the interpretation given to this verb by the great philologist Abu Ubayd al-Qasim al-Harawi (Cf. Lane I, 84).] [the erring ones among] their near of kin, and the needy, and those who have forsaken the domain of evil for the sake of God, [For an explanation of this rendering of the designation al-muhajirun (or, in other places, alladhina hajaru), see surah 2:218.] but let them pardon and forbear. [For,] do you not desire that God should forgive you your sins, seeing that God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace? [It is generally assumed that this verse refers to Abu Bakr, who swore that he would never again help his poor relative, the muhajir Mistah (whom he used to support until then) after the latter had taken part in slandering Abu Bakr's daughter, Aishah (see note on verse 11 above). There is no doubt that this assumption of the commentators is well-founded; but there is also no doubt that the ethical purport of the above verse is timeless and, therefore, independent of the fact or facts with which it appears to be historically linked. (This view finds additional support in the use of the plural form throughout the above passage.) The call to "pardon and forbear" is fully consonant with the Quranic principle of countering evil with good (see 13:22 and the corresponding note).]     (Owners) of the grace/favour/blessing and the wealth/abundance from you do not slacken/relax, that they give/bring (those) of the relations/near, and the poorest of poor/poor oppressed, and the emigrants in God's sake/path, and to forgive/pardon, and they should forgive/pardon, do you not love/like that God forgives for you? And God (is) forgiving, merciful.     wlayatl awlwa alfDl mnkm wals`+ an yWtwa awly alqrbi walmsakyn walmhajryn fy sbyl allh wly`fwa wlySfHwa ala tHbwn an yGfr allh lkm wallh Gfwr rHym
 
23.  *     Those who slander chaste women, indiscreet but believing, are cursed in this life and in the Hereafter: for them is a grievous Penalty,-     [But,] verily, those who [falsely, and without repentance,] [According to Razi, the absence of repentance is incontrovertibly implied in the condemnation expressed in the sequence. since the Quran makes it clear in many places that God always accepts a sinner's sincere repentance.] accuse chaste women who may have been unthinkingly careless but have remained true to their faith, [Lit., "chaste, unmindful [or "careless"] believing women", i.e., virtuous women who thoughtlessly expose themselves to situations on which a slanderous construction may be put.] shall be rejected [from God's grace] in this world as well as in the life to come: and awesome suffering awaits them     That truly those who blame and accuse the chaste/married, the neglecting/disregarding (F), the believing (F), were cursed/humiliated in the present world, and the end (other life) and for them (is) a great torture.     an alXyn yrmwn almHSnat alGaflat almWmnat l`nwa fy aldnya walaKr+ wlhm `Xab `Zym
 
24.  *     On the Day when their tongues, their hands, and their feet will bear witness against them as to their actions.     on the Day when their own tongues and hands and feet will bear witness against them by [recalling] all that they did!     A day/time their tongues, and their hands, and their feet witness/testify on them becuase (of) what they were making/doing.     ywm t$hd `lyhm alsnthm waydyhm warjlhm bma kanwa y`mlwn
 
25.  *     On that Day Allah will pay them back (all) their just dues, and they will realise that Allah is the (very) Truth, that makes all things manifest.     On that day God will pay them in full their just due, and they will come to know that God alone is the Ultimate Truth, manifest, and manifesting [the true nature of all that has ever been done]. [Regarding the double meaning ("manifest" and "manifesting") inherent in the adjective mubin, see note on 12:1; for my rendering of God's attribute al-haqq as "the Ultimate Truth", see note on 20:114. In this particular instance, the active form of mubin ("manifesting") apparently relates to Gods revelation, on Judgment Day, of the true nature of man's actions and, thus, of the enormity of the sin to which this passage refers.]     That day God fulfills/completes (to) them their religion/reimbursement the truth, and they know that God, He is the truth, the clear/evident.     ywmYX ywfyhm allh dynhm alHq wy`lmwn an allh hw alHq almbyn
 
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 not affected by what people say: for them there is forgiveness, and a provision honourable.     [In the nature of things,] corrupt women are for corrupt men, and corrupt men, for corrupt women - just as good women are for good men, and good men, for good women. [Since God is aware that] these are innocent of all that evil tongues may impute to them, [Lit., "innocent of all that they [i.e., the slanderers] may say".] forgiveness of sins shall be theirs, and a most excellent sustenance! [See note on 8:4. The reference, in this context, to God's "forgiveness of sins" (maghfirah) is obviously meant to stress the innate weakness of man's nature, which makes him prone to sinning, however good and pure he may be (cf. 4 28).]     The cheaters/wicked (F) (are) to the cheaters/wicked (M), and the cheaters/wicked (M) (are) to the cheaters/wicked (F), and the good/pure (F) (are) to good/pure (M), and the good/pure (M) (are) to the good/pure (F), those are being made innocent/pure from what they are saying, for them (is) forgiveness and generous/kind (reimbursement).     alKbyxat llKbyxyn walKbyxwn llKbyxat walTybat llTybyn walTybwn llTybat awlYk mbrWwn mma yqwlwn lhm mGfr+ wrzq krym
 
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).     O YOU who have attained to faith! Do not enter houses other than your own unless you have obtained permission and greeted their inmates. This is [enjoined upon you] for your own good, so that you might bear [your mutual rights] in mind. [This categorical prohibition connects with the preceding passages inasmuch as it serves as an additional protection of individuals against possible slander. In its wider purport, it postulates the inviolability of each person's home and private life, (For the socio-political implications of this principle, see State and government in Islam, pp. 84 ff.)]     You, you those who believed, do not enter houses/homes other than your houses/homes, until you perceive (seek permission), and you greet on (to) its family/people, that (is) best for you, maybe/perhaps you mention/remember.     yaayha alXyn amnwa latdKlwa bywta Gyr bywtkm Hti tstanswa wtslmwa `li ahlha Xlkm Kyr lkm l`lkm tXkrwn
 
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.     Hence, [even] if you find no one within [the house], do not enter it until you are given leave; [I.e., by the rightful owner or caretaker.] and if you are told, "Turn back," then turn back. This will be most conducive to your purity; and God has full knowledge of all that you do.     So if you did not find in it anyone, so do not enter it until (it) be permitted/allowed for you, and if (it) was said to you: "Return." So return, it is more pure/correct for you, and God (is) with what you make/do knowledgeable.     fan lm tjdwa fyha aHda fla tdKlwha Hti yWXn lkm wan qyl lkm arj`wa farj`wa hw azki lkm wallh bma t`mlwn `lym
 
