Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nur Verse 4

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Those who accuse the chaste women (of fornication), but they do not produce four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes and do not accept their any evidence any more. They are the sinners,

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Those who accuse chaste women ˹of adultery˺ and fail to produce four witnesses, give them eighty lashes ˹each˺. And do not ever accept any testimony from them—for they are indeed the rebellious—

Ruwwad Translation Center

As for those who accuse chaste women [of adultery] but fail to produce four witnesses, flog them eighty lashes and do not accept their testimony ever, for it is they who are the rebellious,

A. J. Arberry

And those who cast it up on women in wedlock, and then bring not four witnesses, scourge them with eighty stripes, and do not accept any testimony of theirs ever; those -- they are the ungodly,

Abdul Haleem

As for those who accuse chaste women of fornication, and then fail to provide four witnesses, strike them eighty times, and reject their testimony ever afterwards: they are the lawbreakers,

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And those who accuse clean wowomen and then bring not four eyewitnesses, Scourge them with eighty stripes and accept not their- testimony for Ever. And these! they are the transgressors

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And those who launch a charge against chaste women, and produce not four witnesses (to support their allegations),- flog them with eighty stripes; and reject their evidence ever after; for such men are wicked transgressors;-

Abul Ala Maududi

As for those persons who charge chaste women with false accusations but do not produce four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes and never accept their evidence afterwards, for they themselves are transgressors,

Ahmed Ali

Those who defame chaste women and do not bring four witnesses should be punished with eighty lashes, and their testimony should not be accepted afterwards, for they are profligates,

Ahmed Raza Khan

And those who accuse chaste women and do not bring four witnesses to testify – punish them with eighty lashes and do not ever accept their testimony; and it is they who are the wicked.

Ali Quli Qarai

As for those who accuse chaste women and do not bring four witnesses, strike them eighty lashes, and never accept any testimony from them after that, and they are transgressors,

Ali Ünal

Those who accuse chaste, honorable women (of illicit sexual relations) but do not produce four male witnesses (who will witness that they personally saw the act being committed): flog them with eighty stripes, and do not accept from them any testimony ever after. They are indeed transgressors,

Amatul Rahman Omar

Strike eighty times on the bodies of those who calumniate chaste women and who do not support (their accusation) with four witnesses, and never accept their testimony (because) it is they who are the disobedient (and break the law);

English Literal

And those who blame and accuse the chaste/married then they did not come with witnesses/testifiers ,so whip/lash them eighty whip(s)/lash(es), and do not accept for them a testimony/certification , ever (E), and those are the debauchers .

Faridul Haque

And those who accuse chaste women and do not bring four witnesses to testify - punish them with eighty lashes and do not ever accept their testimony; and it is they who are the wicked.

Hamid S. Aziz

Let no adulterer marry any but an adulteress or an idolatress (or unbeliever), nor let any but such a man or an idolater (or unbeliever) marry such a woman. All this is forbidden to believers.

Hilali & Khan

And those who accuse chaste women, and produce not four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes, and reject their testimony forever, they indeed are the Fasiqun (liars, rebellious, disobedient to Allah).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

The adulterer cannot have sexual relations with any but an adulteress or an idolatress, and the adulteress, none can have sexual relations with her but an adulterer or an idolater; and it is forbidden to believers.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And those who accuse free women then do not bring four witnesses, flog them, (giving) eighty stripes, and do not admit any evidence from them ever; and these it is that are the transgressors,

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And those who accuse honourable women but bring not four witnesses, scourge them (with) eighty stripes and never (afterward) accept their testimony - They indeed are evil-doers -

Muhammad Sarwar

Those who accuse married women of committing adultery - but are not able to prove their accusation by producing four witness - must be flogged eighty lashes. Never accept their testimony thereafter because they are sinful,

Qaribullah & Darwish

Those who accuse chaste women, and cannot produce four witnesses, you shall lash them with eighty lashes. And never accept their testimony, for they are evildoers,

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And those who accuse chaste women, and produce not four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes, and reject their testimony forever. They indeed are the rebellious.

Wahiduddin Khan

Those who defame chaste women, but cannot produce four witnesses, shall be given eighty lashes. Do not accept their testimony ever after, for they are transgressors,

Talal Itani

Those who accuse chaste women, then cannot bring four witnesses, whip them eighty lashes, and do not ever accept their testimony. For these are the immoral.

Tafsir jalalayn

And those who accuse honourable women [in wedlock], who are chaste, of fornication, and then do not bring four witnesses, to testify as eyewitnesses to their fornication, strike them eighty lashes, that is, each one of them, and do not accept any testimony from them ever, in anything; and those, they are the immoral, for committing a grave sin (kabra);

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

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