Encyclopedia of Islam

adultery

  

13  J

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ment of 100 lashes for adulterers. Some 

hadith

accounts go on to specify that this punishment is 

reserved for unmarried adulterers, while married 

adulterers are to be stoned to death. The Quran 

(Q 4:15) insists that four eye witnesses must 

confirm the act of adultery in order to execute 

punishment, since unsubstantiated accusations 

of adultery are an almost equally grave matter. 

The Quran (Q 24:4) states that anyone who insti-

gates a charge of adultery without the required 

evidence of four witnesses is punishable by 80 

lashes. Because of these stringent requirements of 

proof, punishment for adultery is rarely executed, 

although Muslim authorities have tried to enforce 

it in some modern Muslim countries.

See also 

crime

 

and

 

pUnishment

; 

divorce

; 

slav

-

ery

; 

Women

.

Aysha A. Hidayatullah