Chapter on the Prescribed Punishment for Accusations of Unlawful Sexual Intercourse

Shaykh al-Islām—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

A man slandered another by falsely claiming that he looks at the women of other households. What punishment is due to the slanderer?

He replied:

If the matter is as described, he is to receive a discretionary punishment for his false accusation against this person, sufficient to deter him and others like him, if the person slandered requests it.

He—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—was also asked:

A man married a virtuous woman, having previously divorced another wife. He stipulated that if he took his divorced wife back, the dowry would become payable immediately. He then took her back, and he and his formerly divorced wife slandered the other wife’s honour, accusing her of fornication and alleging that she had been pregnant as a result of it. He divorced her after consummating the marriage. What punishment is due to the two of them? Is her word to be accepted? Does the dowry cease to be owed or not?