Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother Burhan:

Assalaamo alaikum. I think that the punishment of a person who accuses somebody falsely is 80 lashes in public. Please let me know if that is correct and please provide the reference for this command. Thank you and may Allah bless you for your efforts.

Your brother in Islam,

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Punishment for accusing someone of ‘Zina’

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

When one accuses someone of ‘zina’ (fornication or adultery), and cannot prove it by bringing forth four witnesses; the punishment prescribed for the accuser is 80 lashes in public for defaming an innocent person. This law is known as the ‘Qazaf’ law in Shariah.

The reference of where this law is derived from the Holy Quran is Chapter 24 Surah Noor verse 4:And those who launch a charge against chaste women and produce not four witnesses (to support their allegation), flog them with eighty stripes: and reject their evidence ever after: for such men are wicked transgressors.

The above punishment only applies to the one who falsely accuses someone of the grave sin of ‘zina’ and is unable to prove his accusation by providing four witnesses; it does not apply to any other false accusations.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan