Tafseer Surah An-Nur Verses 6 to 10 by Nouman Ali Khan (Week 3)

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

Before I start, week 2 tafseer had supposedly covered verse 5. Typical me, loosing focus so easily. But don't be disappointed. Ustaz (teacher) Nouman repeated a bit.


Verse 5

Source: The Nobel Quran

This verse simply states that although a person is fasiq (misguided), ALLAH will still forgive if (s)he repents.

Now moving back to the main topic, verses 6 to 10 touches on the topic of adultery that is done by married couples.

Verses 6 and 7

Source: The Nobel Quran

Verse 6 states that if a husband can't bring forward witnesses of his wife's adultery, then he can swear four times by ALLAH that indeed it happened. After swearing, he must also make an oath saying that ALLAH shall curse him if he lies.

Verses 8 and 9

Source: The Nobel Quran

The same goes to the wife. The wife will not be punish if she swears four times by ALLAH that her husband is lying. Then she must make an oath stating that she will face ALLAH's wrath should her husband tells the truth.

This process describe in verse 6 to 9 is actually call li'an in the laws of Islam.

Verse 10 

Source: The Nobel Quran

Notice that "And if not for the favor of ALLAH upon you and HIS mercy..." is an unfinished sentence. Unfinished sentences almost always happen when we are extremely angry. You know like, 'If you do that again, I'll...ARGH!" Get the feeling? So this phrase actually portrays how ALLAH is extremely furious with a wife that cheats on her husband. But still ALLAH says, "and because ALLAH is Accepting of repentance and Wise". In other words, should the wife repents, ALLAH will still forgive her of this despicable sin.


Before I end this post, I would like you to observe something. Recall from week 2 that after narrating about adultery done by single (wo)men in verse 2 to 3, and after false accusations in verse 4, ALLAH says in verse 5 that HE will forgive should (s)he repents. Same goes in verse 10. ALLAH forgives the wife who cheats on her husband on the condition that she repents. Thus what we can derive here again is that Islam is a religion that is full of mercy; not harshness.