Verse 24:37 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

33 وَلۡیَسۡتَعۡفِفِ ٱلَّذِینَ لَا یَجِدُونَ نِكَاحًا حَتَّىٰ یُغۡنِیَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦۗ وَٱلَّذِینَ یَبۡتَغُونَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ مِمَّا مَلَكَتۡ أَیۡمَـٰنُكُمۡ فَكَاتِبُوهُمۡ إِنۡ عَلِمۡتُمۡ فِیهِمۡ خَیۡرࣰاۖ وَءَاتُوهُم مِّن مَّالِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِیۤ ءَاتَىٰكُمۡۚ وَلَا تُكۡرِهُوا۟ فَتَیَـٰتِكُمۡ عَلَى ٱلۡبِغَاۤءِ إِنۡ أَرَدۡنَ تَحَصُّنࣰا لِّتَبۡتَغُوا۟ عَرَضَ ٱلۡحَیَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡیَاۚ وَمَن یُكۡرِههُّنَّ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ إِكۡرَ ٰهِهِنَّ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِیمࣱ ۝٣٣ walyastaʿfifi alladhīna lā yajidūna nikāḥan ḥattā yugh'niyahumu l-lahu min faḍlihi wa-alladhīna yabtaghūna l-kitāba mimmā malakat aymānukum fakātibūhum in ʿalim'tum fīhim khayran waātūhum min māli l-lahi alladhī ātākum walā tuk'rihū fatayātikum ʿalā l-bighāi in aradna taḥaṣṣunan litabtaghū ʿaraḍa l-ḥayati l-dun'yā waman yuk'rihhunna fa-inna l-laha min baʿdi ik'rāhihinna ghafūrun raḥīmu 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 34 وَلَقَدۡ أَنزَلۡنَاۤ إِلَیۡكُمۡ ءَایَـٰتࣲ مُّبَیِّنَـٰتࣲ وَمَثَلࣰا مِّنَ ٱلَّذِینَ خَلَوۡا۟ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ وَمَوۡعِظَةࣰ لِّلۡمُتَّقِینَ ۝٣٤ walaqad anzalnā ilaykum āyātin mubayyinātin wamathalan mina alladhīna khalaw min qablikum wamawʿiẓatan lil'muttaqīn 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 35 ۞ ٱللَّهُ نُورُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ مَثَلُ نُورِهِۦ كَمِشۡكَوٰةࣲ فِیهَا مِصۡبَاحٌۖ ٱلۡمِصۡبَاحُ فِی زُجَاجَةٍۖ ٱلزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوۡكَبࣱ دُرِّیࣱّ یُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةࣲ مُّبَـٰرَكَةࣲ زَیۡتُونَةࣲ لَّا شَرۡقِیَّةࣲ وَلَا غَرۡبِیَّةࣲ یَكَادُ زَیۡتُهَا یُضِیۤءُ وَلَوۡ لَمۡ تَمۡسَسۡهُ نَارࣱۚ نُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورࣲۚ یَهۡدِی ٱللَّهُ لِنُورِهِۦ مَن یَشَاۤءُۚ وَیَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡأَمۡثَـٰلَ لِلنَّاسِۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَیۡءٍ عَلِیمࣱ ۝٣٥ al-lahu nūru l-samāwāti wal-arḍi mathalu nūrihi kamish'katin fīhā miṣ'bāḥun l-miṣ'bāḥu fī zujājatin l-zujājatu ka-annahā kawkabun durriyyun yūqadu min shajaratin mubārakatin zaytūnatin lā sharqiyyatin walā gharbiyyatin yakādu zaytuhā yuḍīu walaw lam tamsashu nārun nūrun ʿalā nūrin yahdī l-lahu linūrihi man yashāu wayaḍribu l-lahu l-amthāla lilnnāsi wal-lahu bikulli shayin ʿalīmu 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 36 فِی بُیُوتٍ أَذِنَ ٱللَّهُ أَن تُرۡفَعَ وَیُذۡكَرَ فِیهَا ٱسۡمُهُۥ یُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ فِیهَا بِٱلۡغُدُوِّ وَٱلۡءَاصَالِ ۝٣٦ fī buyūtin adhina l-lahu an tur'faʿa wayudh'kara fīhā us'muhu yusabbiḥu lahu fīhā bil-ghuduwi wal-āṣāl 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

