Sura al-Nur
| al-Mu'minun | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sura Number | 24 |
| Juz' | 18 |
| Revelation | |
| Revelation Number | 103 |
| Makki/Madani | Madani |
| Information | |
| Verse Count | 64 |
| Word Count | 1381 |
| Letter Count | 5755\ |
This article is an introduction to the Sura al-Nur; to read its text see text:Sura al-Nur.Sūra al-Nūr (سورة النور) is the twenty forth sura of the Qur'an. It is a Madani sura located in juz' eighteen. This sura is called "al-Nur" because the word "nur" is mentioned in this sura seven times and it contains al-Nur verse. Sura al-Nur also contains many rulings such as the punishment for adultery, attributing adultery to someone (Qadhf) and hijab as an obligation for women.
Also, in this sura, the Event of Ifk, some issues about marriage, slander, libel and accusation are mentioned and spreading atrocities are prohibited. About the blessings of recitation of this sura, there are narrations suggesting that whoever recites Sura al-Nur, God will give him rewards ten times more than the number of all men and women believers in the past and in the future. It is also mentioned in narrations that it is among the rights of a daughter upon her father to teach her Sura al-Nur.
Introduction
- Naming
This sura is named al-Nur because the word "nur" is mentioned in this sura seven times and it also contains al-Nur verse (verse 35). This verse begins with the word "Allah" and the word "Nur" is mentioned in it five times.[1]
- Order and Place of Revelation
Sura al-Nur is a Madani sura. It is 103rd sura revealed to the Prophet (s). In the current order of revelation, it is twenty forth sura of the Qur'an[2] located in juz' 18.
- Number of Verses
Sura al-Nur has sixty four verses, 1381 words and 5755 letters. Regarding volume, this sura is among Mathani suras, middle size and about half of one juz'.
Content
| Principles of preaching modesty with the observation of divine rulings | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First topic: verses 1-33 Principles of preaching modesty in the society | Second topic: verses 34-57 The influence of observing religious rulings in receiving divine guidance | Third topic: verses 58-61 Principles of preaching modesty and love in the family | Fourth topic: verses 62-64 The importance of following the order of God and the Prophet (s) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduction: verse 1 Necessity of acting upon the rulings in this sura | First point: verses 34-35 Explaining the rulings for the guidance of believers toward light | First principle: verses 58-59 Observing parents' privacy | First point: verse 62 Necessity of following the order of the Prophet (s) in general issues of the society | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First principle: verses 2-3 Public punishment of adulterers | Second point: verses 36-38 Remembering God results in receiving divine guidance | Second principle: verse 60 Observing appropriate hijab for women | Second point: verses 22-24 Always follow the order of the Prophet (s) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Second principle: verses 4-10 Punishment of those who accuse chaste women | Third point: verses 39-40 Two examples for deprivation of disbelievers from the light of diving teachings | Third principle: verse 61 Observing the manners of entering other people's houses | Third point: verse 64 Adjustment of religious rulings to human's needs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Third principle: verses 11-26 Not spreading immoral rumors | Forth point: verses 41-42 Creatures' general praise of God, a sign of general mercy of God | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Forth principle: verses 27-29 Observing people's privacy | Fifth point: verse 43 Pouring rain of mercy upon a group of servants, a sign of God's special mercy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fifth principle: verses 30-31 Observing decency and modesty when facing non-mahram people | Sixth point: verses 44-46 Guidance of everyone is based on his competence | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sixth principle: verses 32-33 Preaching the culture of marriage | Seventh point: verses 47-57 The methods of hypocrites and believers in observing the rule of God | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Famous Verses
Al-Ifk Verses
After verse eleven of Sura al-Nur, the glorious Qur'an mentions the story of slandering a Muslim and criticizes people for it. From the appearance of the verses of the Qur'an, aside from the commentaries and occasions of revelation proposed for them, it can be understood that the person who was subject to slander was a famous person and a member of the Prophet's (s) family and the slanderers were a group of people.[4] Two contexts of revelation have been suggested for these verses:
