Quran 4:15 — An-Nisaa, verse 15
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
If any of your women commit a lewd act, call four witnesses from among you, then, if they testify to their guilt, keep the women at home until death comes to them or until God shows them another way.
وَاللَّاتِي يَأْتِينَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مِنْ نِسَائِكُمْ فَاسْتَشْهِدُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةً مِنْكُمْ ۖ فَإِنْ شَهِدُوا فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ فِي الْبُيُوتِ حَتَّىٰ يَتَوَفَّاهُنَّ الْمَوْتُ أَوْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُنَّ سَبِيلًا
wa-allātī yatīna l-fāḥishata min nisāikum fa-is'tashhidū ʿalayhinna arbaʿatan minkum fa-in shahidū fa-amsikūhunna fī l-buyūti ḥattā yatawaffāhunna l-mawtu aw yajʿala l-lahu lahunna sabīlan
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- Such of your women as commit indecency, call four of you to witness against them; and if they witness, then detain them in their houses until death takes them or God appoints for them a way.
- Muhammad Asad
- AND AS FOR those of your women who become guilty of immoral conduct, call upon four from among you who have witnessed their guilt; and if these bear witness thereto, confine the guilty women to their houses until death takes them away or God opens for them a way [through repentance].
- Sahih International
- Those who commit immorality [i.e., unlawful sexual intercourse] of your women - bring against them four [witnesses] from among you. And if they testify, confine them [i.e., the guilty women] to houses until death takes them or Allāh ordains for them [another] way.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَٱلَّـٰتِىwa-allātī | And those who | — |
| 2 | يَأْتِينَyatīna | commit | أتي |
| 3 | ٱلْفَـٰحِشَةَl-fāḥishata | [the] immorality | فحش |
| 4 | مِنmin | from | — |
| 5 | نِّسَآئِكُمْnisāikum | your women | نسو |
| 6 | فَٱسْتَشْهِدُوا۟fa-is'tashhidū | then call to witness | شهد |
| 7 | عَلَيْهِنَّʿalayhinna | against them | — |
| 8 | أَرْبَعَةًۭarbaʿatan | four | ربع |
| 9 | مِّنكُمْ ۖminkum | among you | — |
| 10 | فَإِنfa-in | And if | — |
| 11 | شَهِدُوا۟shahidū | they testify | شهد |
| 12 | فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّfa-amsikūhunna | then confine them | مسك |
| 13 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 14 | ٱلْبُيُوتِl-buyūti | their houses | بيت |
| 15 | حَتَّىٰḥattā | until | — |
| 16 | يَتَوَفَّىٰهُنَّyatawaffāhunna | comes to them | وفي |
| 17 | ٱلْمَوْتُl-mawtu | [the] death | موت |
| 18 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 19 | يَجْعَلَyajʿala | makes | جعل |
| 20 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah | أله |
| 21 | لَهُنَّlahunna | for them | — |
| 22 | سَبِيلًۭاsabīlan | a way | سبل |