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.     [On the other hand,] you will incur no sin if you [freely] enter houses not intended for living in but serving a purpose useful to you: [Lit., "uninhabited houses wherein there are things of use (mata) for you". In the consensus of all the authorities, including the Companions of The Prophet, this relates to buildings or premises of a more or less public nature, like inns, shops, administrative Offices, public baths, etc., as well as to ancient ruins.] but [always remember that] God knows all that you do openly, and all that you would conceal.     An offense/guilt/sin is not on you that you enter houses/homes not resided in/inhabited, in it (is) enjoyment for you, and God knows what you show, and what you hide/conceal.246     lys `lykm jnaH an tdKlwa bywta Gyr mskwn+ fyha mta` lkm wallh y`lm matbdwn wmatktmwn
 
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.     Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and to be mindful of their chastity: [Lit., "to restrain [something] of their gaze and to guard their private parts". The latter expression may be understood both in the literal sense of "covering of one's private parts" - i.e., modesty in dress - as well as in the metonymical sense of "restraining one's sexual urges", i.e., restricting them to what is lawful, namely, marital intercourse (cf. 23:5 -6). The rendering adopted by me in this instance allows for both interpretations. The "lowering of ones gaze", too, relates both to physical and to emotional modesty (Razi).] this will be most conducive to their purity - [and,] verily, God is aware of all that they do.     Say to the believers (to) lower/humble from their eye sights, and they protect/safe keep from their genital parts between their legs, that is more pure/correct for them, that God (is) expert/experienced with what they make/do.     ql llmWmnyn yGDwa mn abSarhm wyHfZwa frwjhm Xlk azki lhm an allh Kbyr bma ySn`wn
 
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 (must 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 servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; 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, that ye may attain Bliss.     And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and to be mindful of their chastity, and not to display their charms [in public] beyond what may [decently] be apparent thereof;  [My interpolation of the word "decently" reflects the interpretation of the phrase illa ma zahara minha by several of the earliest Islamic scholars, and particularly by Al-Qiffal (quoted by Razi) as "that which a human being may openly show in accordance with prevailing custom (al-adah al-jariyah)". Although the traditional exponents of Islamic Law have for centuries been inclined to restrict the definition of "what may [decently] be apparent" to a woman's face, hands and feet - and sometimes even less than that - we may safely assume that the meaning off illa ma zahara minha is much wider, and that the deliberate vagueness of this phrase is meant to allow for all the time-bound changes that are necessary for man's moral and social growth. The pivotal clause in the above injunction is the demand, addressed in identical terms to men as well as to women, to "lower their gaze and be mindful of their chastity": and this determines the extent of what, at any given time, may legitimately - i.e., in consonance with the Quranic principles of social morality - be considered "decent" or "indecent" in a person's outward appearance.] hence, let them draw their head-coverings over their bosoms. [The noun khimar (of which khumur is the plural) denotes the head-covering customarily used by Arabian women before and after the advent of Islam. According to most of the classical commentators, it was worn in pre-Islamic times more or less as all ornament and was let down loosely over the wearer's back; and since, in accordance with the fashion prevalent at the time, the upper part of a woman's tunic had a wide opening in the front, her breasts cleavage were left bare. Hence, the injunction to cover the bosom by means of a khimar, (a term so familiar to the contemporaries of the Prophet) does not necessarily relate to the use of a khimar as such but is, rather, meant to make it clear that a woman's breasts are not included in the concept of "what may decently be apparent" of her body and should not, therefore, be displayed.] And let them not display [more of] their charms to any but their husbands, or their fathers, or their husbands' fathers, or their sons, or their husbands' Sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their womenfolk, or those whom they rightfully possess, or such male attendants as are beyond all sexual desire, [I.e., very old men. The preceding phrase "those whom they rightfully possess" (lit., "whom their right hands possess") denotes slaves; but see also second note on verse 58.] or children that are as yet unaware of women's nakedness; and let them not swing their legs [in walking] so as to draw attention to their hidden charms [Lit., "so that those of their charms which they keep hidden may become known", The phrase yadribna bi-arjulihinna is idiomatically similar to the phrase daraba bi-yadayhi fi mishyatihi, "he swung his arms in walking" (quoted in this context in Taj al-Arus), and alludes to a deliberately provocative gait.] And [always], O you believers - all of you - turn unto God in repentance, so that you might attain to a happy state! [The implication of this general call to repentance is that "since man has been created weak" 4:28, no one is ever free of faults and temptations - so much so that even the Prophet used to say, "Verily, I turn unto Him in repentance a hundred times every day" (Ibn Hanbal, Bukhari and Bayhaqi, all of then, on the authority of Abd Allah ibn Umar).]     And say to the believers they (F) lower/humble from their eye sights, and they (F) protect/safe keep from their genital parts between their legs, and they do not show their decoration/beauty except what appeared/is visible from it, and they hold in place/sew (E) with their head covers/covers on their collar opening in clothes/chests, and they do not show their decoration/beauty except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's fathers (fathers in-law), or their sons, or their husband's sons (step- sons), or their brothers, or their brother's sons (nephews), or their sisters' sons (nephews), or their women, or what their right (hands) owned/possessed (i.e. care-giers under contract), or the followers/servants (those) not (owners) of need/desire/intelligence and resourcefulness (without a sexual drive) from the men or the child/children (the very old or very young), those who did not see and know of on the women's shameful genital parts, and they (F) do not beat/strike with their (F) feet to be known what they (F) hide from their decoration/beauty, and repent to God all together, oh you the believers, maybe/perhaps you succeed/win.     wql llmWmnat yGDDn mn abSarhm wyHfZn frwjhn wlaybdyn zynthn ala maZhr mnha wlyDrbn bKmrhn `li jywbhn wlaybdyn zynthn ala lb`wlthn aw abaYhn aw aba' b`wlthn aw abnaYhn aw abna' b`wlthn aw aKwanhn aw bny aKwanhn aw bny aKwathn aw nsaYhn aw mamlkt  aymanhn aw altab`yn Gyr awly alarb+ mn alrjal aw alTfl alXyn lm yZhrwa `li `wrat alnsa' wlayDrbn barjlhn ly`lm mayKfyn mn zynthn wtwbwa ali allh jmy`a ayha almWmnwn l`lkm tflHwn
 
