Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nur Verse 26

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Vile women are for vile men, and vile men are for vile women; and good women are for good men, and good men are for good women. Those are free from what they (the accusers) say. For them there is forgiveness, and a graceful provision.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Wicked women are for wicked men, and wicked men are for wicked women. And virtuous women are for virtuous men, and virtuous men are for virtuous women. The virtuous are innocent of what the wicked say. They will have forgiveness and an honourable provision.[[ This passage declares the innocence of ’Ȃishah, the Prophet’s wife. ]] 

Ruwwad Translation Center

Evil women are for evil men and evil men for evil women, and virtuous women are for virtuous men and virtuous men for virtuous women. These [virtuous ones] are innocent of what [the slanderers] say; they will have forgiveness and a generous provision.

A. J. Arberry

Corrupt women for corrupt men, and corrupt men for corrupt women; good women for good men, and good men for good women -- these are declared quit of what they say; theirs shall be forgiveness and generous provision.

Abdul Haleem

Corrupt women are for corrupt men, and corrupt men are for corrupt women; good women are for good men and good men are for good women. The good are innocent of what has been said against them; they will have forgiveness and a generous provision.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Vile women are for vile men, and vile men are for vile women, and clean women are for Clean men, and clean men are for clean women; these are quit of that which the people say: for them is forgiveness and a provision honoured.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Women impure are for men impure, and men impure for women impure and women of purity are for men of purity, and men of purity are for women of purity; these are not affected by what people say; for them there is forgiveness, and a provision honourable.

Abul Ala Maududi

Impure women are for impure men and impure men for impure women, and pure women are for pure men and pure men for pure women. They are free from those scandals which the slanderers utter. There is forgiveness for them and honourable provision.

Ahmed Ali

Bad women deserve bad men, and bad men are for bad women; but good women are for good men, and good men for good women, for they are innocent of what people say. There is forgiveness for them and a gracious provision.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Vile women for vile men, and vile men for vile women; and virtuous women for virtuous men, and virtuous men for virtuous women; such are innocent of what these people say; for them are forgiveness, and an honourable sustenance.

Ali Quli Qarai

Vicious women are for vicious men, and vicious men for vicious women. Good women are for good men, and good men for good women. These are absolved of what they say [about them]. For them is forgiveness and a noble provision.

Ali Ünal

(In principle,) corrupt women are for corrupt men, and corrupt men for corrupt women, just as good, pure women are for good, pure men, and good, pure men for good, pure women. (On account of their purity and chastity coming from faith) the latter are innocent of all that evil tongues may impute to them. For them there is a forgiveness and an honorable, generous provision.

Amatul Rahman Omar

The evil and impure deeds are (a characteristic) of impure people and the bad and impure people are (inclined) towards the bad and impure deeds. Similarly good and pure deeds are (a characteristic) of good and pure people and the good and pure people are (inclined) towards good and pure deeds. It is they (- the good and pure) who are innocent of all that they (- the accusers) may allege (about them). There awaits them protection and an honourable and generous provision.

English Literal

The cheaters/wicked (F) (are) to the cheaters/wicked (M) , and the cheaters/wicked (M) (are) to the cheaters/wicked (F) , and the good/pure (F) (are) to good/pure (M) , and the good/pure (M) (are) to the good/pure (F) , those are being made innocent/pure from what they are saying, for them (is) forgiveness and generous/kind (reimbursement).

Faridul Haque

Vile women for vile men, and vile men for vile women; and virtuous women for virtuous men, and virtuous men for virtuous women; such are innocent of what these people say; for them are forgiveness, and an honourable sustenance.

Hamid S. Aziz

On that day Allah will pay them their just due; and they shall know that Allah, He is the Manifest Truth.

