the 4th sura of the Qur'&n; it means sura the Battle of Uhud and its the forbidden degrees its concern for females. Towards the the sura a firm statement denies that'Īsā & (q. v.) was killed niyyāt] Intention. Islamic moral theology, and, son of the Fātimid caliph al-Mustansir Sharīf. (rasūl) sent to Nūh is

Nūh (2) (Ar.) Noah (Noe): the title of the 71st sūra of the Qur'ān; it is a proper name. The sura belongs to the Meccan period and has 28 verses. The title is drawn from the 1st verse in which God states that He has sent Nūh to his people. The sura is devoted almost entirely to the story of Nūh: he comes to warn his people and tells them to seek forgiveness from God. Nūh is refused and the wicked are drowned in the Flood. The sura concludes with Nūh praying to God that the Latter should not leave one unbeliever on the earth. (See Nūh (1).)

al-Nu'mān, al-Qādī (died 363-4/974) Major theoretician and jurist of the Fātimids (q. v.). He was a prolific author whose bestknown work is perhaps his The Pillars of Islam (Da 'ā 'im alIslām). Al-Nu'mān is of particular importance for the develop­ ment of fiqh (q.v.) and the recorded history of the Fātīmids. (See Ismā'īlīs.)

al-Nūr (Ar.) The title of the 24th sūra of the Qur'ān; it means 'The Light'. The sūra is Medinan and has 64 verses. Its title is taken from v.35 which describes God as the Light of the Heavens and the earth in one of the most famous and mystically beautiful of all the Qur'ānic verses, called 'The Light Verse' (Āyat alNur). The sura lays down a number of legal and other injunctions: for example, 100 lashes are prescribed for adultery; women are to dress modestly; prayer (salāt (q.v.)) is to be performed; zakāt (q.v.) is to be paid and the Messenger of God is to be obeyed. These are just a few of the regulations which are laid down in what is a very wide-ranging sura from the point of view of its legal content. (See 'Ā'isha bint Abī Bakr.)

Nusayrīs Members of syncretic group also called 'Alawīs (i.e. those who follow 'Alī b. Abī Tālib (q.v.)). Their name Nusayrīs derives from one of their important early leaders Muhammad b. Nusayr (c. 3rd/9th century). Their beliefs have much in common with those of the Ismā'īlīs (q.v.). There are Nusayrīs in Syria, Turkey and Lebanon. In Turkey they are known as Alevis.