http://www.recitequran.com/tafsir/en.ibn-kathir/24:1

http://www.recitequran.com/tafsir/en.ibn-kathir/24:1

24

An-Nur

The Light

Ibn Kathir - English

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Verse

1

Page 350

Which was Revealed in Al-Madinah

﴿ بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ﴾

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

﴿ سُورَةٌ أَنزَلۡنَـٰهَا وَفَرَضۡنَـٰهَا وَأَنزَلۡنَا فِيہَآ ءَايَـٰتِۭ بَيِّنَـٰتٍ۬ لَّعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ • ٱلزَّانِيَةُ وَٱلزَّانِى فَٱجۡلِدُواْ كُلَّ وَٲحِدٍ۬ مِّنۡہُمَا مِاْئَةَ جَلۡدَةٍ۬‌ۖ وَلَا تَأۡخُذۡكُم بِہِمَا رَأۡفَةٌ۬ فِى دِينِ ٱللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ‌ۖ وَلۡيَشۡہَدۡ عَذَابَہُمَا طَآٮِٕفَةٌ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ﴾

(1. A Surah which We have sent down and which We have enjoined (Faradnaha), and in it We have revealed manifest Ayat, that you may remember.) (2. The Zaniyah and the Zani, flog each of them with a hundred stripes. Let not pity withhold you in their case, in a punishment prescribed by Allah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a party of the believers witness their punishment.)

The Importance of Surat An-Nur

﴿ سُورَةٌ أَنزَلۡنَـٰهَا ﴾

(A Surah which We have sent down) Here Allah is pointing out the high esteem in which He holds this Surah, which is not to say that other Surahs are not important.

﴿ وَفَرَضۡنَـٰهَا ﴾

(and which We have enjoined,) Mujahid and Qatadah said, "This means: We have explained what is lawful and unlawful, commands and prohibitions, and the prescribed punishments.'' Al-Bukhari said, "Those who read it: Faradnaha, say that it means: "We have enjoined them upon you and those who come after you.''

﴿ وَأَنزَلۡنَا فِيہَآ ءَايَـٰتِۭ بَيِّنَـٰتٍ۬ ﴾

(and in it We have revealed manifest Ayat,) means, clearly explained,

﴿ لَّعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ ﴾

(that you may remember.)

The Explanation of the Prescribed Punishment for Zina (Illicit Sex)

Then Allah says:

﴿ ٱلزَّانِيَةُ وَٱلزَّانِى فَٱجۡلِدُواْ كُلَّ وَٲحِدٍ۬ مِّنۡہُمَا مِاْئَةَ جَلۡدَةٍ۬‌ۖ ﴾

(The Zaniyah and the Zani, flog each of them with a hundred stripes.) This honorable Ayah contains the ruling on the law of retaliation for the person who commits illegal sex, and details of the punishment. Such a person will either be unmarried, meaning that he has never been married, or he will be married, meaning that he has had intercourse within the bounds of a lawful marriage, and he is free, adult and of sound mind. As for the virgin who is unwedded, the prescribed punishment is one hundred stripes, as stated in this Ayah. In addition to this he is to be banished from his homeland for one year, as was recorded in the Two Sahihs from Abu Hurayrah and Zayd bin Khalid Al-Juhani in the Hadith about the two Bedouins who came to the Messenger of Allah. One of them said, "O Messenger of Allah, this son of mine was employed by this man, and committed Zina with his wife. I paid a ransom with him on behalf of my son one hundred sheep and a slave-girl, but when I asked the people of knowledge, they said that my son should be given one hundred stripes and banished for a year, and that this man's wife should be stoned to death.'' The Messenger of Allah said:

« وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَأَقْضِيَنَّ بَيْنَكُمَا بِكِتَابِ اللهِ تَعَالى، الْوَلِيدَةُ وَالْغَنَمُ رَدٌّ عَلَيْكَ، وَعَلى ابْنِكَ جَلْدُ مِائَةٍ وَتَغْرِيبُ عَامٍ، وَاغْدُ يَا أُنَيْسُ لِرَجُلٍ مِنْ أَسْلَمَ إِلَى امْرَأَةِ هذَا، فَإِنِ اعْتَرَفَتْ فَارْجُمْهَا »

(By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, I will judge between you both according to the Book of Allah. Take back the slave-girl and sheep, and your son is to be given one hundred stripes and banished for one year. O Unays -- he said to a man from the tribe of Aslam -- go to this man's wife, and if she confesses, then stone her to death.) Unays went to her and she confessed, so he stoned her to death. This indicates that if the person who is guilty of illegal sex is a virgin and unmarried, he should be banished in addition to being given one hundred stripes. But if married, meaning he has had intercourse within the bounds of lawful marriage, and he is free, adult and of sound mind, then he should be stoned to death. Imam Malik recorded that `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and praised and glorified Allah, then he said; "O people! Allah sent Muhammad with the truth, and revealed to him the Book. One of the things that was revealed to him was the Ayah of stoning to death, which we have recited and understood. The Messenger of Allah carried out the punishment of stoning and after him we did so, but I am afraid that as time goes by, some will say that they did not find the Ayah of stoning in the Book of Allah, and they will go astray because they abandoned one of the obligations revealed by Allah. Stoning is something that is prescribed in the Book of Allah for the person -- man or woman -- who commits illegal sex, if he or she is married, if decisive evidence is produced, or if pregnancy results from that, or if they confess to it.'' It was also recorded in the Two Sahihs in the lengthy Hadith of Malik, from which we have quoted briefly only the portion that is relevant to the current discussion.

Do not feel pity for Them when carrying out the Prescribed Punishment

﴿ وَلَا تَأۡخُذۡكُم بِہِمَا رَأۡفَةٌ۬ فِى دِينِ ٱللَّهِ ﴾

(Let not pity withhold you in their case, in a punishment prescribed by Allah,) Meaning, with a ruling prescribed by Allah. So the meaning of the Ayah is: "Do not feel too sorry for them where the laws of Allah are established.'' This does not mean that we should not naturally feel pity when carrying out the punishment. What is prohibited here is the kind of pity that may make the judge ignore the punishment altogether. This is what is not permitted for the judge. Mujahid said,

﴿ وَلَا تَأۡخُذۡكُم بِہِمَا رَأۡفَةٌ۬ فِى دِينِ ٱللَّهِ ﴾

(Let not pity withhold you in their case, in a punishment prescribed by Allah,) "If the matter is taken to the ruling authority, the punishment has to be carried out and cannot be stopped.'' This was also narrated from Sa`id bin Jubayr and `Ata' bin Abi Rabah. It was recorded in a Hadith:

« تَعَافَوُا الْحُدُودَ فِيمَا بَيْنَكُمْ، فَمَا بَلَغَنِي مِنْ حَدَ فَقَدْ وَجَبَ »

(Compromise with the matter of prescribed punishment mutually sorting it out among yourselves, for once a matter where the prescribed punishment is required reaches me, I am obliged to carry it out.) Allah's saying:

﴿ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ‌ۖ ﴾

(if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. ) means, then do that, carry out the punishments on those who commit illegal sex, and strike them hard without causing any wound, so that he and others like him will be deterred by the terror of that. In Al-Musnad, it was recorded that one of the Companions said, "O Messenger of Allah, when I slaughter a sheep I feel pity for it.'' He said,

« وَلَكَ فِي ذلِكَ أَجْرٌ »

(You be rewarded for that.)

Carry out the Prescribed Punishment in Public

﴿ وَلۡيَشۡہَدۡ عَذَابَہُمَا طَآٮِٕفَةٌ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ﴾

(And let a party of the believers witness their punishment.) This is more humiliating for the people who are guilty of illegal sex, if they are flogged in front of the people. This is because it is more effective as a deterrent and it conveys the sense of scandal and rebuke. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said,

﴿ وَلۡيَشۡہَدۡ عَذَابَہُمَا طَآٮِٕفَةٌ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ﴾

(And let a party of the believers witness their punishment.) "Publicly.''

﴿ ٱلزَّانِى لَا يَنكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوۡ مُشۡرِكَةً۬ وَٱلزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنكِحُهَآ إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوۡ مُشۡرِكٌ۬‌ۚ وَحُرِّمَ ذَٲلِكَ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ﴾

(3. The Zani marries not but a Zaniyah or a Mushrikah; and the Zaniyah, none marries her except a Zani or a Mushrik. Such a thing is forbidden to the believers.) Here Allah tells us that the Zani (male who is guilty of illegal sex) does not have intercourse except with a Zaniyah (female who is guilty of illegal sex) or a Mushrikah (female idolater), meaning that no one would go along with him in this action except a sinful woman who is also guilty of Zina, or a Mushrikah who does not think it is unlawful. By the same token,

﴿ وَٱلزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنكِحُهَآ إِلَّا زَانٍ ﴾

(and the Zaniyah, none marries her except a Zani) a sinful man who is guilty of fornication,

﴿ أَوۡ مُشۡرِكَةً۬ ﴾

(or a Mushrik) (a man) who does not think it is unlawful.

﴿ وَحُرِّمَ ذَٲلِكَ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ﴾

(Such a thing is forbidden to the believers.) meaning, indulging in this, or marrying prostitutes, or marrying chaste women to immoral men. Qatadah and Muqatil bin Hayyan said: "Allah forbade the believers from marrying prostitutes.'' This Ayah is like the Ayah (about marrying slave-girls):

﴿ مُحۡصَنَـٰتٍ غَيۡرَ مُسَـٰفِحَـٰتٍ۬ وَلَا مُتَّخِذَٲتِ أَخۡدَانٍ۬‌ۚ ﴾

(they should be chaste, not committing illegal sex, nor taking boyfriends.) (4:25) And His saying:

﴿ مُحۡصِنِينَ غَيۡرَ مُسَـٰفِحِينَ وَلَا مُتَّخِذِىٓ أَخۡدَانٍ۬‌ۗ ﴾

(desiring chastity not committing illegal sexual intercourse, nor taking them as girlfriends) (5:5). Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that a man among the believers asked the Messenger of Allah for permission (to marry) a woman known as Umm Mahzul, who used to commit adultery, and who had stated the condition that she should spend on him. So he asked the Messenger of Allah for permission, or he mentioned the matter to him. The Messenger of Allah recited to him:

