Verse 24:20 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

16 وَلَوۡلَاۤ إِذۡ سَمِعۡتُمُوهُ قُلۡتُم مَّا یَكُونُ لَنَاۤ أَن نَّتَكَلَّمَ بِهَـٰذَا سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ هَـٰذَا بُهۡتَـٰنٌ عَظِیمࣱ ۝١٦ walawlā idh samiʿ'tumūhu qul'tum mā yakūnu lanā an natakallama bihādhā sub'ḥānaka hādhā buh'tānun ʿaẓīmu When you heard the lie, why did you not say, ‘We should not repeat this- God forbid!- It is a monstrous slander’ 17 یَعِظُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَن تَعُودُوا۟ لِمِثۡلِهِۦۤ أَبَدًا إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِینَ ۝١٧ yaʿiẓukumu l-lahu an taʿūdū limith'lihi abadan in kuntum mu'minīn God warns you never to do anything like this again, if you are true believers 18 وَیُبَیِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡءَایَـٰتِۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِیمٌ حَكِیمٌ ۝١٨ wayubayyinu l-lahu lakumu l-āyāti wal-lahu ʿalīmun ḥakīmu God makes His messages clear to you: God is all knowing, all wise 19 إِنَّ ٱلَّذِینَ یُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِیعَ ٱلۡفَـٰحِشَةُ فِی ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِیمࣱ فِی ٱلدُّنۡیَا وَٱلۡءَاخِرَةِۚ وَٱللَّهُ یَعۡلَمُ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ ۝١٩ inna alladhīna yuḥibbūna an tashīʿa l-fāḥishatu fī alladhīna āmanū lahum ʿadhābun alīmun fī l-dun'yā wal-ākhirati wal-lahu yaʿlamu wa-antum lā taʿlamūn 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

20 وَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَیۡكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهُۥ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَءُوفࣱ رَّحِیمࣱ ۝٢٠ walawlā faḍlu l-lahi ʿalaykum waraḥmatuhu wa-anna l-laha raūfun raḥīmu If it were not for God’s bounty and mercy and the fact that He is compassionate and merciful . . .

21 ۞ یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَ ٰتِ ٱلشَّیۡطَـٰنِۚ وَمَن یَتَّبِعۡ خُطُوَ ٰتِ ٱلشَّیۡطَـٰنِ فَإِنَّهُۥ یَأۡمُرُ بِٱلۡفَحۡشَاۤءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِۚ وَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَیۡكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهُۥ مَا زَكَىٰ مِنكُم مِّنۡ أَحَدٍ أَبَدࣰا وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ یُزَكِّی مَن یَشَاۤءُۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِیعٌ عَلِیمࣱ ۝٢١ yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū lā tattabiʿū khuṭuwāti l-shayṭāni waman yattabiʿ khuṭuwāti l-shayṭāni fa-innahu yamuru bil-faḥshāi wal-munkari walawlā faḍlu l-lahi ʿalaykum waraḥmatuhu mā zakā minkum min aḥadin abadan walākinna l-laha yuzakkī man yashāu wal-lahu samīʿun ʿalīmu 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 22 وَلَا یَأۡتَلِ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلۡفَضۡلِ مِنكُمۡ وَٱلسَّعَةِ أَن یُؤۡتُوۤا۟ أُو۟لِی ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَـٰكِینَ وَٱلۡمُهَـٰجِرِینَ فِی سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِۖ وَلۡیَعۡفُوا۟ وَلۡیَصۡفَحُوۤا۟ۗ أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَن یَغۡفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِیمٌ ۝٢٢ walā yatali ulū l-faḍli minkum wal-saʿati an yu'tū ulī l-qur'bā wal-masākīna wal-muhājirīna fī sabīli l-lahi walyaʿfū walyaṣfaḥū alā tuḥibbūna an yaghfira l-lahu lakum wal-lahu ghafūrun raḥīmu 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 23 إِنَّ ٱلَّذِینَ یَرۡمُونَ ٱلۡمُحۡصَنَـٰتِ ٱلۡغَـٰفِلَـٰتِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِ لُعِنُوا۟ فِی ٱلدُّنۡیَا وَٱلۡءَاخِرَةِ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ عَظِیمࣱ ۝٢٣ inna alladhīna yarmūna l-muḥ'ṣanāti l-ghāfilāti l-mu'mināti luʿinū fī l-dun'yā wal-ākhirati walahum ʿadhābun ʿaẓīmu Those who accuse honourable but unwary believing women are rejected by God, in this life and the next. A painful punishment awaits the 24 یَوۡمَ تَشۡهَدُ عَلَیۡهِمۡ أَلۡسِنَتُهُمۡ وَأَیۡدِیهِمۡ وَأَرۡجُلُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ یَعۡمَلُونَ ۝٢٤ yawma tashhadu ʿalayhim alsinatuhum wa-aydīhim wa-arjuluhum bimā kānū yaʿmalūn on the Day when their own tongues, hands, and feet will testify against them about what they have done