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Successful indeed are the believers:

As for female and male fornicators, give each of them one hundred lashes,¹ and do not let pity for them make you lenient in ˹enforcing˺ the law of Allah, if you ˹truly˺ believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a number of believers witness their punishment.

those who humble themselves in prayer;

A male fornicator would only marry a female fornicator or idolatress. And a female fornicator would only be married to a fornicator or idolater. This is ˹all˺ forbidden to the believers.¹

those who avoid idle talk;

those who pay alms-tax;¹

those who guard their chastity¹

except with their wives or those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession,¹ for then they are free from blame,

but whoever seeks beyond that are the transgressors;

O Prophet! When the believing women come to you, pledging to you that they will neither associate anything with Allah ˹in worship˺, nor steal, nor fornicate, nor kill their children, nor falsely attribute ˹illegitimate˺ children to their husbands,¹ nor disobey you in what is right, then accept their pledge, and ask Allah to forgive them. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

And the two among you who commit this sin—discipline them. If they repent and mend their ways, relieve them. Surely Allah is ever Accepting of Repentance, Most Merciful.

Allah only accepts the repentance of those who commit evil ignorantly ˹or recklessly˺ then repent soon after¹—Allah will pardon them. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

However, repentance is not accepted from those who knowingly persist in sin until they start dying, and then cry, “Now I repent!” nor those who die as disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful punishment.

O believers! It is not permissible for you to inherit women against their will¹ or mistreat them to make them return some of the dowry ˹as a ransom for divorce˺—unless they are found guilty of adultery.² Treat them fairly. If you happen to dislike them, you may hate something which Allah turns into a great blessing.

Indeed, humankind was created impatient:

distressed when touched with evil,

and withholding when touched with good—

except those who pray,

consistently performing their prayers;

and who give the rightful share of their wealth

But if any of you cannot afford to marry a free believing woman, then ˹let him marry˺ a believing bondwoman possessed by one of you. Allah knows best ˹the state of˺ your faith ˹and theirs˺. You are from one another.¹ So marry them with the permission of their owners,² giving them their dowry in fairness, if they are chaste, neither promiscuous nor having secret affairs. If they commit indecency after marriage, they receive half the punishment of free women.³ This is for those of you who fear falling into sin. But if you are patient, it is better for you. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

to the beggar and the poor;

It is Allah’s Will to make things clear to you, guide you to the ˹noble˺ ways of those before you, and turn to you in mercy. For Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

and who ˹firmly˺ believe in the Day of Judgment;

and those who fear the punishment of their Lord—

˹knowing that˺ none should feel secure from their Lord’s punishment—

and those who guard their chastity¹

except with their wives or those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession,¹ for then they are free from blame,

but whoever seeks beyond that are the transgressors.

Do not go near adultery. It is truly a shameful deed and an evil way.

˹They are˺ those who do not invoke any other god besides Allah, nor take a ˹human˺ life—made sacred by Allah—except with ˹legal˺ right,¹ nor commit fornication. And whoever does ˹any of˺ this will face the penalty.

Their punishment will be multiplied on the Day of Judgment, and they will remain in it forever, in disgrace.