The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

part in it will have a painful punishment. 
12When you heard the lie,
why did believing men and women not think well of their own
people and declare, ‘This is obviously a lie’?
13And why did the
accusers not bring four witnesses to it? If they cannot produce such
witnesses, they are the liars in God’s eyes. 
14If it were not for God’s
bounty and mercy towards you in this world and the next, you would
already have been a
fflicted by terrible suffering for indulging in such
talk.
15When you took it up with your tongues, and spoke with your
mouths things you did not know [to be true], you thought it was
trivial but to God it was very serious. 
16When you heard the lie, why
did you not say, ‘We should not repeat this –
– God forbid! –
– It is a
monstrous slander’?
17God warns you never to do anything like this
again, if you are true believers. 
18God makes His messages clear to
you: God is all knowing, all wise. 
19A painful punishment waits in
this world and the next for those who like indecency to spread
among the believers: God knows and you do not. 
20If it were not for
God’s bounty and mercy and the fact that He is compassionate and
merciful . . .! 
21Believers, do not follow in Satan’s footsteps–– if you
do so, he will urge you to indecency and evil. If it were not for God’s
bounty and mercy towards you, not one of you would ever have
attained purity. God puri
fies whoever He will: God is all hearing,
all seeing.
22Those who have been graced with bounty and plenty should not
swear that they will [no longer] give to kinsmen, the poor, those
who emigrated in God’s way:
c
let them pardon and forgive. Do you
not wish that God should forgive you? God is most forgiving and
merciful.
a
The statement ‘If it were not for God’s bounty and mercy’ is repeated four times
in this context, but the concluding clauses are suspended in verses 
10 and 20. This
rhetorical suspense works in English and in Arabic. (See verses 
14, 20, 21).
b
This alludes to the accusation made against 
 A isha, the Prophet’s wife.
c
Abu Bakr, father of 
 A isha, who used to support a relative called Mistah, swore,
when Mistah participated in spreading the rumour, that he would never support Mistah
again.
Light
221
24: 22

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23Those who accuse honourable but unwary believing women are
rejected by God, in this life and the next. A painful punishment
awaits them 
24on the Day when their own tongues, hands, and feet
will testify against them about what they have done –
–
25on that Day,
God will pay them their just due in full –
– and they will realize that
God is the Truth that makes everything clear. 
26Corrupt women are
for corrupt men, and corrupt men are for corrupt women; good
women are for good men and good men are for good women. The
good are innocent of what has been said against them; they will have
forgiveness and a generous provision.
27Believers, do not enter other people’s houses until you have
asked permission to do so and greeted those inside –
– that is best for
you: perhaps you will bear this in mind. 
28If you find no one in, do
not enter unless you have been given permission to do so. If you are
told, ‘Go away’, then do so –
– that is more proper for you. God knows
well what you do. 
29You will not be blamed for entering houses where
no one lives, and which could provide you with some useful service.
God knows everything you do openly and everything you conceal.
30[Prophet], tell believing men to lower their glances and guard their
private parts: that is purer for them. God is well aware of everything
they do. 
31And tell believing women that they should lower their
glances, guard their private parts, and not display their charms
beyond what [it is acceptable] to reveal;
a
they should let their head-
scarves fall to cover their necklines and not reveal their charms
except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their
sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their
sisters’ sons, their womenfolk, their slaves, such men as attend them
who have no sexual desire, or children who are not yet aware of
women’s nakedness; they should not stamp their feet so as to draw
attention to any hidden charms. Believers, all of you, turn to God so
that you may prosper.
32Marry off