A woman’s refusal to take the oath of li’an and the application of the hadd punishment to her

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, if a man accuses his wife of zina (unlawful sexual intercourse) and she refuses to take the oath of li’an or the oath, is zina established against her and is the hadd (fixed punishment) applied to her?

Answer:
Yes, . If she does not bear four testimonies, the scholars differed on whether her refusal is considered an admission of zina, in which case the hadd is applied to her, or whether it is not considered so. The correct view is that it is not considered an admission, because zina is not established except by four witnesses or by an admission made four times. Four witnesses or an admission made four times. Her refusal to take the oath of li’an is not considered proof of zina against her. Zina is a severe and serious matter. Yes.