وَيَدْرَؤُا۟ عَنْهَا ٱلْعَذَابَ أَن تَشْهَدَ أَرْبَعَ شَهَـٰدَٰتٍۭ بِٱللَّهِ ۙ إِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ 8
Translations
But it will prevent punishment from her if she gives four testimonies [swearing] by Allāh that indeed, he is of the liars.
Transliteration
Wa yadrau'u 'anha al-'adhaba an tashhada arba'a shahadadtin billah innahu lamina al-kadhibin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses the legal testimony of a woman accused of adultery (or whose husband accuses her), allowing her to ward off punishment through four oaths before Allah that her accuser is a liar. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir explain this as part of the Islamic legal framework for accusations of zina (adultery), where the accused woman's sworn testimony can nullify the accusations and protect her from the prescribed punishment, demonstrating Islamic law's protection of the accused and consideration of evidence.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah An-Nur's comprehensive legislation on modesty, marriage, and accusations of immorality revealed in Madinah. It specifically addresses the legal procedure when a woman is accused of adultery by her husband or others, establishing a woman's right to defend her honor through solemn oaths before Allah.
Related Hadiths
The incident of 'Uwaimir and his wife is documented in Sahih Muslim, where a man accused his wife of adultery, and the legal procedure described in this ayah was applied, resulting in the couple's separation through the process of li'an (mutual oaths). Additionally, the general principle is supported by hadith literature on the testimony of women and the burden of proof in Islamic law.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that Islamic law provides robust protection against false accusations, empowering the accused—particularly women—to defend their honor through solemn testimony before Allah, reminding us that justice requires stringent standards of proof and that false accusations carry serious spiritual consequences.