In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
May Allah bless our master Muhammad and his family.

Book of Mutual Imprecation

Mutual imprecation is established by the Book of Allah Most High, the Sunnah of His Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and the consensus of the Muslim community. Its basis in the Book of Allah Most High is His saying, Almighty and Majestic:

“Those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves must testify four times by Allah that they are telling the truth” [al-Nūr: 6]. “And the fifth time, that Allah’s curse be upon him if he is lying” [al-Nūr: 7]. “But she shall be spared punishment if she testifies four times by Allah that he is lying” [al-Nūr: 8]. “And the fifth time, that Allah’s wrath be upon her if he is telling the truth” [al-Nūr: 9].

Allah, Almighty and Majestic, is saying: Those men who accuse their wives of adultery, having no witnesses other than themselves to testify to the truth of the indecency they allege, must each give four testimonies by Allah. That is, the husband swears four oaths by Allah that he is telling the truth concerning the indecency of which he accuses his wife. “She shall be spared punishment” means the prescribed punishment for adultery: stoning if she was previously married, and flogging if she is a virgin. This is because “the punishment” is made definite by the definite article, so it refers to the known prescribed punishment that Allah has imposed upon those who commit adultery, in His Book and through His Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

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If the wife refuses to undertake mutual imprecation, she receives the prescribed punishment for adultery. Likewise, if the husband disclaims paternity of his wife’s unborn child, or accuses her of adultery, whether on the basis of having witnessed it or otherwise—subject to the disagreement on this point—and refuses to undertake mutual imprecation, he receives