Surah An-Nur, like a radiant jewel within the Noble Qur'an, encompasses verses addressing fundamental religious and social rulings. These verses, centred on themes such as adultery, testimony, hijab, and the promise of divine caliphate, provide a firm framework for preserving chastity, justice, and social order. The present discourse, focusing on verses 2, 4, 31, and 55 of Surah An-Nur, analyses and elucidates these subjects and, through a profound examination of jurisprudential, ethical, and social matters, offers guidance for a more precise understanding of these rulings. Employing a refined Persian lexicon and an organised structure, this text endeavours to convey the spirit and message of the verses in a clear and coherent manner to its readers.
Arabic: الزَّانِيَةُ وَالزَّانِي فَاجْلِدُوا كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا مِائَةَ جَلْدَةٍ ۖ وَلَا تَأْخُذْكُمْ بِهِمَا رَأْفَةٌ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۖ وَلِيَشْهَدْ عَذَابَهُمَا طَائِفَةٌ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Translation: The adulterous woman and the adulterous maneach of them, flog each one of them with a hundred lashes, and let not compassion for them deter you in the religion of Allah if you believe in Allah and the Last Day; and let a group of the believers witness their punishment.
Verse 2 of Surah An-Nur, with decisive and explicit wording, establishes the ruling on adultery centred upon the personhood of the actthat is, the occurrence of the singular act of adultery. The phrase الزَّانِيَةُ وَالزَّانِي (the adulterous woman and the adulterous man) alongside the emphasis on كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا (each one of them) indicates that the reference is to the individual who committed the act of adultery, not the inherent nature of adultery or its repetition. This verse prescribes the punishment of one hundred lashes and stresses its execution in the presence of a group of believers, aiming to purify society and deter sin. The firmness in implementing the ruling, expressed by the phrase وَلَا تَأْخُذْكُمْ بِهِمَا رَأْفَةٌ, acts as a sharp blade, repudiating any leniency or unlawful compassion.
From a jurisprudential perspective, this verse explicitly excludes multiplicity (repetition) of the act of adultery and focuses on the occurrence of a single act. In other words, the Noble Qur'an here does not address the inherent nature of adultery (the general attribute of an adulterer) nor its repetition, but rather addresses the individual who commits the sin at the moment it occurs. This focus on the personhood of the act acts like a mirror that transparently reveals the truth of the individuals deed and guides society towards purity.
Key Point: Verse 2 of Surah An-Nur, by emphasising the personhood of the act of adultery rather than its nature or repetition, provides a decisive ruling for the purification of society. This focus demonstrates the Qur'an's concern for maintaining moral order and deterring sin.
Jurisprudential narrations corroborate this interpretation. For instance, a narration states: الحر و الحره اذا زنيا جُلد كل واحد منهما مائة جلده ("A free man and a free woman, if they commit adultery, each shall receive one hundred lashes"). This narration, by emphasising the occurrence of a single act, concentrates on the personhood of the act and makes no mention of its nature or repetition. Additionally, another narration states: الشيخ و الشيخه ان يجلدا مائة ("An elderly man and an elderly woman, if they commit adultery, shall receive one hundred lashes"). These traditions, like sturdy pillars, validate the focus of the verses on the personhood of the act.
Verse 2 of Surah An-Nur, centred on the personhood of the act of adultery, articulates a clear ruling for the punishment of the perpetrator. This ruling, emphasising public execution and firmness in punishment, acts as a blazing torch illuminating the path to societal purification and preservation of public chastity. The supplementary narrations strengthen this interpretation, indicating that the intended reference is the occurrence of a single act rather than the inherent nature or repetition of the sin.
Arabic: وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاءَ فَاجْلِدُوهُمْ ثَمَانِينَ جَلْدَةً وَلَا تَقْبَلُوا لَهُمْ شَهَادَةً أَبَدًا ۚ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
Translation: And those who accuse chaste women but do not produce four witnessesflog them eighty lashes, and never accept their testimony. And those are the defiantly disobedient.
Verse 4 of Surah An-Nur, with explicit wording, addresses the punishment for false accusation (qadhf) of adultery. This verse stipulates three punishments for one who accuses a chaste woman of adultery without producing four just witnesses: first, eighty lashes; second, permanent rejection of their testimony; and third, the label of being a fasiq (defiantly disobedient). These rulings act as a strong shield protecting the honour of individuals in the Islamic society. The main focus of the verse is on the punishment for false accusation, not on proving adultery, although indirectly the condition of four just witnesses for proving adultery is mentioned.
This verse acts like a vigilant guardian preventing the destruction of societal honour. Anyone who falsely accuses adultery without valid reason places themselves in grave danger and faces severe punishments. This reflects the Qur'ans profound concern for preserving public chastity and preventing social disorder.
Key Point: Verse 4 of Surah An-Nur, by prescribing severe punishments for false accusation, safeguards individuals' honour and social order, while indirectly affirming the necessity of four witnesses to prove adultery.
Verse 4 of Surah An-Nur, by emphasising the punishment for false accusation, establishes a robust framework for protecting individuals honour and preventing unfounded slander. This verse, by imposing three penalties on accusers, demonstrates the Qur'ans high regard for justice and chastity in society. Although mentioned indirectly, the condition of four witnesses highlights the difficulty of proving adultery and the importance of preserving individuals reputations.
Arabic: وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَىٰ لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا ۚ يَعْبُدُونَنِي لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا ۚ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
Translation: Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them [their] religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute security for them after their fear. They worship Me, not associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after thatthen those are the defiantly disobedient.
Verse 55 of Surah An-Nur, like a blazing torch, pronounces Allahs promise to the believing righteous for succession on earth, stabilisation of their religion, and transformation of their fear into security. The phrase فِي الْأَرْضِ (upon the earth), with its universal scope, underscores the global applicability of Islam and negates any separation between religion and politics. This verse defines Islamic foreign policy on the basis of faith, righteous deeds, and opposition to polytheism.
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