Hilali & Khan

Bad statements are for bad people (or bad women for bad men) and bad people for bad statements (or bad men for bad women). Good statements are for good people (or good women for good men) and good people for good statements (or good men for good women), such (good people) are innocent of (each and every) bad statement which they say, for them is Forgiveness, and Rizqun Karim (generous provision i.e. Paradise).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

On that day Allah will pay back to them in full their just reward, and they will know that Allah, He is the Evident Truth.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Unclean things are for unclean ones and unclean ones are for unclean things, and the good things are for good ones and the good ones are for good things; these are free from what they say; they shall have forgiveness and an honorable sustenance.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Vile women are for vile men, and vile men for vile women. Good women are for good men, and good men for good women; such are innocent of that which people say: For them is pardon and a bountiful provision.

Muhammad Sarwar

Indecent woman are for indecent men and indecent men are for indecent woman. Decent women are for decent men and decent men are for decent women. The decent people are innocent of what people allege. They will receive mercy and honorable sustenance.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Evil women for evil men, and evil men for evil women; good women for good men, and good men for good women these are clear of what has been said; for them is forgiveness, and a generous provision.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Bad statements are for bad people and bad people for bad statements. Good statements are for good people and good people for good statements: such are innocent of (every) bad statement which they say; for them is forgiveness, and honored provision.

Wahiduddin Khan

Corrupt women are for corrupt men, and corrupt men are for corrupt women; good women are for good men and good men are for good women. The latter are absolved from anything they may say; forgiveness and an honourable provision await them.

Talal Itani

Bad women are for bad men, and bad men are for bad women, and good women are for good men, and good men are for good women. Those are acquitted of what they say. There is forgiveness for them, and a generous provision.

Tafsir jalalayn

Vile women, and [vile] words, are for vile men, and vile men for vile women, and the mentioned [vile words]. Good women, and as mentioned [good words], are for good men, and good men for good women, and the mentioned [good words], that is to say, what suits something vile is its like, and what suits something good is its like -- such, good men and women, the like of `'isha and Safwn, are absolved of what they say, [what] the corrupt men and women [say] about them. For them, for good men and women, will be forgiveness and a glorious provision, in Paradise. `'isha felt honoured by some of the things [mentioned] in this [verse], namely, that she was created `a good woman' and was promised `forgiveness and a glorious provision'.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Goodness of `A'ishah because She is married to the best of Mankind

Allah says,

الْخَبِيثَاتُ لِلْخَبِيثِينَ وَالْخَبِيثُونَ لِلْخَبِيثَاتِ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ لِلطَّيِّبِينَ وَالطَّيِّبُونَ لِلطَّيِّبَاتِ

Bad statements are for bad people and bad people for bad statements. Good statements are for good people and good people for good statements;

Ibn Abbas said,

"Evil words are for evil men, and evil men are for evil words; good words are for good men and good men are for good words. This was revealed concerning A'ishah and the people of the slander."

This was also narrated from Mujahid, Ata', Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ash-Sha`bi, Al-Hasan bin Abu Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Habib bin Abi Thabit and Ad-Dahhak, and it was also the view favored by Ibn Jarir.

He interpreted it to mean that evil speech is more suited to evil people, and good speech is more suited to good people. What the hypocrites attributed to A'ishah was more suited to them, and she was most suited to innocence and having nothing to do with them.

Allah said;

أُوْلَيِكَ مُبَرَّوُونَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ

such (good people) are innocent of (every) bad statement which they say;

Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said,

"Evil women are for evil men and evil men are for evil women, and good women are for good men and good men are for good women."

This also necessarily refers back to what they said, i.e., Allah would not have made A'ishah the wife of His Messenger unless she had been good, because he is the best of the best of mankind. If she had been evil, she would not have been a suitable partner either according to His Laws or His decree.

Allah said;

أُوْلَيِكَ مُبَرَّوُونَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ


such are innocent of (every) bad statement which they say;

meaning, they are remote from what the people of slander and enmity say.

لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ

for them is forgiveness,

means, because of the lies that were told about them,

وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ



and honored provision.

meaning, with Allah in the Gardens of Delight.

This implies a promise that she will be the wife of the Messenger of Allah in Paradise