Thus, when a man accuses his wife of adultery but cannot furnish proof, he may escape the prescribed penalty for slander through the procedure of liʿān, for Allah says: “As for those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves, the testimony of one of them shall be four oaths by Allah that he is indeed telling the truth, and the fifth that the curse of Allah be upon him if he is lying. But the punishment will be averted from her if she testifies four times by Allah that he is surely lying, and a fifth time that the wrath of Allah be upon her if he is telling the truth” (Q 24:6-8).

Accordingly, the husband declares four times, “I testify by Allah that this wife of mine has committed adultery,” pointing to her if she is present and identifying her unambiguously if she is absent. In the fifth oath he adds, “May the curse of Allah be upon me if I am among the liars.”

She then replies four times, “I testify by Allah that he is lying in the charge he has levelled against me,” and in the fifth oath she says, “And may the wrath of Allah be upon me if he is telling the truth.” Wrath is specified for her because wrath befalls the one who knows the truth yet denies it.

For liʿān to be valid the following conditions must be met: it must occur between two legally accountable spouses; the accusation must be of adultery; she must deny the charge and persist in her denial until the procedure is completed; and it must be conducted under the judgment of a duly appointed authority.

Once liʿān is performed in this manner and its conditions are fulfilled, two legal consequences follow:

First: the hadd (fixed penalty) for slander is lifted from the husband.

Second: a permanent separation takes effect between the spouses, rendering her perpetually unlawful for him.