Surah An-Nur (النور) • The Light

Quran 24:31

24:31

وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّـٰبِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفْلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰ عَوْرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

waqul lil'mu'mināti yaghḍuḍ'na min abṣārihinna wayaḥfaẓna furūjahunna walā yub'dīna zīnatahunna illā mā ẓahara min'hā walyaḍrib'na bikhumurihinna ʿalā juyūbihinna walā yub'dīna zīnatahunna illā libuʿūlatihinna aw ābāihinna aw ābāi buʿūlatihinna aw abnāihinna aw abnāi buʿūlatihinna aw ikh'wānihinna aw banī ikh'wānihinna aw banī akhawātihinna aw nisāihinna aw mā malakat aymānuhunna awi l-tābiʿīna ghayri ulī l-ir'bati mina l-rijāli awi l-ṭif'li alladhīna lam yaẓharū ʿalā ʿawrāti l-nisāi walā yaḍrib'na bi-arjulihinna liyuʿ'lama mā yukh'fīna min zīnatihinna watūbū ilā l-lahi jamīʿan ayyuha l-mu'minūna laʿallakum tuf'liḥūna

And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment [i.e., beauty] except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess [i.e., slaves], or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allāh in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.

— Saheeh International

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.

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyûbihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms) and not to reveal their adornment 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 (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islâm), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of feminine sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allâh to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 18Page 353medinan

Word by Word

وَقُلwaqulAnd say
لِّلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِlil'mu'minātito the believing women
يَغْضُضْنَyaghḍuḍ'na(that) they should lower
مِنْmin[of]
أَبْصَـٰرِهِنَّabṣārihinnatheir gaze
وَيَحْفَظْنَwayaḥfaẓnaand they should guard
فُرُوجَهُنَّfurūjahunnatheir chastity
وَلَاwalāand not
يُبْدِينَyub'dīna(to) display
زِينَتَهُنَّzīnatahunnatheir adornment
إِلَّاillāexcept
مَاmāwhat
ظَهَرَẓaharais apparent
مِنْهَاۖmin'hāof it
وَلْيَضْرِبْنَwalyaḍrib'naAnd let them draw
بِخُمُرِهِنَّbikhumurihinnatheir head covers
عَلَىٰʿalāover
جُيُوبِهِنَّۖjuyūbihinnatheir bosoms
وَلَاwalāand not
يُبْدِينَyub'dīna(to) display
زِينَتَهُنَّzīnatahunnatheir adornment
إِلَّاillāexcept
لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّlibuʿūlatihinnato their husbands
أَوْawor
ءَابَآئِهِنَّābāihinnatheir fathers
أَوْawor
ءَابَآءِābāifathers
بُعُولَتِهِنَّbuʿūlatihinna(of) their husbands
أَوْawor
أَبْنَآئِهِنَّabnāihinnatheir sons
أَوْawor
أَبْنَآءِabnāisons
بُعُولَتِهِنَّbuʿūlatihinna(of) their husbands
أَوْawor
إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّikh'wānihinnatheir brothers
أَوْawor
بَنِىٓbanīsons
إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّikh'wānihinna(of) their brothers
أَوْawor
بَنِىٓbanīsons
أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّakhawātihinna(of) their sisters
أَوْawor
نِسَآئِهِنَّnisāihinnatheir women
أَوْawor
مَاmāwhat
مَلَكَتْmalakatpossess
أَيْمَـٰنُهُنَّaymānuhunnatheir right hands
أَوِawior
ٱلتَّـٰبِعِينَl-tābiʿīnathe attendants
غَيْرِghayrihaving no physical desire
أُو۟لِىulīhaving no physical desire
ٱلْإِرْبَةِl-ir'batihaving no physical desire
مِنَminaamong
ٱلرِّجَالِl-rijāli[the] men
أَوِawior
ٱلطِّفْلِl-ṭif'li[the] children
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnawho
لَمْlam(are) not
يَظْهَرُوا۟yaẓharūaware
عَلَىٰʿalāof
عَوْرَٰتِʿawrātiprivate aspects
ٱلنِّسَآءِۖl-nisāi(of) the women
وَلَاwalāAnd not
يَضْرِبْنَyaḍrib'nalet them stamp
بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّbi-arjulihinnatheir feet
لِيُعْلَمَliyuʿ'lamato make known
مَاmāwhat
يُخْفِينَyukh'fīnathey conceal
مِنminof
زِينَتِهِنَّۚzīnatihinnatheir adornment
وَتُوبُوٓا۟watūbūAnd turn
إِلَىilāto
ٱللَّهِl-lahiAllah
جَمِيعًاjamīʿanaltogether
أَيُّهَayyuhaO believers
ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَl-mu'minūnaO believers
لَعَلَّكُمْlaʿallakumSo that you may
تُفْلِحُونَtuf'liḥūnasucceed