37 رِجَالࣱ لَّا تُلۡهِیهِمۡ تِجَـٰرَةࣱ وَلَا بَیۡعٌ عَن ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَإِیتَاۤءِ ٱلزَّكَوٰةِ یَخَافُونَ یَوۡمࣰا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِیهِ ٱلۡقُلُوبُ وَٱلۡأَبۡصَـٰرُ ۝٣٧ rijālun lā tul'hīhim tijāratun walā bayʿun ʿan dhik'ri l-lahi wa-iqāmi l-ṣalati waītāi l-zakati yakhāfūna yawman tataqallabu fīhi l-qulūbu wal-abṣār 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

38 لِیَجۡزِیَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَحۡسَنَ مَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَیَزِیدَهُم مِّن فَضۡلِهِۦۗ وَٱللَّهُ یَرۡزُقُ مَن یَشَاۤءُ بِغَیۡرِ حِسَابࣲ ۝٣٨ liyajziyahumu l-lahu aḥsana mā ʿamilū wayazīdahum min faḍlihi wal-lahu yarzuqu man yashāu bighayri ḥisābi 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 39 وَٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوۤا۟ أَعۡمَـٰلُهُمۡ كَسَرَابِۭ بِقِیعَةࣲ یَحۡسَبُهُ ٱلظَّمۡءَانُ مَاۤءً حَتَّىٰۤ إِذَا جَاۤءَهُۥ لَمۡ یَجِدۡهُ شَیۡءࣰا وَوَجَدَ ٱللَّهَ عِندَهُۥ فَوَفَّىٰهُ حِسَابَهُۥۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَرِیعُ ٱلۡحِسَابِ ۝٣٩ wa-alladhīna kafarū aʿmāluhum kasarābin biqīʿatin yaḥsabuhu l-ẓamānu māan ḥattā idhā jāahu lam yajid'hu shayan wawajada l-laha ʿindahu fawaffāhu ḥisābahu wal-lahu sarīʿu l-ḥisāb 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 40 أَوۡ كَظُلُمَـٰتࣲ فِی بَحۡرࣲ لُّجِّیࣲّ یَغۡشَىٰهُ مَوۡجࣱ مِّن فَوۡقِهِۦ مَوۡجࣱ مِّن فَوۡقِهِۦ سَحَابࣱۚ ظُلُمَـٰتُۢ بَعۡضُهَا فَوۡقَ بَعۡضٍ إِذَاۤ أَخۡرَجَ یَدَهُۥ لَمۡ یَكَدۡ یَرَىٰهَاۗ وَمَن لَّمۡ یَجۡعَلِ ٱللَّهُ لَهُۥ نُورࣰا فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن نُّورٍ ۝٤٠ aw kaẓulumātin fī baḥrin lujjiyyin yaghshāhu mawjun min fawqihi mawjun min fawqihi saḥābun ẓulumātun baʿḍuhā fawqa baʿḍin idhā akhraja yadahu lam yakad yarāhā waman lam yajʿali l-lahu lahu nūran famā lahu min nūri 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 41 أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ یُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ مَن فِی ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱلطَّیۡرُ صَـٰۤفَّـٰتࣲۖ كُلࣱّ قَدۡ عَلِمَ صَلَاتَهُۥ وَتَسۡبِیحَهُۥۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِیمُۢ بِمَا یَفۡعَلُونَ ۝٤١ alam tara anna l-laha yusabbiḥu lahu man fī l-samāwāti wal-arḍi wal-ṭayru ṣāffātin kullun qad ʿalima ṣalātahu watasbīḥahu wal-lahu ʿalīmun bimā yafʿalūn [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