The Majestic Quran

24. An-Nur The Light This chapter was revealed in Madinah after the campaign of Banu Mustalaq in the fifth year of Hijrah. The central theme is social manners: modesty, and the penalty for adultery and slandering innocent people. The aim is to lay down firm foundations for building relationships between men and women based on modesty and respect. It opens with declaring a severe penalty for adultery, and continues by recommending rules for the mixing of men and women, the Hijab, and personal privacy inside and outside the home. The purpose of these rules is to develop a decent environment, free of sexual exploitation. If sexuality is not properly controlled, it can cause disorder in family life and chaos in wider society. These simple rules are powerful preventative measures that restrict shameful behaviour. Ignoring these rules leads to the spread of all kinds of sexual exploitation, indecency, pornography and prostitution. The story of the false accusation against Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, highlights the importance of these social regulations. The story concludes by declaring the innocence of the Mother of the Believers, and recommends six effective social rules: we are warned against spreading rumours; penalty for those who spread indecency; develop the value of forgiveness; permission should be sought to enter houses; women covering themselves in public; and assistance for single people to marry. The parable of ‘light’ in verse 35 points to God’s creative power; making living matter from the darkness of nothing. Evidence of the existence of God. The ‘light’ is God’s guidance the ability to discern right from wrong. The marvellous phenomena in the