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 encompasseth all, and he knoweth all things.     AND [you ought to] marry the single from among you [I.e., from among the free members of the community, as is evident from the subsequent juxtaposition with slaves. (As most of the classical commentators point out, this is not an injunction but a recommendation to the community as a whole: hence my interpolation of the words, "you ought to".) The term ayyim - of which ayama is the plural - signifies a person of either sex who has no spouse, irrespective of whether he or she has never been married or is divorced or widowed. Thus, the above verse expresses the idea - reiterated in many authentic sayings of the Prophet - that, from both the ethical and the social points of view, the married state is infinitely preferable to celibacy.] as well as such of your male and female slaves as are fit [for marriage]. [The term as-salihin connotes here both moral and physical fitness for marriage: i.e., the attainment of bodily and mental maturity as well as mutual affection between the man and the woman concerned. As in 4:25, the above verse rules out all forms of concubinage and postulates marriage as the only basis of lawful sexual relations between a man and his female slave.] If they [whom you intend to marry] are poor, [let this not deter you;] God will grant them sufficiency out of His bounty - for God is infinite [in His mercy], all-knowing.     And marry the widows/widowers from you, and the correct/righteous from your slaves/servants and your owned (F) slaves, if they be poor/needy God enriches/suffices them from His grace/favour/blessing, and God (is) rich/spread, knowledgeable.     wankHwa alayami mnkm walSalHyn mn `badkm wamaYkm an ykwnwa fqra' yGnhm allh mn fDlh wallh was` `lym
 
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 (to enable them to earn their freedom for a certain sum), 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),     And as for those who are unable to marry, [I.e., because of poverty or because they cannot find a suitable mate, or for any other personal reason.] let them live in continence until God grants them sufficiency out of His bounty,  And if any of those whom you rightfully possess [Lit., "whom your right hands possess", i.e., male or female slaves.] desire [to obtain] a deed of freedom, write it out for them if you are aware of any good in them: [The noun kitab is, in this context, an equivalent of kitabah or mukatabah (lit., "mutual agreement in writing"), a juridical term signifying a "deed of freedom" or "of manumission" executed on the basis of an agreement between a slave and his or her owner, to the effect that the slave undertakes to purchase his or her freedom for an equitable sum of money payable in installments before or after the manumission, or, alternatively, by rendering a clearly specified service or services to his or her owner. With this end in view, the slave is legally entitled to engage in any legitimate, gainful work or to obtain the necessary sum of money by any other lawful means (e.g., through a loan or a gift from a third person). In view of the imperative form of the verb katibuhum ("write it out for them"), the deed of manumission cannot be refused by the owner, the only pre-condition being an evidence - to be established, if necessary, by an unbiased arbiter or arbiters - of the slave's good character and ability to fulfill his or her contractual obligations. The stipulation that such a deed of manumission may not he refused, and the establishment of precise juridical directives to this end, clearly indicates that Islamic Law has from its very beginning aimed at an abolition of slavery as a social institution, and that its prohibition in modern times constitutes no more than a final implementation of that aim. (See also next note, as well as note on 2:177.) and give them [their share of the wealth of God which He has given you. [According to all the authorities, this relates (a) to a moral obligation on the part of the owner to promote the slave's efforts to obtain the necessary revenues by helping him or her to achieve an independent economic status and/or by remitting part of the agreed-upon compensation, and (b) to the obligation of the state treasury (bayt al-mal) to finance the freeing of slaves in accordance with the Quranic principle - enunciated in 9:60 - that the revenues obtained through the obligatory tax called zakah are to be utilized, among other purposes, "for the freeing of human beings from bondage" (fi r-riqab, an expression explained in note on 2:177). Hence, Zamakhshari holds that the above clause is addressed not merely to persons owning slaves but to the community as a whole - The expression "the wealth of God" contains an allusion to the principle that "God has bought of the believers their lives and their possessions, promising them paradise in return" 9:111 - implying that all of man's possessions are vested in God, and that man is entitled to no more than their usufruct.]  And do not, in order to gain [Lit., "so that you might seek out" or "endeavour to attain to".] some of the fleeting pleasures of this worldly life, coerce your [slave] maidens into whoredom if they happen to be desirous of marriage; [Lit., "if they desire protection against unchastity (tahassun)", i.e., through marriage (cf. the expression muhsanat as used in 4:24). Most of the classical commentators are of the opinion that the term fatayat ("maidens") denotes here "slave-girls": an assumption which is fully warranted by the context hence, the above verse reiterates the prohibition of concubinage by explicitly describing it as "whoredom" (bigha).] and if anyone should coerce them, then, verily, after they have been compelled [to submit in their helplessness], God will be much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!     And those who do not find marriage should refrain/be chaste until God enriches/suffices them from His grace/favour/blessing, and those who ask/wish/desire the destiny/fate/term (marriage) from what your rights owned/possessed, so write with them (marry them), if you knew goodness in them, and give/bring them from God's property/possession/wealth which He gave you, and do not compel/force your young women/(F) youths on (to) the prostitution, if they (F) wanted/intended chastity, to desire the life the present's/worldly life's vanities/non-essentials, and who compels/forces them (F), so then God (is) from after their having been compelled/forced, forgiving, merciful.     wlyst`ff alXyn layjdwn nkaHa Hti yGnyhm allh mn fDlh walXyn ybtGwn alktab mma mlkt aymankm fkatbwhm an `lmtm fyhm Kyra watwhm mn mal allh alXy atakm wlatkrhwa ftyatkm `li albGa' an ardn tHSna ltbtGwa `rD alHya+ aldnya wmn ykrhhn fan allh mn b`d  akrahhn Gfwr rHym
 
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)).     AND, INDEED, from on high have We bestowed upon you messages clearly showing the truth, and [many] a lesson from [the stories of] those who have passed away before you, and [many] an admonition to the God-conscious.     And We had descended to you verses/evidences evident, and an example/proverb from those who past/expired from before you, and an advice/warning to the fearing and obeying.     wlqd anzlna alykm ayat mbynat wmxla mn alXyn Klwa mn qblkm wmw`Z+ llmtqyn
 
