Strike the adulteress and the adulterer one hundred times. Do not let compassion for them keep you from carrying out God’s law––if you believe in God and the Last Day––and ensure that a group of believers witnesses the punishment.

The adulterer is only [fit] to marry an adulteress or an idolatress, and the adulteress is only [fit] to marry an adulterer or an idolater: such behaviour is forbidden to believers.

As for those who accuse chaste women of fornication, and then fail to provide four witnesses, strike them eighty times, and reject their testimony ever afterwards: they are the lawbreakers,

except for those who repent later and make amends––God is most forgiving and merciful.

As for those who accuse their own wives of adultery, but have no other witnesses, let each one four times call God to witness that he is telling the truth,

and, the fifth time, call God to reject him if he is lying;

punishment shall be averted from his wife if she in turn four times calls God to witness that her husband is lying

and, the fifth time, calls God to reject her if he is telling the truth.

If it were not for God’s bounty and mercy towards you, if it were not that God accepts repentance and is wise . . .!

It was a group from among you that concocted the lie––do not consider it a bad thing for you [people]; it was a good thing––and every one of them will be charged with the sin he has earned. He who took the greatest part in it will have a painful punishment.

When you heard the lie, why did believing men and women not think well of their own people and declare, ‘This is obviously a lie’?

And why did the accusers not bring four witnesses to it? If they cannot produce such witnesses, they are the liars in God’s eyes.

If it were not for God’s bounty and mercy towards you in this world and the next, you would already have been afflicted by terrible suffering for indulging in such talk.

When 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.

When you heard the lie, why did you not say, ‘We should not repeat this- God forbid!- It is a monstrous slander’?

God warns you never to do anything like this again, if you are true believers.

God makes His messages clear to you: God is all knowing, all wise.

A 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.

If it were not for God’s bounty and mercy and the fact that He is compassionate and merciful . . .!

Believers, 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 purifies whoever He will: God is all hearing, all seeing.

Those 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: let them pardon and forgive. Do you not wish that God should forgive you? God is most forgiving and merciful.

Those who accuse honourable but unwary believing women are rejected by God, in this life and the next. A painful punishment awaits them

on the Day when their own tongues, hands, and feet will testify against them about what they have done-

on that Day, God will pay them their just due in full- and they will realize that God is the Truth that makes everything clear.

Corrupt 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.

Believers, 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.

If 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.

You 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.

[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.

And 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; they should let their headscarves 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.

Marry off the single among you and those of your male and female slaves who are fit [for marriage]. If they are poor, God will provide for them from His bounty: God’s bounty is infinite and He is all knowing.

Those who are unable to marry should keep chaste until God gives them enough out of His bounty. If any of your slaves wish to pay for their freedom, make a contract with them accordingly, if you know they have good in them, and give them some of the wealth God has given you. Do not force your slave-girls into prostitution, when they themselves wish to remain honourable, in your quest for the short-term gains of this world, although, if they are forced, God will be forgiving and merciful to them.

We have sent verses down to you [people] clarifying the right path, examples of those who passed away before you, and advice for those who are mindful of God.

God is the Light of the heavens and earth. His Light is like this: there is a niche, and in it a lamp, the lamp inside a glass, a glass like a glittering star, fuelled from a blessed olive tree from neither east nor west, whose oil almost gives light even when no fire touches it- light upon light- God guides whoever He will to his Light; God draws such comparisons for people; God has full knowledge of everything-

shining out in houses of worship. God has ordained that they be raised high and that His name be remembered in them, with men in them celebrating His glory morning and evening:

men who are not distracted, either by commerce or profit, from remembering God, keeping up the prayer, and paying the prescribed alms, fearing a day when hearts and eyes will turn over.

God will reward such people according to the best of their actions, and He will give them more of His bounty: God provides limitlessly for anyone He will.

But the deeds of those who disbelieve are like a mirage in a desert: the thirsty person thinks there will be water but, when he gets there, he finds only God, who pays him his account in full- God is swift in reckoning.

Or like shadows in a deep sea covered by wave upon wave, with clouds above- layer upon layer of darkness- if he holds out his hand, he is scarcely able to see it. The one to whom God gives no light has no light at all.

