Surah An-Nur, Ayah 19 (24:19)

ٱلنُّور

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِيعَ ٱلْفَٰحِشَةُ فِى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ …

Quran 24:19 is ayah 19 of Surah An-Nur (“The Light”), a Medinan surah of 64 ayahs. It is in Juz 18, on page 351 of the Madani Mushaf.

24:19
إِنَّٱلَّذِينَيُحِبُّونَأَنتَشِيعَٱلْفَٰحِشَةُفِىٱلَّذِينَءَامَنُوا۟لَهُمْعَذَابٌأَلِيمٌفِىٱلدُّنْيَاوَٱلَْٔاخِرَةِ ۚوَٱللَّهُيَعْلَمُوَأَنتُمْلَاتَعْلَمُونَ١٩
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 taʿlamūna

Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread [or publicized] among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allāh knows and you do not know.(19)

Word by word

  1. إِنَّinnaIndeed
  2. ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
  3. يُحِبُّونَyuḥibbūnalike
  4. أَنanthat
  5. تَشِيعَtashīʿa(should) spread
  6. ٱلْفَٰحِشَةُl-fāḥishatuthe immorality
  7. فِىfīamong
  8. ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
  9. ءَامَنُوا۟āmanūbelieve
  10. لَهُمْlahumfor them
  11. عَذَابٌʿadhābun(is) a punishment
  12. أَلِيمٌalīmunpainful
  13. فِىfīin
  14. ٱلدُّنْيَاl-dun'yāthe world
  15. وَٱلَْٔاخِرَةِ ۚwal-ākhiratiand the Hereafter
  16. وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
  17. يَعْلَمُyaʿlamuknows
  18. وَأَنتُمْwa-antumwhile you
  19. لَاlā(do) not
  20. تَعْلَمُونَtaʿlamūnaknow

Tafsir (commentary) of 24:19

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Disciplining Those Who like that Illegal Sexual Intercourse should be circulated among the Believers

This is a third instance of discipline directed at those who hear evil talk, believe it to some extent, and start to spread it; they should not spread such talk or pass it on to others. Allah says:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِيعَ الْفَـحِشَةُ فِى الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

(Verily, those who like that Fahshah should be circulated among those who believe, they will have a painful torment) meaning, those who like to see evil talk about them (the believers) appear,

لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ فِى الدُّنْيَا

(they will have a painful torment in this world) means, because of the prescribed punishment, and in the Hereafter because of the torment in Hell.

وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ

(And Allah knows and you know not.) means, return the matter to Him and you will be guided. Imam Ahmad recorded from Thawban that the Prophet said:

«لَا تُؤْذُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ وَلَا تُعَيِّرُوهُمْ، وَلَا تَطْلُبُوا عَوْرَاتِهِمْ، فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ طَلَبَ عَوْرَةَ أَخِيهِ الْمُسْلِمِ طَلَبَ اللهُ عَوْرَتَهُ، حَتَّى يَفْضَحَهُ فِي بَيْتِهِ»

(Do not annoy the servants of Allah, nor abuse them, nor seek their hidden shortcomings. Whoever seeks out the faults of his Muslim brother, Allah will expose his faults and degrade him, even if he is hiding in his house.)

Read the full Surah An-Nur