False Accusation
الْقَذْف
In Islam, the concept of *Qadhf* (القَذْف) refers to the grave offense of falsely accusing a chaste person, particularly a woman, of unlawful sexual intercourse. This act is considered deeply damaging to an individual's honor and reputation, and by extension, to the fabric of the community itself. Islam places immense value on personal integrity and privacy, making such accusations a serious matter. To prevent baseless defamation, Islamic law sets a very high bar for accusations of unchastity. Anyone making such a claim is required to [produce four witnesses] to the act. If they fail to do so, they are then considered the liars [in the sight of Allah]. The Quran stipulates a severe punishment for those who [accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses]: eighty lashes and their testimony is never to be accepted thereafter, marking them as defiantly disobedient. Moreover, the spiritual gravity of *Qadhf* is profound, with the Quran warning that those who [falsely accuse chaste, unaware and believing women are cursed in this world and the Hereafter; and they will have a great punishment]. This strict approach underscores Islam's commitment to protecting individual dignity and maintaining social trust.
Quran 4 verses
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ ٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَأْتُوا۟ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَ فَٱجْلِدُوهُمْ ثَمَٰنِينَ جَلْدَةً وَلَا تَقْبَلُوا۟ لَهُمْ شَهَٰدَةً أَبَدًا وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْفَٰسِقُونَ
Wallazeena yarmoonal muhsanaati summa lam yaatoo bi-arba'ati shuhadaaa'a fajlidoohum samaaneena jaldatanw wa laa taqbaloo lahum shahaadatan abadaa; wa ulaaa'ika humul faasiqoon
And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses - lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them testimony ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient,
اور جو لوگ پرہیزگار عورتوں کو بدکاری کا عیب لگائیں اور اس پر چار گواہ نہ لائیں تو ان کو اسی درے مارو اور کبھی ان کی شہادت قبول نہ کرو۔ اور یہی بدکردار ہیں
Commentary
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَٰجَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُمْ شُهَدَآءُ إِلَّآ أَنفُسُهُمْ فَشَهَٰدَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ أَرْبَعُ شَهَٰدَٰتٍۭ بِٱللَّهِ إِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ
Wallazeena yarmoona azwaajahum wa lam yakul lahum shuhadaaa'u illaaa anfusuhum fashahaadatu ahadihim arb'u shahaadaatim billaahi innahoo laminas saadiqeen
And those who accuse their wives [of adultery] and have no witnesses except themselves - then the witness of one of them [shall be] four testimonies [swearing] by Allah that indeed, he is of the truthful.
اور جو لوگ اپنی عورتوں پر بدکاری کی تہمت لگائیں اور خود ان کے سوا ان کے گواہ نہ ہوں تو ہر ایک کی شہادت یہ ہے کہ پہلے تو چار بار خدا کی قسم کھائے کہ بےشک وہ سچا ہے
Commentary
لَّوْلَا جَآءُو عَلَيْهِ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَ فَإِذْ لَمْ يَأْتُوا۟ بِٱلشُّهَدَآءِ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُمُ ٱلْكَٰذِبُونَ
Law laa jaaa'oo 'alaihi bi-arba'ati shuhadaaa'; fa iz lam yaatoo bishshuhadaaa'i fa ulaaa 'ika 'indal laahi humul kaaziboon
Why did they [who slandered] not produce for it four witnesses? And when they do not produce the witnesses, then it is they, in the sight of Allah, who are the liars.
یہ (افتراء پرداز) اپنی بات (کی تصدیق) کے (لئے) چار گواہ کیوں نہ لائے۔ تو جب یہ گواہ نہیں لاسکے تو خدا کے نزدیک یہی جھوٹے ہیں
Commentary
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ ٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتِ ٱلْغَٰفِلَٰتِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ لُعِنُوا۟ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
Innal lazeena yarmoonal muhsanaatil ghaafilaatil mu'minaati lu'inoo fid dunyaa wal Aakhirati wa lahum 'azaabun 'azeem
Indeed, those who [falsely] accuse chaste, unaware and believing women are cursed in this world and the Hereafter; and they will have a great punishment
جو لوگ پرہیزگار اور برے کاموں سے بےخبر اور ایمان دار عورتوں پر بدکاری کی تہمت لگاتے ہیں ان پر دنیا وآخرت (دونوں) میں لعنت ہے۔ اور ان کو سخت عذاب ہوگا
Commentary
A detailed scholarly analysis for this topic is not yet available. Get in touch to request one.