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.     God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His light is, as it were, [The particle ka ("as if" or "as it were") prefixed to a noun is called kaf at-tashbih ("the letter kaf pointing to a resemblance [of one thing to another]" or "indicating a metaphor"). In the above context it alludes to the impossibility of defining God even by means of a metaphor or a parable - for, since "there is nothing like unto Him" (42:11, there is also "nothing that could he compared with Him" 112:4. Hence, the parable of "the light of God" is not meant to express His reality - which is inconceivable to any created being and, therefore, inexpressible in any human language - but only to allude to the illumination which He, who is the Ultimate Truth, bestows upon the mind and the feelings of all who are willing to be guided. Tabari, Baghawi and lbn Kathir quote Ibn Abbas and lbn Masud as saying in this context: "It is the parable of His light in the heart of a believer."] that of a niche containing a lamp; the lamp is [enclosed] in glass, the glass [shining] like a radiant star: [The "lamp" is the revelation which God grants to His prophets and which is reflected in the believer's heart - the "niche" of the above parable (Ubayy ibn Kab, as quoted by Tabari) - after being received and consciously grasped by his reason ("the glass [shining brightly] like a radiant star"): for it is through reason alone that true faith can find its way into the heart of man.] [a lamp] lit from a blessed tree - an olive-tree that is neither of the east nor of the west [It would seem that this is an allusion to the organic continuity of all divine revelation which, starting like a tree from one "root" or proposition - the statement of God's existence and uniqueness - grows steadily throughout man's spiritual history, branching out into a splendid variety of religious experience, thus endlessly widening the range of man's perception of the truth. The association of this concept with the olive-tree apparently arises from the fact that this particular kind of tree is characteristic of the lands in which most of the prophetic precursors of the Quranic message lived, namely, the lands to the east of the Mediterranean: but since all true revelation flows from the Infinite Being, it is "neither of the east nor of the west" - and especially so the revelation of the Quran, which, being addressed to all mankind, is universal in its goal as well.] - the oil whereof [is so bright that it] would well-nigh give light [of itself] even though fire had not touched it: light upon light! [The essence of the Quranic message is described elsewhere as "clear [in itself] and clearly showing the truth" (cf. note on 12:1) and it is, I believe, this aspect of the Quran that the above sentence alludes to. Its message gives light because it proceeds from God; but it would well-nigh give light [of itself] even though fire had not touched it": i.e., even though one may be unaware that it has been "touched by the fire" of divine revelation, its inner consistency, truth and wisdom ought to be self-evident to anyone who approaches it in the light of his reason and without prejudice.] God guides unto His light him that wills [to be guided];  [Although most of the commentators read the above phrase in the sense of "God guides unto His light whomever He wills", Zamakhshari gives it the sense adopted in my rendering (both being syntactically permissible).] and [to this end] God propounds parables unto men, since God [alone] has full knowledge of all things. [I.e., because of their complexity, certain truths can be conveyed to man only by means of parables or allegories: see first and the last notes on 3:7.]     God (is) the skies'/space's and the earth's/Planet Earth's light, His light's example/proverb (is) as/like a niche in it a light/lamp, the light/lamp (is) in a clear and transparent glass container, the clear and transparent glass container is as though it (is) a pearly/luminous star/planet, (it) is being ignited/lit from a blessed tree, an olive not eastern and not western, its oil is about to/almost to lighten/illuminate, and even if fire did not touch it. Light on/over light, God guides to His light whom He wills/wants, and God gives the examples/proverbs to the people, and God (is) with every thing knowledgeable.     allh nwr alsmawat walarD mxl nwrh km$ka+ fyha mSbaH almSbaH fy zjaj+ alzjaj+ kanha kwkb dry ywqd mn $jr+ mbark+ zytwn+ la$rqy+ wlaGrby+ ykad zytha yDyY wlw lm tmssh nar nwr `li nwr yhdy allh lnwrh mn y$a' wyDrb allh alamxal llnas wallh bkl $Y  `lym
 
36.  *     (Lit is such a Light) in houses, which Allah hath permitted to be raised to honour; for the celebration, in them, of His name: In them is He glorified in the mornings and in the evenings, (again and again),-     IN THE HOUSES [of worship] which God has allowed to be raised so that His name be remembered in them, [Lit., "and [ordained] that His name...", etc.: implying, as the sequence shows, that the spiritual purpose of those houses of worship is fulfilled only by some, and not all, of the people who are wont to congregate in them out of habit.] there [are such as] extol His limitless glory at morn and evening -     In houses/homes God permitted/allowed that (it) be raised/honoured and be mentioned/remembered in it his name; praises/glorifies to Him in it at the early morning and the evenings to sunsets.     fy bywt aXn allh an trf` wyXkr fyha asmh ysbH lh fyha balGdw walaSal
 
37.  *     By men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the Remembrance of Allah, nor from regular Prayer, nor from the practice of regular Charity: Their (only) fear is for the Day when hearts and eyes will be transformed (in a world wholly new),-     people whom neither [worldly] commerce nor striving after gain [lit., "bargaining" or "selling" or "buying and selling" (bay) - a metonym for anything that might bring worldly gain.] can divert from the remembrance of God, and from constancy in prayer, and from charity: [For this rendering of the term zakah, see surah 2:43.]  [people] who are filled with fear [at the thought] of the Day On which all hearts and eyes will be convulsed,     Men commercial trade and nor selling/trading does not distract/divert them from247mentioning/remembering God, and keeping up the prayers and giving/bringing the charity/purification, they fear a day/time the hearts/minds and the eye sight/knowledge turns around in it.     rjal latlhyhm tjar+ wlaby` `n Xkr allh waqam alSla+ wayta' alzka+ yKafwn ywma ttqlb fyh alqlwb walabSar
 
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.     [and who only hope] that God may reward them in accordance with the best that they ever did, and give them, out of His bounty, more [than they deserve]: for, God grants sustenance unto whom He wills, beyond all reckoning.     (For) God to reward/reimburse them best (of) what they made/did, and He increases them from His grace/favour/blessing, and God provides for whom He wills/wants without counting/calculating.     lyjzyhm allh aHsn ma`mlwa wyzydhm mn fDlh wallh yrzq mn y$a' bGyr Hsab
 
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 (ever) with him, and Allah will pay him his account: and Allah is swift in taking account.     But as for those who are bent on denying the truth, their [good] deeds are like a mirage in the desert, which the thirsty supposes to be water - until, when he approaches it, he finds that it was nothing: [I.e., he is bound to realize on Judgment Day that all his supposedly "good" deeds have been rendered worthless by his deliberate refusal to listen to the voice of truth (Zamakhshari and Razi).] instead, he finds [that] God [has always been present] with him, and [that] He will pay him his account in full - for God is swift in reckoning!     And those who disbelieved their deeds (are) as a mirage at a plain land (desert) the thirsty thinks/supposes it (is) water, until when he came to it, he did not find it a thing, and he found God at it, so He fulfilled/completed him his account/calculation, and God (is) fast/quick (in) the counting/calculating.     walXyn kfrwa a`malhm ksrab bqy`+ yHsbh alZman ma' Hti aXa ja'h lm yjdh $yYa wwjd allh `ndh fwfah Hsabh wallh sry` alHsab
 