- Hypocrites slandered 'Ayisha after Muslims returned from the Battle of Bani l-Mustaliq.[5][6]
- 'Ayisha slandered Mariya al-Qibtiyya.[7][8] In these verses, slanderers are threatened to receive a great punishment and also believers are prohibited from accepting rumors without reasons and investigation.[9]
Al-Nur Verse
| “ | "Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is a niche wherein is a lamp—the lamp is in a glass, the glass as it were a glittering star—lit from a blessed olive tree, neither eastern nor western, whose oil almost lights up, though fire should not touch it. Light upon light. Allah guides to His Light whomever He wishes. Allah draws parables for mankind, and Allah has knowledge of all things." | ” |
| — Qur'an 4:59 | ||
In some commentaries, with regards to available narrations, this verse is interpreted as referring to the Ahl al-Bayt (a). It is narrated from Imam al-Rida (a) that we are the niche wherein is the lamp of Muhammad (s) and God guides whomever He wishes through our wilaya.[10]
It is also mentioned in al-Mizan that Imam al-Sadiq (a) was asked about al-Nur verse and Imam (a) answered, "it is a parable God has made about us the Ahl al-Bayt (a), that the Prophet (s) and Imams (a) are among the signs of God, by which people are guided toward the Unity of God, the good of religion, recommended actions and obligations."[11] To explain this understanding, 'Allama Tabataba'i suggested that this narration referred to some examples, but the verse apparently includes people other than the Ahl al-Bayt (a), such as the prophets (a) and the friends of God as well.[12]
Verses of Rulings
Verses two to eight of Sura al-Nur are mentioned among the verses of ruling.[13]
- Verse two refers to adulterers and mentions the punishment for such persons, a hundred stroke of lashes. Scholars of jurisprudence have discussed under this verse about whom is meant by adulterer in this verse and what are the conditions of administering the punishment.
- Verse three considers marriage of a believer with an adulterer prohibited. It is mentioned in commentaries that the adulterer in this ruling refers to a person who is famous for doing this action, not a person who has repented.[14]
- Verses four to eight speak about the slander of adultery and mentions the rulings for Qadhf and Li'an.[15]
- Another verses of ruling in this sura is verse thirty one which is about hijab.[16] It orders women to modesty and covering their jewelry and mentions whom women can meet without hijab.
- Verse sixty excludes old women from this ruling with some conditions.[17]
- Also verses thirty two and thirty three are counted among verses which infer rulings.[18] These verses order men and women about marriage and mention that if they do not have the requirements for it, they need to observe modesty and chasteness.
Merits and Benefits
About the merits of Sura al-Nur, it is narrated from the Prophet (s) that whoever recites Sura al-Nur, God will give him rewards ten times more than the number of all men and women believers in the past and in the future.[19]
It is also narrated from the Prophet (s) that it is among the rights of a daughter upon her father to teach her Sura al-Nur.[20] It is also narrated from Imam Ali (a) that he (a) ordered, "teach Sura al-Nur to your women in which there is good advice."[21] It is narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (a), "guard your property and sexual desire by recitation Sura al-Nur and protect your women with this sura, because whoever recites this sura every day or every night, none of his households would commit adultery; and after his death, seventy thousand angels will follow his body in funeral, pray for him and ask for his forgiveness until he is buried in the grave."[22]
Several blessings and benefits are narrated about recitation of this sura such as preventing nocturnal emission,[23] return of an escaped person (if the verse forty of this sura is recited) and healing the weakness of eye, for which one needs to write the verse thirty five of this sura, wash it and rub its water on his eyes.[24]
External Links
Notes
- ↑ Khurramshāhī, Dānishnāma-yi Qurʾān, vol. 2, p. 1243.
- ↑ Maʿrifat, Āmūzish-i ʿulūm-i Qurʾān, vol. 2, p. 168.
- ↑ Khamagar, Muhammad, Sakhtar-i suraha-yi Qur'an-i karim, Mu'assisa-yi Farhangi-yi Qur'an wa 'Itrat-i Nur al-Thaqalayn, Qom: Nashra, ed.1, 1392 Sh.
- ↑ Ṭabāṭabāyī, al-Mīzān, vol. 15, p. 127-128.
- ↑ To critique this opinion, See: Ṭabāṭabāyī, al-Mīzān, vol. 15, p. 101-130;Makārim Shīrāzī, al-Amthāl, vol. 11, p. 40-41.
- ↑ See: Ibn Hishām, al-Sīra al-nabawīyya, vol. 2, p. 297-302; Wāqidī, al-Maghāzī, p. 426-435; Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, vol. 5, p. 223-227.
- ↑ To critique this opinion, See: Makārim Shīrāzī, al-Amthal, vol. 11, p. 41; Subḥānī, Furūgh-i abadīyyat, p. 666.
- ↑ Qummī, Tafsīr al-Qummī, vol. 2, p. 99; ʿĀmilī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ min sīrat al-nabīyy, vol. 12, p. 320, 326.
- ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, al-Amthal, vol. 11, p. 46.
- ↑ Shubbar, Tafsīr Shubbar, p. 342.
- ↑ Ṭabāṭabāyī, al-Mīzān, vol. 15, p. 195.
- ↑ Ṭabāṭabāyī, al-Mīzān, vol. 15, p. 195.
- ↑ Īrawānī, Durūs tamhīdīyya, vol. 1, p. 356, 567, 577; Fāḍil Miqdād, Kanz al-ʿirfān, vol. 2, p. 294.
- ↑ Fayḍ al-Kāshānī, Tafsīr al-Ṣāfī, vol. 3, p. 417.
- ↑ Ardibīlī, Zubdat al-bayān, p. 613.
- ↑ Īrawānī, Durūs tamhīdīyya, vol. 1, p. 377-384.
- ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 14, p. 542; Īrawānī, Durūs tamhīdīyya, vol. 1, p. 386.
- ↑ Ardibīlī, Zubdat al-bayān, p. 504, 367.
- ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 7, p. 216.
- ↑ Ṭūsī, Tahdhīb al-aḥkām, vol. 8, p. 112.
- ↑ Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, vol. 5, p. 516.
- ↑ Ṣadūq, Thawāb al-aʿmāl, p. 109.
- ↑ Baḥrānī, al-Burhān, vol. 4, p. 43.
- ↑ Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 63.
References
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- Ardibīlī, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad. Zubdat al-bayān fī aḥkām al-Qurʾān. Edited by Muḥammad Bāqir Bihbūdī. Tehran: al-Maktaba al-Murtaḍawīyya, [n.d].
- Baḥrānī, Sayyid Hāshim b. Sulaymān. Al-Burhān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Translated to Farsi by Riḍā Nāẓimīyān. Tehran: Kitāb-i Ṣubḥ, 1388 Sh.
- Fāḍil Miqdād, Miqdād b. ʿAbd Allāh al-. Kanz al-ʿirfān fī fiqh al-Qurʾān. Edited by Muḥammad Bāqir Sharīfzāda & *Muḥammad Bāqir Bihbūdī. Tehran: Nashr-i Murtaḍawī, [n.d].
- Fayḍ al-Kāshānī, Muḥammad b. Murtaḍā. Tafsīr al-Ṣāfī. Edited by Ḥusayn Aʿlamī. Second edition. Tehran: Maktabat al-Ṣadr, 1415 AH.
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- Maʿrifat, Muḥammad Hādī. Āmūzish-i ʿulūm-i Qurʾān. [n.p]: Markaz Chāp wa Nashr-i Sāzmān-i Tablīghāt, 1371 Sh.
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- Ṣadūq, Muḥammad b. ʿAlī al-. Thawāb al-aʿmāl wa ʿiqāb al-aʿmāl. Edited by Muḥammad Riḍā Anṣārī. Qom: Nasīm-i Kawthar, 1382 Sh.
- Subḥānī, Jaʿfar. Furūgh-i abadīyyat. Qom: Būstān-i Kitāb, 1384 Sh.
- Ṭabāṭabāyī, Mūhammad Ḥusayn al-. Al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Qom: Daftar-i Intishārāt-i Islāmī, 1417 AH.
- Ṭabrisī, Faḍl b. al-Ḥasan al-. Majmaʿ al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Edited by Muḥammad Jawād Balāghī. Third edition. Tehran: Intishārāt-i Nāṣir Khusru, 1372 Sh.
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