Al-Nur

3. For an accusation of this kind to be accepted, it must be supported by the testimony of four reliable witnesses. If the accuser fails to produce four witnesses, the accusation will be treated as false, and the accuser will be punished with eighty lashes. If the person later admits the wrongdoing and reforms, there is hope that God will forgive them. Even then, according to this ruling, the person will no longer be regarded as a reliable witness, and their testimony will not be accepted in the future. 4. Falsely accusing a chaste woman is an extremely serious offence. It brings severe punishment not only in the Hereafter but also in this world. To attack another person’s honour is an act of moral degradation. When such baseness becomes part of an offence, it takes a person far from God’s mercy. Hell then comes so close to such a person that they begin to experience its consequences even in this world. The truth is that an attack on another person is, first and foremost, an attack on oneself. 5. A truly Islamic society is one in which God remains at the centre of people’s lives. In such a society, every person speaks with the awareness