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!     Or [else, their deeds are] [I.e., their bad deeds, as contrasted with their good deeds, which in the preceding verse have been likened to a mirage.] like the depths of darkness upon an abysmal sea, made yet more dark by wave billowing over wave, with [black] clouds above it all: depths of darkness, layer upon layer, [Lit., "one above another".] [so that] when one holds up his hand, he can hardly see it: for he to whom God gives no light, no light whatever has he!     Or as darknesses in a wide roaring and noisy sea/ocean, waves/surges cover/darken him/it, from above it waves/surges, from above it clouds, darknesses, some of it (is) above some, if he brought out his hand he is not about to/almost see it, and who God did not make/put for him light, so (there is) none from light (is) to/for him.     aw kZlmat fy bHr ljy yG$ah mwj mn fwqh mwj mn fwqh sHab Zlmat b`Dha fwq b`D aXa aKrj ydh lm ykd yraha wmn lm yj`l allh lh nwra fmalh mn nwr
 
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.     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? [Cf. 17:44 and the corresponding note.] Each [of them] knows indeed how to pray unto Him and to glorify Him; and God has full knowledge of all that they do:     Do you see/understand that God praises/glorifies for Him whom (is) in the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth, and birds (with) expanded and motionless wings in a row? Each had known its prayers and its praise/glorification, and God (is) knowledgeable with what they make/do.     alm tr an allh ysbH lh mn fy alsmawat walarD walTyr Safat kl qd `lm Slath wtsbyHh wallh `lym bma yf`lwn
 
42.  *     Yea, to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; and to Allah is the final goal (of all).     for, God's is the dominion over the heavens and the earth, and with God is all journeys' end.     And to God (is) the skies'/space's and the earth's/Planet Earth's ownership/kingdom, and to God (is) the end/destination.     wllh mlk alsmawat walarD wali allh almSyr
 
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 His lightning well-nigh blinds the sight.     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!     Do you not see/understand that God drives/eases gently clouds, then He unites/joins between it, then He makes it piled/accumulated, so you see the rain emerges from in between and around it, and He descends from the sky from mountains in it from hail, so He strikes with it whom He wills/wants, and He diverts it from whom He wills/wants, its lightning's shine/flash almost eliminates with the eye sights/knowledge.     alm tr an allh yzjy sHaba xm yWlf bynh xm yj`lh rkama ftri alwdq yKrj mn Klalh wynzl mn alsma' mn jbal fyha mn brd fySyb bh mn y$a' wySrfh `n mn y$a' ykad sna brqh yXhb balabSar
 
44.  *     It is Allah Who alternates the Night and the Day: verily in these things is an instructive example for those who have vision!     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!     God turns the night and the daytime, that truly in that (is) an example/warning (E) to (those) of the eye sights/knowledge.     yqlb allh allyl walnhar an fy Xlk l`br+ lawly alabSar
 
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.     And it is God who has created all animals out of water; [See note on 21:30. The term dabbah denotes every corporeal being endowed with both life and spontaneous movement; hence, in its widest sense, it comprises the entire animal world, including man.] 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.     And God created every/each walker/creeper/crawler from water, so from them who walks (moves) on its belly, and from them who walks on two feet, and from them who walks on four, God creates what He wills/wants, that truly God (is) on every thing capable/powerful.     wallh Klq kl dab+ mn ma' fmnhm mn ym$y `li bTnh wmnhm mn ym$y `li rjlyn wmnhm mn ym$y `li arb` yKlq allh may$a' an allh `li kl $Y qdyr
 
46.  *     We have indeed sent down signs that make things manifest: and Allah guides whom He wills to a way that is straight.     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]. [Or: "God guides whomever He wills onto a straight way". The rendering adopted by me in this instance seems preferable in view of the preceding, intensive stress on the evidence, forthcoming from all nature, of God's creative, planning activity and the appeal to "all who have eyes to see" to let themselves be guided by this overwhelming evidence.]     We had descended verses/evidences evident, and God guides whom He wills/wants to a straight/direct road/way.     lqd anzlna ayat mbynat wallh yhdy mn y$a' ali SraT mstqym
 
47.  *     They say, "We believe in Allah and in the apostle, and we obey": but even after that, some of them turn away: they are not (really) Believers.     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.     And they say: "We believed by God and with the messenger, and we obeyed." Then a group from them turns away from after that, and those are not with the believers.     wyqwlwn amna ballh wbalrswl waT`na xm ytwli fryq mnhm mn b`d Xlk wmaawlYk balmWmnyn
 
48.  *     When they are summoned to Allah and His apostle, in order that He may judge between them, behold some of them decline (to come).     And [so it is that] whenever they are summoned unto God and His Apostle in order that [the divine writ] might judge between them, [I.e., in order that the divine writ - which is implied in the preceding expression "God and His Apostle" - might determine their ethical values and, consequently, their social behaviour.] lo! some of them turn away;     And if they were called to God and His messenger to judge/rule between them, then a group from them (are) objecting/opposing.     waXa d`wa ali allh wrswlh lyHkm bynhm aXa fryq mnhm m`rDwn
 
49.  *     But if the right is on their side, they come to him with all submission.     but if the truth happens to be to their liking, they are quite willing to accept it! [Lit., "if the truth happens to be with them, they come to it willingly": cf. 4:60 - 61 and the corresponding notes.]     And if the truth/right (is) for them, they come to Him submissive/obedient.     wan ykn lhm alHq yatwa alyh mX`nyn
 
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.     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? [I.e., by depriving them of what they choose to regard as "legitimate" liberties and enjoyments, or by supposedly preventing them from "keeping up with the times". As in verses 47 and 48 (as well as in verse 51 below) the expression "God and His Apostle" is here a synonym for the divine writ revealed to the Apostle.] Nay, it is [but] they, they who are doing wrong [to themselves]!     Is there in their hearts/minds sickness/disease, or they became doubtful/suspicious, or they fear that God and His messenger be unfair/inequitable on (to) them? But those are the unjust/oppressive.     afy qlwbhm mrD am artabwa am yKafwn an yHyf allh `lyhm wrswlh bl awlYk hm alZalmwn
 
51.  *     The answer of the Believers, when summoned to Allah and His Messenger, in order that He may judge between them, is no other than this: they say, "We hear and we obey": it is such as these that will attain felicity.     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, [Lit., "The only saying of the believers...is that they say" - i.e., without any mental reservation. The term qawl (lit., "saying") has here the sense of a genuine spiritual "response" in contrast to the mere lip-service alluded to in verse 47 above.] "We have heard, and we pay heed!"- and it is they, they who shall attain to a happy state:     But the believers' word/opinion and belief if they were called to God and His messenger to judge/rule between248them was that they say: "We heard/listened and we obeyed." And those are the successful/winners.     anma kan qwl almWmnyn aXa d`wa ali allh wrswlh lyHkm bynhm an yqwlwa sm`na waT`na wawlYk hm almflHwn
 