[Prophet], do you not see that all those who are in the heavens and earth praise God, as do the birds with wings outstretched? Each knows its [own way] of prayer and glorification: God has full knowledge of what they do.

Control of the heavens and earth belongs to God: and to God is the final return.

Do you not see that God drives the clouds, then gathers them together and piles them up until you see rain pour from their midst? He sends hail down from [such] mountains in the sky, pouring it on whoever He wishes and diverting it from whoever He wishes- the flash of its lightning almost snatches sight away.

God alternates night and day- there truly is a lesson in [all] this for those who have eyes to see-

and God created each animal out of [its own] fluid: some of them crawl on their bellies, some walk on two legs, and some on four. God creates whatever He will; God has power over everything.

We have sent verses that clarify the right path: God guides whoever He will to a straight path.

They say, ‘We believe in God and the Messenger; we obey,’ but then some of them turn away: these people are not true believers

and when they are summoned to God and His Messenger in order for him to judge between them, some of them turn away.

If they were claiming their right, they would come willingly [to the Prophet].

Do they have sickness in their hearts? Are they full of doubts? Do they fear that God and His Messenger might deal with them unjustly? No, it is they who are the unjust ones.

When the true believers are summoned to God and His Messenger in order for him to judge between them, they say, ‘We hear and we obey.’ These are the ones who will prosper:

whoever obeys God and His Messenger, stands in awe of God, and keeps his duty to Him will be triumphant.

[The others] solemnly swear by God that if you [Prophet] commanded them, they would march out. Tell them, ‘Do not swear: it is reasonable obedience that is required, and God is aware of everything you do.’

Say, ‘Obey God; obey the Messenger. If you turn away, [know that] he is responsible for the duty placed upon him, and you are responsible for the duty placed upon you. If you obey him, you will be rightly guided, but the Messenger’s duty is only to deliver the message clearly.’

God has made a promise to those among you who believe and do good deeds: He will make them successors to the land, as He did those who came before them; He will empower the religion He has chosen for them; He will grant them security to replace their fear. ‘They will worship Me and not join anything with Me.’ Those who are defiant after that will be the rebels.-

[People], keep up the prayer, pay the prescribed alms, and obey the Messenger, so that you may be given mercy.

Do not think [Prophet] that the disbelievers can escape God on earth; the Fire will be their final home, an evil end.

Believers, your slaves and any who have not yet reached puberty should ask your permission to come in at three times of day: before the dawn prayer; when you lay your garments aside in the midday heat; and after the evening prayer. These are your three times for privacy; at other times, there is no blame on you or them if you move around each other freely. In this way God makes messages clear: God is all knowing, all wise.

When your children reach puberty, they should [always] ask your permission to enter, like their elders do. This is how God makes His messages clear to you: God is all knowing, all wise.

No blame will be attached to elderly women who are not hoping for sex, if they take off their outer garments without flaunting their charms, but it is preferable for them not to do this: God is all hearing, all seeing.

No blame will be attached to the blind, the lame, the sick.Whether you eat in your own houses, or those of your fathers, your mothers, your brothers, your sisters, your paternal uncles, your paternal aunts, your maternal uncles, your maternal aunts, houses you have the keys for, or any of your friends’ houses, you will not be blamed: you will not be blamed whether you eat in company or separately. When you enter any house, greet one another with a greeting of blessing and goodness as enjoined by God. This is how God makes His messages clear to you so that you may understand.

The true believers are those who believe in God and His Mes-senger, who, when they are gathered with him on a communal matter, do not depart until they have asked his permission- those who ask your permission [Prophet] are the ones who truly believe in God and His Messenger. When they ask your permission to attend to their private affairs, allow whoever you see fit and ask God to forgive them. God is most forgiving and merciful.

[People], do not regard the Messenger’s summons to you like one of you summoning another- God is well aware of those of you who steal away surreptitiously- and those who go against his order should beware lest a trial afflict them or they receive a painful punishment.

Everything in the heavens and earth belongs to God: He knows what state you are in- on the Day when all are returned to Him, He will tell them everything they have done- God has full knowledge of everything.