Surah An Nur Tafseer

The Prescribed Punishment for slandering Chaste Women

Allah commands:

وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ

And those who accuse chaste women,

This Ayah states the prescribed punishment for making false accusations against chaste women, i.e., those who are free, adult and chaste.

If the person who is falsely accused is a man, the same punishment of flogging also applies.

If the accuser produces evidence that what he is saying is true, then the punishment does not apply.

Allah said:

ثُمَّ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاء فَاجْلِدُوهُمْ ثَمَانِينَ جَلْدَةً وَلَا تَقْبَلُوا لَهُمْ شَهَادَةً أَبَدًا وَأُوْلَيِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

and produce not four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes, and reject their testimony forever. They indeed are the rebellious.

If the accuser cannot prove that what he is saying is true, then three rulings apply to him:

(firstly) that he should be flogged with eighty stripes,

(secondly) that his testimony should be rejected forever, and

(thirdly) that he should be labeled as a rebellious who is not of good character, whether in the sight of Allah or of mankind.

Explaining the Repentance of the One Who makes a False Accusation

Then Allah says:

إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ تَابُوا مِن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