52.  *     It is such as obey Allah and His Messenger, and fear Allah and do right, that will win (in the end),     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]!     And who obeys God and His messenger, and fears God, and fears and obeys Him, so those are the successful/triumphant.     wmn yT` allh wrswlh wyK$i allh wytqh fawlYk hm alfaYzwn
 
53.  *     They swear their strongest oaths by Allah that, if only thou wouldst command them, they would leave (their homes). Say: "Swear ye not; Obedience is (more) reasonable; verily, Allah is well acquainted with all that ye do."     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]. [This is an allusion to the ephemeral, self-deceiving enthusiasms of the half-hearted and their supposed readiness for "self-sacrifice" contrasting with their obvious reluctance to live up to the message of the Quran in their day-to-day concerns.] Say: "Swear not! Reasonable compliance [with God's message is all that is required of you]. [This elliptic phrase alludes to the principle - repeatedly stressed in the Quran - that God does not burden man with more than he can easily bear.] Verily, God is aware of all that you do!"     And they swore/made oath by God their rights'/oaths' utmost, if (E) you ordered/commanded them they will get out (E), say: "Do not swear/make oath, known obedience, that God (is) expert/experienced with what you make/do."     waqsmwa ballh jhd aymanhm lYn amrthm lyKrjn ql latqsmwa Ta`+ m`rwf+ an allh Kbyr bma t`mlwn
 
54.  *     Say: "Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger. but if ye turn away, he is only responsible for the duty placed on him and ye for that placed on you. If ye obey him, ye shall be on right guidance. The Messenger.s duty is only to preach the clear (Message).     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].     Say: "Obey God and obey the messenger." So if they turned away, so but on him what he was made to carry,and on you what you were made to carry, and if you obey him/Him you will be guided, and nothing (is) on the messenger except the information/communication, the clear/evident."     ql aTy`wa allh waTy`wa alrswl fan twlwa fanma `lyh maHml w`lykm maHmltm wan tTy`wh thtdwa wma`li alrswl ala alblaG almbyn
 
55.  *     Allah has promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety, grant them in the land, inheritance (of power), as He granted it to those before them; that He will establish in authority their religion--the one which He has chosen for them; and that He will change (their state), after the fear in which they (lived), to one of security and peace: 'They will worship Me (alone) and not associate aught with Me. 'If any do reject Faith after this, they are rebellious and wicked.     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, [Lit., "cause them to be successors on earth" - i.e., enable them to achieve, in their turn, power and security and, thus, the capability to satisfy their worldly needs, this Quranic reference to God's "promise" contains an oblique allusion to the God-willed natural law which invariably makes the rise and fall of nations dependent on their moral qualities.] 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; [Cf. 5:3 "I have willed that self-surrender unto Me (al-islam) shall be your religion". Its firm establishment (tamkin) relates to the strengthening of the believers' faith as well as to the growth of its moral influence in the world.] and that, of a certainty, He will cause their erstwhile state of fear to be replaced by a sense of security [Lit., "exchange for them, after their fear [or "danger"] security". It is to be noted that the term amn signifies not merely outward, physical security but also - and, indeed, originally - "freedom from fear" (Taj al-Arus). Hence, the above clause implies not only a promise of communal security after an initial period of weakness and danger (which, as history tells us, overshadows the beginnings of every genuine religious movement), but also the promise of an individual sense of inner security - that absence of all fear of the Unknown, which characterizes a true believer. (See next note.)] - [seeing that] they worship Me [alone], not ascribing divine powers to aught beside Me. [I.e., the believer's freedom from fear is a direct outcome of his intellectual and emotional refusal to attribute to anyone or anything but God the power to shape his destiny.] But all who, after [having understood] this, choose to deny the truth - it is they, they who are truly iniquitous!     God promised those who believed from you, and made/did the correct/righteous deeds, He makes them successors in the earth/Planet Earth, as He made successors those from before them, and to highly position/strengthen (E) for them their religion which He accepted/approved for them, He will exchange/replace them (E) safety/security from after their fear/fright, they worship Me, they do not share/made partners with Me a thing, and who disbelieved after that, so those are the debauchers.     w`d allh alXyn amnwa mnkm w`mlwa alSalHat lystKlfnhm fy alarD kma astKlf alXyn mn qblhm wlymknn lhm dynhm alXy artDi lhm wlybdlnhm mn b`d Kwfhm amna y`bdwnny lay$rkwn by $yYa wmn kfr b`d Xlk fawlYk hm alfasqwn
 
56.  *     So establish regular Prayer and give regular Charity; and obey the Messenger. that ye may receive mercy.     Hence, [O believers,] be constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues, [The specific mention of the "purifying dues" (az-zakah) in this context is meant to stress the element of unselfishness as an integral aspect of true faith. According to Zamakhshari, the above verse connects with, and concludes, verse 54.] and pay heed unto the Apostle, so that you might be graced with God's mercy.     And keep up the prayers, and give/bring the charity/purification, and obey the messenger, maybe/perhaps you attain mercy.     waqymwa alSla+ watwa alzka+ waTy`wa alrswl l`lkm trHmwn
 
57.  *     Never think thou that the Unbelievers are going to frustrate ((Allah)'s Plan) on earth: their abode is the Fire,--and it is indeed an evil refuge!     [And] think not that those who are bent on denying the truth can elude [their final reckoning even if they remain unscathed] on earth: [For an explanation of the above sentence and the words interpolated by me, see note on a similar phrase in 11:20.] the fire is their goal [in the life to come] - and vile indeed is such a journey's end!     Do not think/suppose those who disbelieved (are) disabling/frustrating in the earth/Planet Earth, and their shelter/refuge (is) the fire, and how bad (E) (is) the end/destination?     latHsbn alXyn kfrwa m`jzyn fy alarD wmawahm alnar wlbYs almSyr
 
