Surah An-Nur • Ayah 4

The Prescribed Punishment for slandering Chaste WomenThis 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 لَمْ يَأْتُواْ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَ فَاجْلِدُوهُمْ ثَمَانِينَ جَلْدَةً وَلاَ تَقْبَلُواْ لَهُمْ شَهَادَةً أَبَداً وَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْفَـسِقُونَ(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 AccusationThen Allah says:إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ تَابُواْ مِن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُواْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ (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.

تہمت لگانے والے مجرم ٭٭جو لوگ کسی عورت پر یا کسی مرد پر زناکاری کی تہمت لگائیں اور ثبوت نہ دے سکیں، تو انہیں اسی کوڑے لگائے جائیں گے، ہاں اگر شہادت پیش کر دیں تو حد سے بچ جائیں گے اور جن پر جرم ثابت ہوا ہے ان پر حد جاری کی جائے گی۔ اگر شہادت نہ پیش کر سکے تو اسی کوڑے بھی لگیں گے اور آئندہ کیلئے ہمیشہ ان کی شہادت غیر مقبول رہے گی اور وہ عادل نہیں بلکہ فاسق سمجھے جائیں گے۔ اس آیت میں جن لوگوں کو مخصوص اور مستثنیٰ کر دیا ہے تو بعض تو کہتے ہیں کہ یہ استثنا صرف فاسق ہونے سے ہے یعنی بعد از توبہ وہ فاسق نہیں رہیں گے، بعض کہتے ہیں نہ فاسق رہیں گے نہ مردود الشہادۃ بلکہ پھر ان کی شہادت بھی لی جائے گی۔ ہاں حد جو ہے وہ توبہ سے کسی طرح ہٹ نہیں سکتی۔ امام مالک، احمد اور شافعی رحمتہ اللہ علیہ کا مذہب تو یہ ہے کہ توبہ سے شہادت کا مردود ہونا اور فسق ہٹ جائے گا۔ سید التابعین سعید بن مسیب رحمتہ اللہ علیہ اور سلف کی ایک جماعت کا یہی مذہب ہے، لیکن امام ابوحنیفہ رحمتہ اللہ علیہ فرماتے ہیں صرف فسق دور ہو جائے گا لیکن شہادت قبول نہیں ہوسکتی۔ بعض اور لوگ بھی یہی کہتے ہیں۔ شعبی اور ضحاک رحمہ اللہ علیہم کہتے ہیں کہ اگر اس نے اس بات کا اقرار کر لیا کہ اسے بہتان باندھا تھا اور پھر توبہ بھی پوری کی تو اس کی شہادت اس کے بعد مقبول ہے۔ «وَاللهُ اَعْلَمُ» ۔صفحہ نمبر5850

آیت 4 وَالَّذِیْنَ یَرْمُوْنَ الْمُحْصَنٰتِ ””محصنات“ ُ سے مراد خاندانی عورتیں بھی ہیں اور منکوحہ عورتیں بھی۔ گویا عورتوں کے حق میں احصان حفاظت کا حصار کی دو صورتیں ہیں۔ جو عورتیں کسی معزز اور شریف خاندان سے تعلق رکھتی ہیں وہ اپنے اس خاندان کی حفاظت کے حصار میں ہیں اور جو کسی کے نکاح کی قید میں ہیں انہیں اپنے خاوند اور نکاح کے اس تعلق کی حفاظت حاصل ہے۔ اس طرح خاندانی منکوحہ خا تون کو دوہرا ”اِحصان“ حاصل ہوتا ہے۔ چناچہ اگر کوئی شخص کسی پاکدامن خاندانی یا منکوحہ عورت پر زنا کا الزام لگائے اور :وَّلَا تَقْبَلُوْا لَہُمْ شَہَادَۃً اَبَدًاج وَاُولٰٓءِکَ ہُمُ الْفٰسِقُوْنَ ”اگر کوئی شخص کسی پاکدامن خاتون پر بدکاری کا الزام لگائے تو اس پر لازم ہے کہ وہ چار چشم دیدگواہ پیش کرے۔ اگر وہ اس میں ناکام رہتا ہے تو اس کے اس الزام کو بہتان تصور کیا جائے گا ‘ اور زنا کے بہتان کی سزا کے طور پر اسے اسّی 80 کوڑے لگائے جائیں گے۔ شریعت میں اسے ”حد قذف“ کہا جاتا ہے۔دیکھا جائے تو یہ سزا زنا کی سزا سو کوڑے کے قریب ہی پہنچ جاتی ہے۔ اس میں بظاہر یہ حکمت نظر آتی ہے کہ خواہ مخواہ برائی کی تشہیر نہ ہو۔ دراصل برائی کا چرچا بھی معاشرے کے لیے برائی ہی کی طرح زہر ناک ہے اور شریعت کا مقصود اس زہرناکی کا سدباب کرنا ہے۔ اس سلسلے میں شریعت کا تقاضا یہ ہے کہ اگر کہیں ایسی غلطی کا ارتکاب ہو تو قصور وار افراد کو قانون کے مطابق سخت سزا دی جائے۔ لیکن اگر کسی قانونی سقم کی وجہ سے یا گواہوں کی عدم دستیابی کے باعث جرم ثابت نہ ہوسکتا ہو اور مجرم کو کیفر کردار تک پہنچانا ممکن نہ ہو تو پھر بہتر ہے کہ اس سلسلے میں خاموشی اختیار کی جائے اور برائی کی تشہیر کر کے معاشرے کی فضا میں ہیجانی کیفیت پیدا کرنے سے اجتناب کیا جائے۔

