Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nisa Verse 16

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Those two of you who commit it, chastise both of them. However, if they repent and make amends, then, overlook them. Surely, Allah is Most-Relenting, Very-Merciful.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And the two among you who commit this sin—discipline them. If they repent and mend their ways, relieve them. Surely Allah is ever Accepting of Repentance, Most Merciful.

Ruwwad Translation Center

If two among you commit this [sin], chastise them. Then if they repent and mend their ways, leave them alone. Indeed, Allah is Accepting of Repentance, Most Merciful.

A. J. Arberry

And when two of you commit indecency, punish them both; but if they repent and make amends, then suffer them to be; God turns, and is All-compassionate.

Abdul Haleem

If two men commit a lewd act, punish them both; if they repent and mend their ways, leave them alone- God is always ready to accept repentance, He is full of mercy.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And as for those twain of you who commit it, hurt them both; then, if they repent and amend, turn away from them; verily Allah is Relenting, Merciful.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If two men among you are guilty of lewdness, punish them both. If they repent and amend, Leave them alone; for Allah is Oft-returning, Most Merciful.

Abul Ala Maududi

Punish both of those among you who are guilty of this sin, then if they repent and mend their ways, leave them alone. For Allah is always ready to accept repentance. He is All-Compassionate.

Ahmed Ali

If two (men) among you are guilty of such acts then punish both of them. But if they repent and reform, let them be, for God accepts repentance and is merciful.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And punish them both, the man and the woman, whoever are guilty of it (adultery); then if they repent and become pious, leave them; indeed Allah is the Most Acceptor Of Repentance, Most Merciful.

Ali Quli Qarai

Should two among you commit it, chastise them both; but if they repent and reform, let them alone. Indeed Allah is all-clement, all-merciful.

Ali Ünal

When two from among you have committed it, then punish them both by scolding and beating; but if they are remorseful and repent, and make amends, then withdraw from them. Assuredly, God is He Who accepts repentance and returns it with liberal forgiveness, All-Compassionate.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And if two of your males commit the same (act of indecency), then punish them both, so if they repent and amend (keeping their conduct good) then turn aside from them, verily Allâh is Oft-Returning (with compassion), Ever Merciful.

English Literal

And those who (B/M), they both come/do/commit it from you, so harm them (B), so if they (B) repented, and they (B) corrected, so turn away from them, that God was/is forgiving, merciful.

Faridul Haque

And punish them both, the man and the woman, whoever are guilty of it (adultery); then if they repent and become pious, leave them; indeed Allah is the Most Acceptor Of Repentance, Most Merciful.

Hamid S. Aziz

His forgiveness is not for those who do evil until death approaches and then he says, "Now I repent", nor yet for those who die faithless. For such We have prepared a grievous woe.

Hilali & Khan

And the two persons (man and woman) among you who commit illegal sexual intercourse, punish them both. And if they repent (promise Allah that they will never repeat, i.e. commit illegal sexual intercourse and other similar sins) and do righteous good deeds, leave them alone. Surely, Allah is Ever the One Who accepts repentance, (and He is) Most Merciful.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And as for those of your women who are guilty of an indecency, call to witness against them four (witnesses) from among you; so if they bear witness, confine them to the houses until death takes them away or Allah opens a way for them.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And as for the two who are guilty of indecency from among you, give them both a punishment; then if they repent and amend, turn aside from them; surely Allah is Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And as for the two of you who are guilty thereof, punish them both. And if they repent and improve, then let them be. Lo! Allah is ever relenting, Merciful.

Muhammad Sarwar

If any two people commit fornication, punish them. If they repent and reform, let them go. God is All-forgiving and All-merciful.

Qaribullah & Darwish

If two among you commit it punish them both. If they repent and make amends, leave them alone. Allah is the Relenter, the Merciful.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And the two persons among you who commit illegal sexual intercourse, punish them both. And if they repent and do righteous good deeds, leave them alone. Surely, Allah is Ever the One Who accepts repentance, (and He is) Most Merciful.

Wahiduddin Khan

If two men commit a like abomination, punish them both. If they repent and mend their ways, leave them alone. God is forgiving and merciful.

Talal Itani

If two men among you commit it, punish them both. But if they repent and reform, leave them alone. God is Redeemer, Full of Mercy.

Tafsir jalalayn

And when two of you (read wa'lladhni or wa'lladhnni) men, commit it, that is, a lewd act, adultery or homosexual intercourse, punish them both, with insults and beatings with sandals; but if they repent, of this [lewd act], and make amends, through [good] action, then leave them be, and do not harm them. God ever turns [relenting], to those who repent, and is Merciful, to them. This [verse] is abrogated by the prescribed punishment if adultery is meant [by the lewd act], and similarly if homosexual intercourse is meant, according to al-Shfi`; but according to him, the person who is the object of the [penetrative] act is not stoned, even if he be married; rather, he is flogged and banished. Judging by the dual person pronoun, it seems more obvious that homosexual fornication is meant [by this verse], even though the former [sc. al- Shfi`] was of the opinion that it referred to an adulterer and an adulteress; but this [opinion of his] may be countered by the fact that [the reference to] the two [men] becomes clear on account of the particle min being attached to a masculine pronoun [minkum, `of you'], and by the fact that they suffer the same punishment, [both effect the action of] repentance and [are both granted] that they be left alone [thereafter], [all of] which applies specifically to men, given that for women detention is stipulated, as was stated before.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَاللَّذَانَ يَأْتِيَانِهَا مِنكُمْ فَأذُوهُمَا

And the two persons among you who commit illegal sexual intercourse, punish them both.

Ibn Abbas and Sa`id bin Jubayr said that;

this punishment includes cursing, shaming them and beating them with sandals.

This was the ruling until Allah abrogated it with flogging or stoning, as we stated.

Mujahid said,

"It was revealed about the case of two men who do it."

As if he was referring to the actions of the people of Lut, and Allah knows best.

The collectors of Sunan recorded that Ibn Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah said,

مَنْ رَأَيْتُمُوهُ يَعْمَلُ عَمَلَ قَوْمِ لُوطٍ فَاقْتُلُوا الْفَاعِلَ وَالْمَفْعُولَ بِه

Whoever you catch committing the act of the people of Lut (homosexuality), then kill both parties to the act.

Allah said,

فَإِن تَابَا وَأَصْلَحَا

And if they repent and do righteous good deeds,

by refraining from that evil act, and thereafter their actions become righteous.

فَأَعْرِضُواْ عَنْهُمَا

leave them alone,

do not verbally abuse them after that, since he who truly repents is just like he who has no sin.

إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا



Surely, Allah is Ever the One Who accepts repentance, Most Merciful.

The following is recorded in the Two Sahihs;

إِذَا زَنَتْ أَمَةُ أَحَدِكُمْ فَلْيَجْلِدْهَا الْحَدَّ وَلَا يُثَرِّبْ عَلَيْهَا

When the slave-girl of one of you commits illegal sexual intercourse, let him flog her and not chastise her afterwards.

because the lashes she receives erase the sin that she has committed