Sura-4 [Al-Nisa, Medina 92 ]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s version

وَاللاَّتِي يَأْتِينَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مِن نِّسَآئِكُمْ ...

4:15.  If any of your women are guilty of lewdness,

C523. Most commentators understand this to refer to adultery or fornication; in that case they consider that the punishment was altered by the later verse, 24:2.

But I think it refers to unnatural crime between women, analogous to unnatural crime between men in 4:16 below; because,

1.     no punishment is specified here for the man, as would be the case where a man was involved in the crime;

2.     the word, al laati, the purely feminine plural of al lati, is used for the parties to the crime;

3.     the punishment is indefinite; see the next note but one.

... فَاسْتَشْهِدُواْ عَلَيْهِنَّ أَرْبَعةً مِّنكُمْ...  

take the evidence of four (reliable) witnesses from amongst you against them;

C524. To protect the honor of women, stricter evidence is required, i.e., the evidence of four instead of the usual two witnesses.

It is the same for adultery (see 24:4.).

... فَإِن شَهِدُواْ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ فِي الْبُيُوتِ حَتَّىَ يَتَوَفَّاهُنَّ الْمَوْتُ ...

and if they testify, confine them to houses until death do claim them,

... أَوْ يَجْعَلَ اللّهُ لَهُنَّ سَبِيلاً ﴿١٥﴾  

or Allah ordain for them some (other) way.

C525. Keep them in prison until some definite order is received. Those who take the crime to be adultery or fornication construe this definite order ("some other way") to mean some definite pronouncement by the Prophet under inspiration; this was the punishment of flogging under 24:2. for fornication, and stoning to death under the Prophet's directives for adultery.

If we understand the crime to be unnatural crime, we might presume, in the absence of any definite order ("some other way") that the punishment would be similar to that for men in the next verse. The Prophet's Sunnah has prescribed capital punishment although the exact method is left indefinite. (R).

Asad’s Version:

And as for those of your women who become guilty of immoral conduct, call upon four from among you who have witnessed their guilt; and if these bear witness thereto, confine the guilty women to their houses until death takes them away or God opens for them a way [through repentance].

Yusuf Ali If any of your women are guilty of lewdness take the evidence of four (reliable) witnesses from amongst you against them; and if they testify confine them to houses until death do claim them or Allah ordain for them some (other) way.

Pickthall As for those of your women who are guilty of lewdness, call to witness four of you against them. And if they testify (to the truth of the allegation) then confine them to the houses until death take them or (until) Allah appoint for them a way (through new legislation).

Transliteration Walla_ti ya'tinal fa_hisyata min nisa_'ikum fastasyhidu_'alaihinna arba'atam minkum, fa in syahidu_ fa amsiku_hunna fil buyu_ti hatta_ yatawaffa_hunnal mautu au yaj'alalla_hu lahunna sabila_(n).

Sura -24 [An Nur madina 102]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s version

وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُمْ شُهَدَاء إِلَّا أَنفُسُهُمْ...

24:6. And for those who launch a charge against their spouses, and have (in support) no evidence but their own --

C2960. The case of married persons is different from that of outsiders. If one of them accuses the other of unchastity, the accusation partly reflects on the accuser as well.

Moreover, the link which unites married people, even where differences supervene, is sure to act as a steadying influence against the concoction of false charges of unchastity particularly where divorce is allowed (as in Islam) for reasons other than unchastity.

Suppose a husband catches a wife in adultery. In the nature of things four witnesses - or even one outside witness - would be impossible. Yet after such an experience it is against human nature that he can live a normal married life. The matter is then left to the honour of the two spouses.

If the husband can solemnly swear four times to the fact, and in addition invoke a curse on himself if he lies, that is prima facie evidence of the wife's guilt. But if the wife swears similarly four times and similarly invokes a curse on herself, she is in law acquitted of the guilt. If she does not take this step, the charge is held proved and the punishment follows.

In either case the marriage is dissolved, as it is against human nature that the parties can live together happily after such an incident.

...فَشَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ أَرْبَعُ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ ﴿٦﴾

their solitary evidence (can be received) if they bear witness four times (with an oath) by Allah that they are solemnly telling the truth:

وَالْخَامِسَةُ أَنَّ لَعْنَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِن كَانَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ ﴿٧﴾

24:7. And the fifth (oath) (should be) that they solemnly invoke the curse of Allah on themselves if they tell a lie.

وَيَدْرَأُ عَنْهَا الْعَذَابَ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ...

24:8. But it would avert the punishment from the wife, if she bears witness four times (with an oath) by Allah,

...إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ ﴿٨﴾

that (her husband) is telling a lie;

24: 6

Yusuf Ali And for those who launch a charge against their spouses and have (in support) no evidence but their own their solitary evidence (can be received) if they bear witness four times (with an oath) by Allah that they are solemnly telling the truth;

Pickthall As for those who accuse their wives but have no witnesses except themselves; let the testimony of one of them be four testimonies, (swearing) by Allah that he is of those who speak the truth;

Transliteration Wal lazina yarmu_na azwa_jahum wa lam yakul lahum suhada_ u il la_ a usuhum fasaha_datu ahadihim arbau saha_da_tim bil la_hi in nahu_ laminas sa_diqin

24: 7

Yusuf Ali And the fifth (oath) (should be) that they solemnly invoke the curse of Allah on themselves if they tell a lie.

Pickthall And yet a fifth, invoking the curse of Allah on him if he is of those who lie.

Transliteration Wal ha_misatu an na lanatal la_hi alaihi in ka_na minal ka_zibin

24: 8

Yusuf Ali But it would avert the punishment from the wife if she bears witness four times (with an oath) by Allah that (her husband) is telling a lie;

Pickthall And it shall avert the punishment from her if she bear witness before Allah four times that the thing he saith is indeed false,

Transliteration Wa yadra u anhal aza_ba an tashada arba'a saha_da_tim bil la_hi in nahu_ laminal ka_zibin