سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 15
وَٱلَّـٰتِى يَأْتِينَ ٱلْفَـٰحِشَةَ مِن نِّسَآئِكُمْ فَٱسْتَشْهِدُوا۟ عَلَيْهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةً مِّنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن شَهِدُوا۟ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ فِى ٱلْبُيُوتِ حَتَّىٰ يَتَوَفَّىٰهُنَّ ٱلْمَوْتُ أَوْ يَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُنَّ سَبِيلًا ﴿15﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And those of your women who commit illegal sexual intercourse, take the evidence of four witnesses from amongst you against them; and if they testify, confine them (i.e. women) to houses until death comes to them or Allâh ordains for them some (other) way.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱلَّـٰتِى
wa-allātī
And those who
يَأْتِينَ
yatīna
commit
ٱلْفَـٰحِشَةَ
l-fāḥishata
[the] immorality
مِن
min
from
نِّسَآئِكُمْ
nisāikum
your women
فَٱسْتَشْهِدُوا۟
fa-is'tashhidū
then call to witness
عَلَيْهِنَّ
ʿalayhinna
against them
أَرْبَعَةًۭ
arbaʿatan
four
مِّنكُمْ ۖ
minkum
among you
فَإِن
fa-in
And if
شَهِدُوا۟
shahidū
they testify
فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ
fa-amsikūhunna
then confine them
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْبُيُوتِ
l-buyūti
their houses
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
يَتَوَفَّىٰهُنَّ
yatawaffāhunna
comes to them
ٱلْمَوْتُ
l-mawtu
[the] death
أَوْ
aw
or
يَجْعَلَ
yajʿala
makes
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
لَهُنَّ
lahunna
for them
سَبِيلًۭا
sabīlan
a way
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 16,15) ➊ { وَ الّٰتِيْ يَاْتِيْنَ الْفَاحِشَةَ … :} In the previous verses, the protection of women’s rights was mentioned by commanding kindness to women, paying their dowries, and making them partners with men in inheritance. Now, from here, the disciplining of women and strictness upon them is mentioned, so that a woman does not consider herself completely free. (Qurtubi) In the first verse, the punishment for adulterous women is stated: if adultery is proven by testimony, then they should be confined in their homes for life until they die, or until Allah reveals another punishment for them. This was the first punishment for adulterous women in Islam, which was later abrogated by the revelation of the hadd (fixed punishment) for adultery. The punishment of one hundred lashes revealed in Surah An-Nur is indicated here by {”سَبِيْلًا“}. In the second verse, the command regarding the adulterous man and woman is that they should be given pain and humiliated until they repent. This punishment was alongside the first punishment, but later both were abrogated. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Take (the rulings of religion) from me, Allah has made a way for these women: if an unmarried man commits adultery with an unmarried woman, then the punishment is one hundred lashes and one year of exile; and if a married man commits adultery with a married woman, then the punishment is one hundred lashes and stoning.” [ مسلم، الحدود، باب حد الزنی : ۱۶۹۰، عن عبادۃ بن الصامت رضی اللہ عنہ ] See also Surah An-Nur (2). (Ibn Kathir, Qurtubi)
➋ {اَرْبَعَةً مِّنْكُمْ:} Since the punishment for adultery is extremely severe, the testimony required for it is also made very strong. The rule in the Arabic language is that when something being counted is masculine, the number is feminine, so because of { ”اَرْبَعَةً“ }, the translation is “four men.”
➌ {وَ الَّذٰنِ يَاْتِيٰنِهَا …:} Some scholars have taken this to refer to two men who commit the act of the people of Lot, although in the word { ”وَ الَّذٰنِ“ }, which is used for dual masculine, there is room for this meaning. However, this meaning is neither transmitted from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) nor from any companion. Rather, Tabari and Ibn Abi Hatim have narrated with a good chain from Ali bin Abi Talhah, who narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that when a woman committed adultery, she would remain in the house until she died, and Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) said regarding «وَ الَّذٰنِ يَاْتِيٰنِهَا مِنْكُمْ فَاٰذُوْهُمَا» that when a man committed adultery, he would be punished and beaten with shoes, then Allah revealed these verses: «اَلزَّانِيَةُ وَ الزَّانِيْ فَاجْلِدُوْا كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِّنْهُمَا مِائَةَ جَلْدَةٍ» [ النور : ۲ ] that is, “Flog the adulterous woman and the adulterous man one hundred lashes each.” Then, if they are married, according to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), they are to be stoned. This is the “way” that Allah mentioned: «اَوْ يَجْعَلَ اللّٰهُ لَهُنَّ سَبِيْلًا » (until death takes them or Allah makes a way for them). Similarly, Tabari has narrated with an authentic chain from Mujahid that «وَ الَّذٰنِ يَاْتِيٰنِهَا مِنْكُمْ » refers to the adulterous man and woman. Moreover, in {”يَاْتِيٰنِهَا“}, the pronoun in {’’ها‘‘} refers back to {’’ الْفَاحِشَةَ ‘‘} mentioned in the previous verse, by which adultery is meant in this context. The “fahisha” here cannot refer to the act of the people of Lot. As for the word { ”الَّذٰنِ“ }, which is a dual masculine, if there are two individuals, one male and one female, the dual masculine pronoun is commonly used for them; there is nothing objectionable in this.
➋ {اَرْبَعَةً مِّنْكُمْ:} Since the punishment for adultery is extremely severe, the testimony required for it is also made very strong. The rule in the Arabic language is that when something being counted is masculine, the number is feminine, so because of { ”اَرْبَعَةً“ }, the translation is “four men.”
➌ {وَ الَّذٰنِ يَاْتِيٰنِهَا …:} Some scholars have taken this to refer to two men who commit the act of the people of Lot, although in the word { ”وَ الَّذٰنِ“ }, which is used for dual masculine, there is room for this meaning. However, this meaning is neither transmitted from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) nor from any companion. Rather, Tabari and Ibn Abi Hatim have narrated with a good chain from Ali bin Abi Talhah, who narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that when a woman committed adultery, she would remain in the house until she died, and Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) said regarding «وَ الَّذٰنِ يَاْتِيٰنِهَا مِنْكُمْ فَاٰذُوْهُمَا» that when a man committed adultery, he would be punished and beaten with shoes, then Allah revealed these verses: «اَلزَّانِيَةُ وَ الزَّانِيْ فَاجْلِدُوْا كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِّنْهُمَا مِائَةَ جَلْدَةٍ» [ النور : ۲ ] that is, “Flog the adulterous woman and the adulterous man one hundred lashes each.” Then, if they are married, according to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), they are to be stoned. This is the “way” that Allah mentioned: «اَوْ يَجْعَلَ اللّٰهُ لَهُنَّ سَبِيْلًا » (until death takes them or Allah makes a way for them). Similarly, Tabari has narrated with an authentic chain from Mujahid that «وَ الَّذٰنِ يَاْتِيٰنِهَا مِنْكُمْ » refers to the adulterous man and woman. Moreover, in {”يَاْتِيٰنِهَا“}, the pronoun in {’’ها‘‘} refers back to {’’ الْفَاحِشَةَ ‘‘} mentioned in the previous verse, by which adultery is meant in this context. The “fahisha” here cannot refer to the act of the people of Lot. As for the word { ”الَّذٰنِ“ }, which is a dual masculine, if there are two individuals, one male and one female, the dual masculine pronoun is commonly used for them; there is nothing objectionable in this.