58.  *     O ye who believe! let those whom your right hands possess, and the (children) among you who have not come of age ask your permission (before they come to your presence), on three occasions: before morning prayer; the while ye doff your clothes for the noonday heat; and after the late-night prayer: these are your three times of undress: outside those times it is not wrong for you or for them to move about attending to each other: Thus does Allah make clear the Signs to you: for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.     O YOU who have attained to faith! [In pursuance of the Quranic principle that the social and individual - as well as the spiritual and material - aspects of human life form one indivisible whole and cannot, therefore, be dealt with independently of one another, the discourse returns to the consideration of some of the rules of healthy social behaviour enunciated in the earlier parts of this surah. The following passage takes up and elaborates the theme of the individual's right to privacy, already touched upon in verses 27 - 29 above.] At three times [of day], let [even] those whom you rightfully possess, [Lit., "whom your right hands possess" - a phrase which, primarily and as a rule, denotes male and female slaves. Since, however, the institution of slavery is envisaged in the Quran as a mere historic phenomenon that must in time be abolished (cf. notes on verse 33 of this surah, as well as note on 2:177), the above expression may also he understood as referring, in general, to one's close dependants and to domestic servants of either sex. Alternatively, the phrase ma malakat aymanukum may denote, in this context, "those whom you rightfully possess through wedlock", i.e., wives and husbands (cf. 4:24 and the corresponding note).] as well as those from among you who have not yet attained to puberty, [I.e., all children, irrespective of whether they are related to one or not.] 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 term zahirah (lit., "midday" or, occasionally, "heat of midday"), which occurs in the Quran only in this one instance, may have been used metonymically in the sense of "day-time" as contrasted with the time after the prayer of nightfall and before the prayer of daybreak: hence my tentative rendering as "middle of the day".] the three occasions on which your nakedness is likely to be bared. [Lit., "three [periods] of nakedness (thalath awrat) for you". This phrase is to be understood both literally and figuratively. Primarily, the term awrah signifies those parts of a mature person's body which cannot in decency be exposed to any but one's wife or husband or, in case of illness, one's physician. In its tropical sense, it is also used to denote spiritual "nakedness", as well as situations and circumstances in which a person is entitled to absolute privacy. The number "three" used twice in this context is not, of course, enumerative or exclusive, but is obviously meant to stress the recurrent nature of the occasions on which even the most familiar members of the household, including husbands, wives and children, must respect that privacy.] 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!     You, you those who believed, those who your rights (hands) owned/possessed (i.e. care-givers under contract), and those who did not reach the puberty/sexual maturity from you should ask for your permission three times, from before the dawn's prayers, and when you put your clothes/garments (on) from the noon/midday, and from after the evening/first darkness prayers, three shameful genital parts (protective times are) for you, an offense/sin is not on you, and nor on them after them (the three times) circling/walking around on you, some of you to some, as/like that God clarifies/shows/explains for you the verses/evidences, and God (is) knowledgeable, wise/judicious.     yaayha alXyn amnwa lystAXnkm alXyn mlkt aymankm walXyn lm yblGwa alHlm mnkm xlax mrat mn qbl Sla+ alfjr wHyn tD`wn xyabkm mn alZhyr+ wmn b`d Sla+ al`$a' xlax `wrat lkm lys `lykm wla`lyhm jnaH b`dhn Twafwn `lykm b`Dkm `li b`D kXlk ybyn allh lkm  alayat wallh `lym Hkym
 
59.  *     But when the children among you come of age, let them (also) ask for permission, as do those senior to them (in age): Thus does Allah make clear His Signs to you: for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.     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. [Lit., "have asked it": a reference to the injunction laid down in verses 27-28 above. My interpolation, between brackets, of the phrase "who have reached maturity" is based on Zamakhshari's interpretation of the words "those before them".] In this way God makes clear unto you His messages: for God is all-knowing, wise!     And if the children from you reached the puberty/sexual maturity so they should ask for permission/pardon, as/like those from before them asked for permission/pardon, as/like that God clarifies/shows/explains for you His verses/evidences, and God (is) knowledgeable, wise/judicious.     waXa blG alaTfal mnkm alHlm flystAXnwa kma astAXn alXyn mn qblhm kXlk ybyn allh lkm ayath wallh `lym Hkym
 
60.  *     Such elderly women as are past the prospect of marriage,--there is no blame on them if they lay aside their (outer) garments, provided they make not a wanton display of their beauty: but it is best for them to be modest: and Allah is One Who sees and knows all things.     AND [This conjunction is, I believe, meant to indicate that the verse which it introduces is connected with certain previously revealed passages, namely, verse 31 above and 33:59, both of which allude to the principle of modesty to he observed by Muslim women in the matter of dress: hence, it must be regarded as a separate "section".] [know that] women advanced in years, who no longer feel any sexual desire, [Lit., "who do not desire [or "hope for"] sexual intercourse" - the latter evidently being the meaning of nikah in this context. Although this noun, as well as the verb from which it is derived, is almost always used in the Quran in the sense of "marriage" or "marrying", there are undoubtedly exceptions from this general rule: for instance, the manner in which the verbal form yankihu is used in verse 3 of this surah (see the corresponding note above). These exceptions confirm the view held by some philologists of great renown e.g., al-jawhari or Al-Azhari (the latter quoted in the Lisan al-Arab), to the effect that "in the speech of the Arabs, the original meaning of nikah is sexual intercourse (al-wat)".] 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.     And the menopausal/non child bearing from the women, those who do not hope/expect marriage, so an offense/guilt/sin is not on them (F) that they put (on) their clothes/garments not showing off beauty/decoration with decoration/ornament, and that they be chaste/pure (is) best for them, and God (is) hearing/listening, knowledgeable.     walqwa`d mn alnsa' allaty layrjwn nkaHa flys `lyhn jnaH an yD`n xyabhn Gyr mtbrjat bzyn+ wan yst`ffn Kyr lhn wallh smy` `lym
 
