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.
Related Ayahs
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ ٱلْمُحْصَنَـٰتِ ٱلْغَـٰفِلَـٰتِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ لُعِنُوا۟ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
Indeed, those who [falsely] accuse chaste, unaware and believing women are cursed in this world and the Hereafter; and they will have a great punishment
وَٱلْخَـٰمِسَةَ أَنَّ غَضَبَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهَآ إِن كَانَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ
And the fifth [oath will be] that the wrath of Allāh be upon her if he was of the truthful.
رِجَالٌ لَّا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَـٰرَةٌ وَلَا بَيْعٌ عَن ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَإِيتَآءِ ٱلزَّكَوٰةِ ۙ يَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ ٱلْقُلُوبُ وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرُ
[Are] men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allāh and performance of prayer and giving of zakāh. They fear a Day in which the hearts and eyes will [fearfully] turn about -
۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّبِعْ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ ۚ وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُۥ مَا زَكَىٰ مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُزَكِّى مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
O you who have believed, do not follow the footsteps of Satan. And whoever follows the footsteps of Satan - indeed, he enjoins immorality and wrongdoing. And if not for the favor of Allāh upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have been pure, ever, but Allāh purifies whom He wills, and Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.