Witnesses against sinners - Quran Chapter 4- 15 (Pt-4, Stg-1) (L-520) - درس قرآن

Quran Chapter 4- 15 (Pt-4, Stg-1) (L-520) - درس قرآن

Witnesses against sinners

Surah ‘An-Nisaaa’  (Women) – Chapter – 4) 

‘A-‘uu-zu  Billaahi minash-Shay-taanir- Rajiim.
(I seek refuge in God from Satan the outcast)

Bis-Millaahir-Rah-maanir-Rahiim.
(In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful)

          وَٱلَّٰتِى يَأْتِينَ ٱلْفَٰحِشَةَ مِن نِّسَآئِكُمْ فَٱسْتَشْهِدُوا۟ عَلَيْهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةً مِّنكُمْ فَإِن شَهِدُوا۟ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ فِىٱلْبُيُوتِ حَتَّىٰ يَتَوَفَّىٰهُنَّ ٱلْمَوْتُ أَوْ يَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُنَّ سَبِيلًا 15

15.  And as for those of your women who are guilty of lewdness, call to witness four of you against them. Then if they testify (to the truth of the allegation) then confine them to the houses until death take them or (until) Allah appoint for them a way (through new legislation).

15.  Wallaa-tii  ya’-tiinal-faahi-shata  min-nisaaa-‘ikum  fas-tash-hiduu  ‘alayhinna  ‘arba- ‘atam-minkum.  Fa-‘in  shahiduu  fa-‘amsikuu-hunna  fil-bu-yuuti  hattaa  yatawaffaa-hun-nal-mawtu  ‘aw  yaj-‘alAllaahu  lahunna  sabiilaa.

Commentary

‘Al-faahi-shata – (lewdness), this word has been derived from Fahash which means ‘obscenity’. faahi-shah has two meanings - the shameless and the sinful woman. As per dictionary, each such word and deed is called Fahash, which is bad, and mention of which is unpleasant to say and hear. Probably due to this reason, the word faahi-shah has been used for an unchaste woman.

‘As-tash-hiduu  ‘alayhinna  ‘arba- ‘atam-minkum -  (call to witness four of you against them), as much as the shamelessness and lewdness is an abject and dangerous sin and as much as its punishment is severe, exactly that much caution in its  announcement and punishment is necessary. It has been commanded here that for the determination of evidence and punishment of this offense, you would have to bring four of you witnesses against them. In common matters, only two witnesses are enough but in the case of fornication, four witnesses have been prescribed, and in addition, those witnesses should be Muslims, and not non-Muslims.

This verse has been explained as, “There is a need of four witnesses to punish the woman if she is caught in the case of ‘al-faahi-shah (lewdness). After evidence, her punishment is to confine in the house, until either she does not die, or Allah Almighty does not provide any other way for her, as in Suratun-Nuur; Allah Almighty has fixed this punishment (one hundred whips) and then setting free from that confinement.”

Transliterated Holy Qur’an in Roman Script & Translated from Arabic to English by Marmaduke Pickthall, Published by Paak Company, 17-Urdu Bazaar, Lahore, Lesson collected from Dars e Qur’aan published By Idara Islaah wa Tableegh, Lahore (translated Urdu to English by Muhammad Sharif). https://youtu.be/jI9fx6yoWwM