61.  *     It is no fault in the blind nor in one born lame, nor in one afflicted with illness, nor in yourselves, that ye should eat in your own houses, or those of your fathers, or your mothers, or your brothers, or your sisters, or your father's brothers or your father's sisters, or your mother's brothers, or your mother's sisters, or in houses of which the keys are in your possession, or in the house of a sincere friend of yours: there is no blame on you, whether ye eat in company or separately. But if ye enter houses, salute each other--a greeting of blessing and purity as from Allah. Thus does Allah make clear the signs to you: that ye may understand.     [ALL OF YOU, O believers, are brethren: hence.] [The whole of verse 61 is construed in so highly elliptic a form that disagreements as to its purport have always been unavoidable. However, if all the explanations offered by the early commentators are taken into consideration, we find that their common denominator is the view that the innermost purport of this passage is a stress on the brotherhood of all believers, expressed in a call to mutual charity, compassion and good-fellowship and, hence, the avoidance of all unnecessary formalities in their mutual relations.] no blame attaches to the blind, nor does blame attach to the lame, nor does blame attach to the sick [for accepting charity from the hale], and neither to yourselves for eating [whatever is offered to you by others, whether it be food obtained] from your [children's] houses, [In the consensus of all the authorities, the expression "your houses" implies in this context also "your children's houses", since all that belongs to a person maybe said to belong, morally, to his parents as well.] 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 [houses] the keys whereof are in your charge! [I.e., "for which you are responsible".] or [the house] of any of your friends; nor will you incur any sin by eating in company or separately. But whenever you enter [any of these] houses, greet one another with a blessed, goodly greeting, as enjoined by God. In this way God makes clear unto you His messages, so that you might [learn to] use your reason.     Blame/hardship (is) not on the blind, and nor on the lame/limper (from) blame/hardship, and nor on the sick/diseased (from) blame/hardship, and nor on yourselves that you eat from your houses/homes, or your fathers'/forefathers' houses/homes, or your mothers' houses/homes, or your brothers' houses/homes, or your sisters' houses/homes, or your paternal uncles' houses/homes, or your paternal aunts' houses/homes, or your249maternal uncles' houses/homes, or your maternal aunts' houses/homes, or what you owned/possessed its keys,or your friend, an offense/guilt/sin (is) not on you that you eat all together or separately, so if you entered houses/homes, so greet on yourselves a greeting from at God, blessed, pure ; as/like that God clarifies/shows/explains to you the verses/evidences, maybe you reason/comprehend.     lys `li ala`mi Hrj wla`li ala`rj Hrj wla`li almryD Hrj wla`li anfskm an taklwa mn bywtkm aw bywt abaYkm aw bywt amhatkm aw bywt aKwankm aw bywt aKwatkm aw bywt a`mamkm aw bywt `matkm aw bywt aKwalkm aw bywt Kalatkm aw mamlktm mfatHh aw Sdyqkm  lys `lykm jnaH an taklwa jmy`a aw a$tata faXa dKltm bywta fslmwa `li anfskm tHy+ mn `nd allh mbark+ Tyb+ kXlk ybyn allh lkm alayat l`lkm t`qlwn
 
62.  *     Only those are believers, who believe in Allah and His Messenger. when they are with him on a matter requiring collective action, they do not depart until they have asked for his leave; those who ask for thy leave are those who believe in Allah and His Messenger. so when they ask for thy leave, for some business of theirs, give leave to those of them whom thou wilt, and ask Allah for their forgiveness: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.     [TRUE BELIEVERS are only they who have attained to faith in God and His Apostle, and who, whenever they are [engaged] with him upon a matter of concern to the whole community [lit., "a uniting [or "collective"] matter" (amr jami). The personal pronoun in "with him" relates to the Apostle and, by analogy, to every legitimate leader (imam) of the Muslim community acting in accordance with the spirit of the Quran and the Prophet's life-example.] do not depart [from whatever has been decided upon] unless they have sought [and obtained] his leave. [I.e., his permission to abstain, for valid reasons, from participating in a course of action or a policy agreed upon by the majority of the community (amma ijtama u lahu min al-amr: Tabari). In a logical development of this principle we arrive at something like the concept of a "loyal opposition", which implies the possibility of dissent on a particular point of communal or state policy combined with absolute loyalty to the common cause.] Verily, those who [do not abstain from the agreed upon action unless they] ask leave of thee - it is [only] they who [truly] believe in God and His Apostle! Hence, when they ask leave of thee for some [valid] reason of their own, grant thou this leave to whomsoever of them thou choose [to grant it], [I.e., after weighing the reasons advanced by the individual or the individuals concerned against the interests of the society as a whole.] and ask God to forgive them: for, behold, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace! [The statement that "God is much-forgiving" obviously implies that an avoidance of "asking leave" to abstain from participation in an agreed-upon course of action is, under all circumstances morally preferable (Zamakhshari).]     But the believers (are) those who believed by God and His messenger, and if they were with Him on (a) gathering and important matter/affair, they do not go/go away until they ask for his permission/pardon, that those who ask for your permission/pardon, those are, those who believe by God and His messenger, so if they asked for your permission/pardon for some (of) their affair/concern, so permit/allow to whom you willed/wanted from them, and ask God for forgiveness for them, that God (is) forgiving, merciful.     anma almWmnwn alXyn amnwa ballh wrswlh waXa kanwa m`h `li amr jam` lm yXhbwa Hti ystAXnwh an alXyn ystAXnwk awlYk alXyn yWmnwn ballh wrswlh faXa astAXnwk lb`D $anhm faXn lmn $Yt mnhm wastGfr lhm allh an allh Gfwr rHym
 
63.  *     Deem not the summons of the Messenger among yourselves like the summons of one of you to another: Allah doth know those of you who slip away under shelter of some excuse: then let those beware who withstand the Messenger's order, lest some trial befall them, or a grievous penalty be inflicted on them.     DO NOT regard the Apostles summons to you [I.e., his summons to God's message in general, spoken of in verses 46-54 above, as well as to a particular course of communal action, referred to in verse 62. Alternatively, "the Apostles summons" may, in this context, be synonymous with the Quran itself.] [in the same light] as a summons of one of you to another: God is indeed aware of those of you who would withdraw surreptitiously: so let those who would go against His bidding beware, lest a [bitter] trial befall them [in this world] or grievous suffering befall them [in the life to come].     Do not make calling the messenger between you as calling some of you (to) some, God had been know(ing) those who sneak/slip away taking refuge/dodging from you, so those who differ/disagree from His order/command should be warned/cautious that misguidance/seduction or a painful torture strikes them.     latj`lwa d`a' alrswl bynkm kd`a' b`Dkm b`Da qd y`lm allh alXyn ytsllwn mnkm lwaXa flyHXr alXyn yKalfwn `n amrh an tSybhm ftn+ aw ySybhm `Xab alym
 
64.  *     Be quite sure that to Allah doth belong whatever is in the heavens and on earth. Well doth He know what ye are intent upon: and one day they will be brought back to Him, and He will tell them the truth of what they did: for Allah doth know all things.     Oh, verily, unto God belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth: well does He know where you stand and at what you aim! [Lit., "well does He know upon what you are": i.e., "what your beliefs are and what moral principles govern your attitudes and actions".] And one Day, all [who have ever lived] will be brought back unto Him, and then He will make them [truly] understand all that they were doing [in life]: for, God has full knowledge of everything.     Is it not that to God what (is) in the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth? God has been know(ing) what you are on it, and a day/time they be return(ed) to Him, so He informs them with what they made/did, and God (is) with every thing knowledgeable.250     ala an llh mafy alsmawat walarD qd y`lm maantm `lyh wywm yrj`wn alyh fynbYhm bma `mlwa wallh bkl $Y `lym