Aisha Accused

Those who accuse chaste women but cannot produce four witnesses, lash them eighty times and never accept their testimony again. They are the corrupt.

24:4And those who accuse honourable women but bring not four witnesses, scourge them (with) eighty stripes and never (afterward) accept their testimony - They indeed are evil-doers -

Except those who repent afterward and reform.

24:5Save those who afterward repent and make amends. (For such) lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

As for those who accuse their own spouses but have no witnesses but themselves, let one of them testify four times by Allah that he is telling the truth

24:6As for those who accuse their wives but have no witnesses except themselves; let the testimony of one of them be four testimonies, (swearing) by Allah that he is of those who speak the truth;

And the fifth time, call down Allah’s curse upon himself if he is lying.

24:7And yet a fifth, invoking the curse of Allah on him if he is of those who lie.

But the punishment will be averted from her if she testifies four times by Allah that he is lying

24:8And it shall avert the punishment from her if she bear witness before Allah four times that the thing he saith is indeed false,

And the fifth time, calls down Allah’s wrath upon herself if he is truthful.

24:9And a fifth (time) that the wrath of Allah be upon her if he speaketh truth.

Were it not for Allah’s grace and mercy upon you, and that Allah is Accepting and Wise…

24:10And had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you, and that Allah is Clement, Wise, (ye had been undone).

Those who spread the slander are a group among you. Do not think it bad for you, it is good. Each of them will bear their share of the sin, and the one who took the lead will face a severe punishment.

24:11Lo! they who spread the slander are a gang among you. Deem it not a bad thing for you; nay, it is good for you. Unto every man of them (will be paid) that which he hath earned of the sin; and as for him among them who had the greater share therein, his will be an awful doom.

Why, when you heard it, did believing men and women not think well of one another and say, “This is clearly a lie”?

24:12Why did not the believers, men and women, when ye heard it, think good of their own own folk, and say: It is a manifest untruth?

Why did they not bring four witnesses? If they fail to do so, then in Allah’s sight, they are liars.

24:13Why did they not produce four witnesses? Since they produce not witnesses, they verily are liars in the sight of Allah.

Had it not been for Allah’s favour and mercy in this world and the next, you would have been severely punished for what you rushed into.

24:14Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you in the world and the Hereafter an awful doom had overtaken you for that whereof ye murmured.

You repeated it with your tongues and said with your mouths what you had no knowledge of, thinking it trivial, though in Allah’s sight, it is grave.

24:15When ye welcomed it with your tongues, and uttered with your mouths that whereof ye had no knowledge, ye counted it a trifle. In the sight of Allah it is very great.

Why didn’t you say, when you heard it, “We should not speak of this. Glory be to You, O Lord, this is a terrible slander”?

24:16Wherefor, when ye heard it, said ye not: It is not for us to speak of this. Glory be to Thee (O Allah)! This is awful calumny.

Allah warns you never to repeat such behaviour, if you are true believers.

24:17Allah admonisheth you that ye repeat not the like thereof ever, if ye are (in truth) believers.

Those who slander chaste, unaware, believing women are cursed in this world and the next. For them is a great punishment.

24:23Lo! as for those who traduce virtuous, believing women (who are) careless, cursed are they in the world and the Hereafter. Theirs will be an awful doom

On the Day when their tongues, hands, and feet will testify against them for what they used to do.

24:24On the day when their tongues and their hands and their feet testify against them as to what they used to do,

On that Day, Allah will give them their full due, and they will know that Allah is the Ultimate Truth.

24:25On that day Allah will pay them their just due, and they will know that Allah, He is the Manifest Truth.

Corrupt women are for corrupt men, and corrupt men for corrupt women. Pure women are for pure men, and pure men for pure women. They are innocent of what is said about them, for them is forgiveness and a noble reward.

24:26Vile women are for vile men, and vile men for vile women. Good women are for good men, and good men for good women; such are innocent of that which people say: For them is pardon and a bountiful provision.