Tafseer of The Light · An-Noor · 24:7
And the fifth [oath will be] that the curse of Allah be upon him if he should be among the liars.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
And the fifth [testimony]: that the curse of Allah be upon him, if he is among the liars. Then the woman testifies four times by Allah that he is among the liars, and the fifth: that the wrath of Allah be upon her, if he is among the truthful — and a separation is made between them.
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Ibn Abī ʿAdī related to us, on the authority of Dāwūd, on the authority of ʿĀmir, who said: "When وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاءَ فَاجْلِدُوهُمْ ثَمَانِينَ جَلْدَةً was sent down, ʿĀṣim ibn ʿAdī said: 'If I speak about it, I will be given eighty [lashes]; if I keep silent, I keep silent in anger.' When that weighed heavily upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, this verse was sent down: وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ شُهَدَاءُ إِلا أَنْفُسُهُمْ ." He said: "Only a Friday [a week] passed before there was a case between a man of his tribe and his wife, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had them mutually invoke the curse upon each other."
ʿAlī related to me, saying: ʿAbd Allāh related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās — concerning the words وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ شُهَدَاءُ إِلا أَنْفُسُهُمْ ... the verse. And the fifth: that it be said to him: "the curse of Allah be upon you if you are among the liars." And if the woman acknowledges what he says, she is stoned (rujima). If she denies it, she testifies four times by Allah that he is among the liars, and the fifth: that it be said to her: "the wrath of Allah be upon her if he is among the truthful" — so that the punishment (al-ʿadhāb) is averted from her, and a separation is made between them, and they may never come together again; and the child is assigned to the mother.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of ʿIkrima — concerning the words وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ : he said: "[it concerns] Hilāl ibn Umayya — and the one whom he accused was Sharīk ibn Saḥmāʾ — and the one who sought [the Prophet's] counsel was ʿĀṣim ibn ʿAdī."
He said: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj — who said: al-Zuhrī informed me about the mutual cursing (al-mulāʿana) and the precedent (al-sunna) regarding it, based on the report of Sahl ibn Saʿd — that a man of the Anṣār came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: "What do you say: if a man finds another man with his wife — does he kill him, so that you then kill him [in turn]? Or what should he do?" Then Allah sent down concerning his case what He mentioned about those who mutually curse each other. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Allah has decreed concerning your case and that of your wife — let them mutually invoke the curse upon each other while I am a witness." Then a separation was made between them before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Thereafter the precedent became that a separation is made between those who mutually curse each other. She was pregnant, and he did not acknowledge the child. The child was ascribed to its mother, and thereafter the precedent became that the child inherits from her, and she inherits from what Allah has apportioned to her.
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās — concerning the words وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ ... up to إِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ : he said: "When the man has given five testimonies, each of the two is free of the other. Her waiting period (al-ʿiddah) is — if she is pregnant — that she gives birth; neither of the two is flogged. If she is not pregnant, the prescribed punishment (al-ḥadd) and stoning (al-rajm) are applied to her."
