وَٱلَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ ٱلْمُحْصَنَـٰتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَأْتُوا۟ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَ فَٱجْلِدُوهُمْ ثَمَـٰنِينَ جَلْدَةً وَلَا تَقْبَلُوا۟ لَهُمْ شَهَـٰدَةً أَبَدًا ۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ 4
Translations
And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses - lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them testimony ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient,
Transliteration
Wa-alladhina yarmuun al-muhsanati thumma lam ya'tu bi-arba'ati shuhadaa fa-jliduhum thamanina jaldatan wa-la taqbalu lahum shahadatan abadan wa-ulaa'ika humu al-fasiqun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah prescribes the punishment for those who falsely accuse chaste women of adultery without producing four reliable witnesses—they receive eighty lashes and their testimony becomes inadmissible forever. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir emphasize that this severe penalty protects the honor and reputation of women and maintains the integrity of Islamic judicial testimony, as the accusation of sexual misconduct is among the gravest charges in Islamic law. The verse underscores that accusers must meet an exceptionally high evidentiary standard, and failure to do so results in legal disqualification and severe punishment.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the context of the incident involving Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet Muhammad, when she was falsely accused during the Battle of Bani al-Mustaliq. The revelation of these verses (24:11-26) established strict legal protections against defamation and slander, particularly regarding accusations of sexual misconduct. The surah as a whole addresses matters of modesty, family honor, and the rights of the accused.
Related Hadiths
Narrated by Abu Hurairah in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Avoid the seven destructive sins,' and among them is 'accusing a chaste woman of fornication.' Additionally, in Sunan Ibn Majah, the hadith about the testimony requirement emphasizes that a single false accusation without sufficient witnesses constitutes qadh (slander) and subjects the accuser to the prescribed punishment.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that protecting the reputation and dignity of others, especially women, is a divine mandate with serious legal consequences for violations. In our modern context, it reminds us to be cautious about spreading accusations or rumors without verified evidence, and to recognize that baseless allegations cause irreparable harm and invite divine punishment.