Those who commit immorality [i.e., unlawful sexual intercourse] of your women - bring against them four [witnesses] from among you. And if they testify,169 confine them [i.e., the guilty women] to houses until death takes them or Allāh ordains for them [another] way.170
Notes
[169] The witnesses must swear to actually having seen the act taking place.
[170] The "other way" (i.e., penalty) was later revealed in 24:2, canceling the ruling in this verse.
Verse 15 of Surah An-Nisa (4:15), a Medinan surah, is in juz 4, on page 80 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 72 reciters.
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Tafsir of verse 15
Al-Mukhtasar
For those of your women who commit sexual offences – whether they are married or unmarried – call four trustworthy Muslim men witnesses. If they bear witness against them, then confine them to their homes as a punishment, until the end of their lives, or until Allah makes a way for them other than being confined. The ruling of this verse was replaced with the ruling that unmarried women who have illicit sexual relations should be whipped a hundred times and banished for a year, and married women who have illicit sexual relations should be stoned.
Those of your women who commit adultery, call four witnesses against them12 from amongst you. If they testify, confine them to their homes until they die or Allah ordains for them [another] way13.
Notes
[12] The witnesses must swear to actually having seen the act taking place.
[13] The provision of this verse has been abrogated by the verse of Surat an-Nūr (24:2), ordaining lashing for the unmarried and stoning to death for the married.
And those of your women who commit illegal sexual intercourse, take the evidence of four witnesses from amongst you against them; and if they testify, confine them (i.e. women) to houses until death comes to them or Allâh ordains for them some (other) way.4
Notes
[4] (V.4:15) The provision of this Verse has been abrogated by the Verse of Sûrat An-Nûr (V.24:2), ordaining lashing for the unmarried and stoning to death for the married, when four witnesses testify to the crime.
As for those of your women who are guilty of lewdness, call to witness four of you against them. And 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).
If any of your women are guilty of lewdness, Take the evidence of four (Reliable) witnesses from amongst you against them; and if they testify, confine them to houses until death do claim them, or Allah ordain for them some (other) way.
And as for those who are guilty of an indecency from among your women, call to witnesses against them four (witnesses) from among you; then if they bear witness confine them to the houses until death takes them away or Allah opens some way for them.
And (as for) the ones of your women who come up with the obscenity, (i.e., illegal sexual intercourse; abomination) so, call four of you to witness against them. Then in case they (bear) witness, then retain them (The pronoun is the feminine plural) in the homes until death takes them up, (i.e., they die) or Allah sets for them a way.
‘Ubādah ibn As-Sāmit (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Learn from me, learn from me. Allah has ordained another way for them (women who commit illegal sexual intercourse). (If) a virgin (commits adultery) with a…
‘Ubādah ibn As-Sāmit (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) received revelation, he felt distressed and the color of his face changed