﴿ ٱلزَّانِى لَا يَنكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوۡ مُشۡرِكَةً۬ وَٱلزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنكِحُهَآ إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوۡ مُشۡرِكٌ۬‌ۚ وَحُرِّمَ ذَٲلِكَ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ﴾

(The Zani marries not but a Zaniyah or a Mushrikah; and the Zaniyah, none marries her except Zani or a Mushrik. Such a thing is forbidden to the believers.) (24:3) Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said,

« لَا يَنْكِحُ الزَّانِي الْمَجْلُودُ إِلَّا مِثْلَهُ »

(A Zani who has been flogged should not marry anyone except someone who is like him.) A similar report was recorded by Abu Dawud in his Sunan.

﴿ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَرۡمُونَ ٱلۡمُحۡصَنَـٰتِ ثُمَّ لَمۡ يَأۡتُواْ بِأَرۡبَعَةِ شُہَدَآءَ فَٱجۡلِدُوهُمۡ ثَمَـٰنِينَ جَلۡدَةً۬ وَلَا تَقۡبَلُواْ لَهُمۡ شَہَـٰدَةً أَبَدً۬ا‌ۚ وَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡفَـٰسِقُونَ • إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ تَابُواْ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ ذَٲلِكَ وَأَصۡلَحُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ۬ ﴾

(4. And those who accuse chaste women, and produce not four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes, and reject their testimony forever. They indeed are the rebellious.) (5. Except those who repent thereafter and do righteous deeds; (for such) verily, Allah is Of the Forgiving, Most Merciful.)

The Prescribed Punishment for slandering Chaste Women

This Ayah states the prescribed punishment for making false accusations against chaste women, i.e., those who are free, adult and chaste. If the person who is falsely accused is a man, the same punishment of flogging also applies. If the accuser produces evidence that what he is saying is true, then the punishment does not apply. Allah said:

﴿ ثُمَّ لَمۡ يَأۡتُواْ بِأَرۡبَعَةِ شُہَدَآءَ فَٱجۡلِدُوهُمۡ ثَمَـٰنِينَ جَلۡدَةً۬ وَلَا تَقۡبَلُواْ لَهُمۡ شَہَـٰدَةً أَبَدً۬ا‌ۚ وَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡفَـٰسِقُونَ ﴾

(and produce not four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes, and reject their testimony forever. They indeed are the rebellious.) If the accuser cannot prove that what he is saying is true, then three rulings apply to him: (firstly) that he should be flogged with eighty stripes, (secondly) that his testimony should be rejected forever, and (thirdly) that he should be labelled as a rebellious who is not of good character, whether in the sight of Allah or of mankind.

Explaining the Repentance of the One Who makes a False Accusation

Then Allah says:

﴿ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ تَابُواْ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ ذَٲلِكَ وَأَصۡلَحُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ۬ ﴾

(Except those who repent thereafter and do righteous deeds; (for such) verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) This exception refers to the second and third rulings mentioned above. The flogging has been carried out regardless of whether he repents or persists, and after that there is no further punishment, as is agreed among the scholars. If he repents, then his testimony may be accepted, and he is no longer to be regarded as a rebellious. This was the view of Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib -- the leader of the Tabi`in -- and also a group among the Salaf. Ash-Sha`bi and Ad-Dahhak said, "His testimony cannot be accepted even if he does repent, unless he himself admits that he said something false, in which case his testimony may be accepted.'' And Allah knows best.

﴿ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَرۡمُونَ أَزۡوَٲجَهُمۡ وَلَمۡ يَكُن لَّهُمۡ شُہَدَآءُ إِلَّآ أَنفُسُهُمۡ فَشَهَـٰدَةُ أَحَدِهِمۡ أَرۡبَعُ شَہَـٰدَٲتِۭ بِٱللَّهِ‌ۙ إِنَّهُ ۥ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ • وَٱلۡخَـٰمِسَةُ أَنَّ لَعۡنَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡهِ إِن كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡكَـٰذِبِينَ • وَيَدۡرَؤُاْ عَنۡہَا ٱلۡعَذَابَ أَن تَشۡہَدَ أَرۡبَعَ شَہَـٰدَٲتِۭ بِٱللَّهِ‌ۙ إِنَّهُ ۥ لَمِنَ ٱلۡكَـٰذِبِينَ • وَٱلۡخَـٰمِسَةَ أَنَّ غَضَبَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡہَآ إِن كَانَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ • وَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهُ ۥ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ حَڪِيمٌ ﴾

(6. And for those who accuse their wives, but have no witnesses except themselves, let the testimony of one of them be four testimonies by Allah that he is one of those who speak the truth.) (7. And the fifth (testimony); invoking of the curse of Allah on him if he be of those who tell a lie.) (8. But she shall avert the punishment from her, if she bears witness four times by Allah, that he is telling a lie.) (9. And the fifth; should be that the wrath of Allah be upon her if he speaks the truth.) (10. And had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy on you! And that Allah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, the All-Wise.)