CommentaryThe third injunction relating to fornication is on false accusation and the punishment prescribed for itAs explained earlier, since adultery is the most damaging and heinous of all crimes for society, as such its punishment is also most severe under Islamic law, compared to all other crimes. Hence it was the requirement of justice and fairness that the special care be attached to prove this act. Without having prescribed evidence under Islamic law, no one should dare accuse any man or woman of adultery. Therefore, the Islamic law has made it mandatory to produce four honest equitable just men as witnesses to the crime, without which the accusation of adultery is declared a big crime by itself, for which the prescribed punishment (حد) is eighty stripes. In view of this mandatory provision one would dare making the accusation of adultery only when he is absolutely sure of watching the crime happening himself. Not only that, at the same time he should be sure that along with him another three honest men have also seen the crime happening, for which they will give the evidence. Because, if there are no other witnesses, or the total number is less than four, or there is doubt if the witnesses will give the evidence, then only one man would never like to venture evidence alone and be punished with eighty stripes.A doubt and its answerAs for the issue that when there are such strong conditions for the evidence of adultery, the criminals will have a free hand. No one will ever dare to give evidence and fulfill the conditions of Islamic law, and hence, no criminal will ever get punished. But this thinking is totally wrong, because these conditions are exclusive to the punishment prescribed as hadd for adultery, i.e. - hundred stripes or stoning. If two non-mehram man and woman are seen together in a compromising posture or indulging in shameless acts, then there is no restriction against giving evidence for it. All such matters which have nexus to adultery are also liable for punishment under Islamic penal code, for which punishment of stripes is awarded at the discretion of the judge or the ruler in accordance with the extent of the crime, but not the maximum punishment of hadd. Therefore, someone who has seen the act of adultery, but has no other witnesses need not give evidence of adultery, but can testify for having seen the accused persons in compromising position, and the judge or ruler can award the punishment after establishing the crime.Who are muhsanat (مُحصَنَات)The word Muhsanat is derived from the word اِحصَان . In the Islamic jurisprudence there are two types of اِحصَان . One, that has been acknowledged for the punishment of adultery. It means that the person against whom adultery is established is sane, adult, a free Muslim, and who is validly married to a Muslim woman and has also copulated with her. In that case the punishment of stoning will be awarded to him. The second type is that which has been acknowledged for the punishment of قَذَف ، that is punishment for accusation of adultery. It means that the person against whom the charge of adultery is levelled is sane, adult, a free Muslim and chaste, that is he has not been proved an adulterer before. The word مُحصَنَات is used in this sense in this verse. (Jassas)RulingIn the Qur’ anic verse, either because of general practice or because of the incident for which the verse was revealed, the accusation of adultery and related punishment is described in a way that the accusers are men and the accused is a chaste lady. But the injunction applies to all situations because of the common ground applicable to all persons. If a woman levels a charge of adultery against another woman or a man, or a man accuses another man, but the required legal evidence is lacking, then in either case the accuser will be liable to the punishment of eighty stripes.(Jassas Hidayah)RulingThe punishment of eighty stripes as hadd is exclusive to false accusation of adultery and does not apply to accusation of any other crime. However, other punishments of ta'zir can be awarded on false accusations of other crimes. Although it is not specifically mentioned in the Qur'an that this punishment is exclusive to false accusation of adultery but the condition of four witnesses is the proof of its exclusiveness, because the condition of four witnesses is only in the case of adultery. (Jassas and Hidayah)RulingThe punishment prescribed for qazf (false accusation of adultery) relates to the right of the person against whom the charge of adultery is levelled. As such the punishment against this crime will be executed only when the person demands the execution of the punishment, otherwise it will be annulled. This is unlike the punishment of adultery, which is purely a right of Allah. Therefore, it has to be executed, even though no person has ever demanded for it.وَلَا تَقْبَلُوا لَهُمْ شَهَادَةً أَبَدًاAnd do not accept his any evidence any more - 24:4.It means that the person guilty of qazf is subject to two punishments. One is inflict at once, i.e. the eighty stripes, but there is another punishment which stays with the culprit forever. This punishment is that his evidence will not be accepted in any matter, unless he begs Allah's pardon with sincere repentance, and is also forgiven by the one whom he had accused. Until this is done, his evidence will not be acceptable in any case. This much is by consensus of Ummah. But in case of Hanafiah, even after begging the pardon, his evidence is not acceptable. Only his sin is pardoned.