Day 193 · Surah An-Nur Verses 1-20

An-Nur 1–20

Punishment for adulterers, those who accuse without four witnesses, and the way of oath for husbands and wives who accuse each other, then a rebuttal against false news that befell the Prophet's family.

An unmarried male and female adulterer shall receive one hundred lashes, carried out in the presence of a group of believers.
A man or woman who accuses another of good character of adultery without bringing four witnesses shall be lashed eighty times and his testimony shall not be accepted, unless he repents and reforms himself.
A husband who accuses his wife without witnesses swears four times by the name of Allah and the fifth swears he is willing to be cursed if he lies, while the wife's counter oath frees her from punishment.
The hypocrites led by Abdullah ibn Ubay ibn Salul spread accusations of adultery against Aisha for a month until some of the believers were affected.
These verses were revealed to clear Aisha of the accusation, to expose who were actually spreading it, and to threaten them with severe punishment in this world and the hereafter.

Verses 1-10 of Surah An-Nur explain the laws regarding the crime of adultery and marriage.

A woman and man who commit adultery before marriage shall be punished with one hundred lashes. The implementation of Allah's law must not be neglected or eliminated in life. It must be carried out in the presence of a group of believers.
A believing man should not marry an adulteress and likewise the reverse.
A person who accuses a woman or man of good character of adultery and cannot bring four witnesses shall be punished with eighty lashes and shall never be accepted as a witness again except if he repents and reforms himself.
A husband who accuses his wife of adultery and has no witnesses shall, in place of four witnesses, swear by the name of Allah four times to prove his accusation is true. The fifth oath is that he is willing to be cursed by Allah if he is lying. If the wife swears four times as proof that her husband is lying and the fifth oath that she is willing to be cursed by Allah if her husband is telling the truth, then that wife is freed from punishment. That is Allah's system full of mercy. He is the Most Accepting of Repentance and the Most Wise.

Verses 11-20 relate to the incident that befell the family of the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, which shook the household life of the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him. The story began with hypocrites headed by Abdullah ibn Ubay ibn Salul accusing Aisha of adultery with a companion named Safwan and spreading this false news until it spread among the people of Medina. Some of the believers were affected by how terrible the false news spread by the hypocrites was. This was a severe trial for the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him.

The false news circulated among the people of Medina for a month until Allah revealed these verses to explain that Aisha was pure of the accusation. The false news would not have a bad impact on the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, and his family, but rather it contained good. Thus the curtain was lifted to reveal who Abdullah ibn Ubay ibn Salul and his companions really were, and at the same time it increased the love of the companions for the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, and his family.

Verily, the plotting of the hypocrites is very severe. Had it not been for the grace and mercy of Allah, the affairs of the believers at that time would have been chaotic. Allah threatens those who spread this shameful news with severe punishment in this world and the hereafter.

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