He recited those verses to the man, reminded him, and warned him that the punishment of this world—the ḥadd for slander—is lighter than the punishment of the Hereafter. The man swore that he had not lied in accusing his wife of adultery.

The Prophet then admonished the wife as well, telling her that the punishment of this world—the ḥadd for adultery, stoning—is lighter than the punishment of the Hereafter. She likewise swore, “He is indeed one of the liars.”

At that point the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, began with the husband, following the order set by Allah. The husband testified, invoking Allah, four times that he was telling the truth about her, and on the fifth said, “May the curse of Allah be upon me if I am among the liars.” He then turned to the woman, who testified, invoking Allah, four times that he was lying, and on the fifth declared, “May the wrath of Allah be upon me if he is telling the truth.” The Prophet then separated them with a permanent separation.

Since one of them had to be lying, the Prophet offered them the chance to repent.

The husband then asked for the return of his bridal gift, but the Prophet said, “You have no right to the dowry. If you were truthful in alleging her adultery, the dowry was payment for the lawful intimacy you enjoyed, for intercourse confirms the dowry; and if you lied about her, it is even further removed from you, given the grave slander you have hurled at her.”

Lessons derived from the ḥadith

1. Clarification of liʿān (mutual imprecation) and its procedure: When a man accuses his wife of adultery without producing evidence, the ḥadd for slander is due upon him unless he testifies, four times, that he is truthful in his claim and, on the fifth, calls down Allah’s curse upon himself if he is lying. If the wife refuses, the ḥadd for adultery is carried out upon her. If she testifies, invoking Allah, four times that he is lying in accusing her of this indecency and, on the fifth, calls down Allah’s wrath upon herself if he is truthful, the ḥadd for adultery is lifted from her.

2. Once liʿān is completed with its conditions, the spouses are permanently separated; she can never again be lawful for him, even after marrying someone else.

3. Each spouse is to be admonished before taking the oaths in case the one who is lying might recant, and after liʿān they should again be urged to repent, so that each may repent privately before Allah Most High.

4. This chapter differs from others in jurisprudence in several ways: the word “testimony” must accompany the oath; on the fifth, the husband invokes Allah’s curse upon himself, while the wife invokes Allah’s wrath upon herself; the oaths are repeated; and, contrary to the usual rule that evidence is upon the claimant and an oath upon the defendant, here oaths are taken by both claimant and defendant.

5. The man is addressed first to take the oaths, in the order set out in the verses.