Sura al-Nur

The Manifest Quran 24

Introduction of Surah

al-Nur is the 24th sura of the Qur’an, which means ‘The Light’. The chapter derives its name from verse 35, which describes God as the ‘Light of the Heavens and the Earth’ in one of the most recognised and mystically beautiful verses of the Holy Qur’an, known as the ‘The Light Verse’ (Aya al-Nur). It belongs to the Medinan period and comprises 64 verses, 1,316 words, 5,680 letters, and 9 segments. It is the 102nd sura in chron-ological order, revealed after Sura al-Hashr.
A major section of this chapter deals with the issue of chastity and sexual misconduct. The sura describes several legal and moral injunctions regarding moral conduct. These include the punishment for adultery; the evidential standards for establishing adultery; the importance of establishing modesty; the importance of a suitable dress code for women; the way in which one must respond to false allegations and rumours; the etiquette of seeking permission to enter someone’s home; the importance of establishing prayer; the im-portance of paying alms and giving charity; the importance of forgiving; the importance of assisting those in need; and the significance and necessity of absolute obedience to the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him).
This chapter also details rulings regarding false allegations and claims against individuals. The chapter further offers prohibitive instructions regarding the vice of prostitution. This chapter also condemns hy-pocrisy as a major vice. Furthermore, this chapter describes the severity of the crime of false slander re-garding an accusation of adultery. These rulings are set out by this chapter to demonstrate an equilibrium between the severity of the sin of immodesty, as well as the magnitude of the crime of false slandering and allegation in the sight of Allah Almighty. The chapter concludes by emphasising the command to guard one’s chastity and modesty by lowering one’s gaze. This ruling is common to all everyone, i.e. men and women. This chapter is significant in terms of the wide variety of social and legal injunctions and codes that it lays down.

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In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the All-Merciful
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ﮐﮑﮒﮓﮔﮕﮖﮗﮘﮙﮚﮛﮜﮝﮞﮟﮠﮡﮢﮣﮤﮥﮦﮧﮨﮩﮪﮫﮬﮭﮮﮯﮰﮱﯓﯔﯕﯖﯗﯘﯙﯚﯛﯜﯝﯞﯟﯠﯡﯢﯣﯤﯥﯦﯧﯨﯩﯪﯫﯬﯭﯮﯯﯰﯱﯲﯳﯴﯵﯶﯷﯸﯹﯺﯻﯼﯽﯾﯿﰀﰁﰂﰃ

24:31. Tell the believing women to lower their gaze, guard their private parts and not display their charms except what (usually) appears. Moreover, let them draw their head-coverings over their bosoms and not reveal their charms (to anyone) except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers, or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their fellow women, or their slave girls, or male attendants lacking sexual desire or children not yet aware of (the attraction of) women’s private parts. And let them not strike their feet such that their hidden charms become known. And repent to Allah, O believers, so that you may prosper.

(al-Nur, 24 : 31)
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ﮨﮩﮪﮫﮬﮭﮮﮯﮰﮱﯓﯔﯕﯖﯗﯘﯙﯚﯛﯜﯝﯞﯟﯠﯡﯢﯣﯤﯥﯦﯧﯨﯩﯪﯫﯬﯭﯮﯯﯰﯱﯲﯳﯴﯵﯶﯷﯸﯹﯺﯻﯼﯽﯾﯿﰀﰁ

24:35. Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. His Light is like a niche in which there is a lamp (and) the lamp is in a glass. The glass seems like a glittering star, kindled from a blessed olive tree. It is neither Eastern nor Western (rather universal in its luminosity). Its oil would almost shine, even if no fire touched it. Light upon light! Allah guides whomever He pleases to His Light. And Allah draws such parables for people, and Allah is All-Knowing of everything.*

* The likeness of Allah’s Light refers to the light of Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him). The niche refers to his sacred breast wherein the lamp of Prophethood is glowing. This lamp of Prophethood is placed in a glass, which is the radiant heart of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him). This glass is shining like a glittering star. This lamp is lit with the sacred olive tree, which may refer to the blessing of Divine revelation or the blissful genealogical tree of the Prophets and the Messengers (peace be upon them). The blessing of Prophethood or the guidance of Divine revelation is neither Eastern nor Western. Instead, it is a universal and timeless guidance. This lamp of Muhammad’s Prophethood is almost shining due to its inherent qualities even before revelation had touched him. This Light of Prophethood radiates under the Light of the Holy Essence of God. In such a way, Allah guides people to understand the reality of His Light.

‘Abd Allah b. ‘Abbas (may God be pleased with both of them), ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Umar (may God be pleased with both of them), Ka‘b al-Ahbar, Sa‘id b. Jubayr, Abu al-‘Aliya and al-Dahhak b. Mazahim have described these meanings of the Verse of Light. ‘Abd b. Humayd, Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim al-Razi, Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, al-Tabarani, Abu al-Layth al-Samarqandi, al-Sulami, Abu Ishaq al-Tha‘labi, Makki b. Abi Talib al-Muqri, al-Baghawi, al-Qadi ‘Iyad, Ibn ‘Atiyya, Ibn al-Jawzi, Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, al-Qurtubi, Ibn Hayyan, Ibn al-Qayyim, Abu Hafs al-Hanbali, al-Suyuti, al-Qastallani, al-Alusi and many other exegetes have reported the above-mentioned meanings. The parable of the light may also refer to the light in the heart of the believers. The niche can be the breast of the believers, the lamp can be the Qur’an and faith, and the glass can be the heart of the believers. Many other such interpretations have also been given for the Verse of Light.

(al-Nur, 24 : 35)
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ﮁﮂﮃﮄﮅﮆﮇﮈﮉﮊﮋﮌﮍﮎﮏﮐﮑﮒﮓﮔﮕﮖﮗﮘﮙﮚﮛﮜﮝﮞﮟﮠﮡﮢﮣﮤﮥﮦﮧﮨﮩﮪﮫﮬﮭﮮﮯﮰﮱﯓﯔﯕﯖﯗﯘﯙﯚﯛﯜﯝﯞﯟﯠﯡﯢﯣﯤﯥﯦﯧﯨﯩﯪﯫﯬﯭﯮﯯﯰﯱ

24:61. There is no blame upon the blind, nor is there blame upon the lame, nor any blame upon the sick, nor upon yourselves, whether you eat from your own houses or the houses of your fathers, or the houses of your mothers, or the houses of your brothers, or the houses of your sisters, or the houses of your paternal uncles, or the houses of your paternal aunts, or the houses of your maternal uncles, or the houses of your maternal aunts, or those (houses) whose keys are in your possession or those of your friends. There will be no blame on you whether you eat together or separately. So, when you enter (your) houses, greet each other with a salutation from Allah, a greeting of blessing and goodness. In this way, Allah clarifies the revelations for you so that you may understand (His commands).

(al-Nur, 24 : 61)