He says in his letter: What is the meaning of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “And those who accuse chaste women and then do not bring four witnesses—lash them with eighty lashes, and do not accept their testimony ever again…”
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The questioner : Welcome, Shaykh Muhammad.
The Shaykh : Welcome to you.
The questioner : This is a letter we received from Adel Muhammad Fahd from Nasiriyah, Iraq. He says in his letter: What is the meaning of the saying of Allah the Exalted[An-Nur 24:4]?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. This man’s question is among the best questions and the one I love most, for it is a question about the interpretation of a verse from the speech of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : That is the best of speech, and I wish that all my Muslim brothers, especially the students of knowledge, would pay attention to it, for knowledge is honored according to its subject matter. There is no doubt that the best and most noble of knowledge is knowledge of the Book of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. So I call upon all Muslims, especially the students of knowledge, to understand the speech of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, so that they can implement it and act upon it. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Abi Dawud 1452Sahih (Al-Albani).
As for the verse he asked about, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, commands that we lash those who accuse chaste women. The meaning of “accuse” is that they falsely accuse them of zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), saying, “This woman is a fornicator,” or the like. A “chaste woman” is a free woman who is chaste regarding zina. If a man falsely accuses her of zina, he thereby defiles her honor and fabricates against her. In that case, he is to be lashed with eighty lashes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : I said “fabricates against her” even though he may be telling the truth, because if he does not bring four witnesses, he is a liar in the sight of Allah, as Allah the Exalted said:[An-Nur 24:13]. In this noble verse that the brother asked about, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, established three matters regarding false accusation.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh :[An-Nur 24:4] The second command is: [An-Nur 24:4] The third command is: They are to be lashed with eighty lashes, the hadd (fixed punishment) for false accusation. Their testimony is not to be accepted after that, ever, regarding anything they testify to. They are open sinners, and their open sinfulness is established. They are not to be entrusted with any position that requires integrity.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Except for those who repent after that and reform. In that case, the description of open sinfulness is removed from them, and the prohibition of their testimony is also removed, according to the stronger position. As for the hadd (punishment), it is not dropped from them by their repentance.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because it is a right belonging to a human being, so it must be carried out. Yes.
The Shaykh : Welcome to you.
The questioner : This is a letter we received from Adel Muhammad Fahd from Nasiriyah, Iraq. He says in his letter: What is the meaning of the saying of Allah the Exalted
And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses - lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them testimony ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient,
والذين يرمون المحصنات ثم لم يأتوا بأربعة شهداء فاجلدوهم ثمانين جلدة ولا تقبلوا لهم شهادة أبدا وأولئك هم الفاسقونThe Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. This man’s question is among the best questions and the one I love most, for it is a question about the interpretation of a verse from the speech of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : That is the best of speech, and I wish that all my Muslim brothers, especially the students of knowledge, would pay attention to it, for knowledge is honored according to its subject matter. There is no doubt that the best and most noble of knowledge is knowledge of the Book of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. So I call upon all Muslims, especially the students of knowledge, to understand the speech of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, so that they can implement it and act upon it. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The best among you is he who learns and teaches the Qur'an.
خيركم من تعلم القرأن وعلمهAs for the verse he asked about, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, commands that we lash those who accuse chaste women. The meaning of “accuse” is that they falsely accuse them of zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), saying, “This woman is a fornicator,” or the like. A “chaste woman” is a free woman who is chaste regarding zina. If a man falsely accuses her of zina, he thereby defiles her honor and fabricates against her. In that case, he is to be lashed with eighty lashes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : I said “fabricates against her” even though he may be telling the truth, because if he does not bring four witnesses, he is a liar in the sight of Allah, as Allah the Exalted said:
Why did they [who slandered] not produce for it four witnesses? And when they do not produce the witnesses, then it is they, in the sight of Allah, who are the liars.
لولا جاءوا عليه بأربعة شهداء فإذ لم يأتوا بالشهداء فأولئك عند الله هم الكاذبونThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh :
lash them with eighty lashes
فاجلدوهم ثمانين جلدةdo not accept from them testimony ever after
ولا تقبلوا لهم شهادة أبداAnd those are the open sinners
وأولئك هم الفاسقونThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Except for those who repent after that and reform. In that case, the description of open sinfulness is removed from them, and the prohibition of their testimony is also removed, according to the stronger position. As for the hadd (punishment), it is not dropped from them by their repentance.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because it is a right belonging to a human being, so it must be carried out. Yes.