• Take note about those women of your society: if it is alleged they meet other women for satisfying abnormal illicit sexual inclination (lesbian)

معاشرے کی اخلاقی قدروں کے متعلق حکم سنو؛تمہارے معاشرے کی ایسی عوریں جن کے متعلق یہ شکایت ہے کہ وہ دوسری عورتوں سے غیر اخلاقی جنسی میلان کے لئے ملتی ہیں۔

Root: ف ح ش

  • Thereat, you are directed to seek and produce four men of good-repute amongst you as witnesses to testify the allegation against them

تو اس کی تصدیق کے لئے معاشرے میں  انہیں جاننے والےچار نیک شہرت رکھنے والوں  سے ان مشکوک عورتوں پر گواہی حاصل کرو۔

Root: ر ب ع

  • Thereby, if they (four witnesses) testified establishing their guilt: thereby you people (society-court of jurisdiction) restrict - restrain them (guilty women) in their respective houses

اس طرح اگر ان چاروں نے ان کے باہمی فحش جنسی میلانات رکھنے پر گواہی دے دی تو اس صورت میں انہیں اپنے اپنے گھروں میں رہنے کے لئے پابند کر دو۔

Root: م س ك

  • This restriction be kept till the natural death might render them segregated - alienated

یہ پابندی تا عمر ہو گی یہاں تک کہ موت انہیں معاشرے سے جدا/الگ کر دے۔

Root: و ف ى

  • Or till such time Allah the Exalted might render this house-arrest as way-out for their resolve to revert to natural behaviour. [restraining their public appearance help them get rid of this abnormal behaviour]. [4:15]

یا تاوقتیکہ اللہ تعالیٰ ان کے لئے اس غیر فطری طرز عمل سے چھٹکارہ پانے کے لئے اس خانہ بندی کو فطری طرز عمل کی جانب مائل ہونے کی راہ بنا دے۔

  • And such two males of your society who show up indulging in it: immoderate sexuality: homosexuality, sodomy, thereat having been noticed indulging in sex relationship, you are directed to slightly punish both.

اور جہاں تک دو مذکروں(لڑکے اور مرد)کا تعلق ہے جو تمہارے معاشرے میں باہمی فحش جنسی میلان(ہم جنس پرستی)کے لئے ملتے ہیں،تو ان کے بارے یہ معلوم ہونے پر انہیں ہلکی گزند اور شرمندہ کرو۔

  • Sequel to punishment if they both have averted illicit habit and have adopted righteous course; thereat you are directed to divert attention away from both.

اس طرح شرمندہ اور ہلکی گزند پانے پر اگروہ دونوں(لڑکے/مرد)اس حرکت پر نادم ہو کر اس (فحاشی)سے تائب ہو جائیں اور آئندہ کے لئے اپنی اصلاح کر لیں تو پھر ان سے اعراض برتو(دوبارہ انہیں مت جتلاؤ)

  • Fact remains; Allah the Exalted is repeatedly forgiving, the fountain of mercy. [4:16]

یاد رہے،اللہ تعالیٰ اکثر و بیشتر نادم ہو کر اصلاح کی جانب پلٹنے والوں سے درگزر فرماتے ہیں، وہ منبع رحمت ہیں۔


Firstly please note that Ayahs 4:15-16 are of type: Verbal passages that incorporate injunctions and instructions for aright conduct in time and space. Such verbal passages are self evident by the use of imperative-command verbs. The commands are issued by using such words which are conveniently understandable by the majority that comprises of people of ordinary prudence.

The theme is immoderate, immoral and illicit sex engagements; other than consented extramarital intercourse between a man and woman, between same gender that has come in public notice. It lays down a regulation.

Even a surface study of the word choice in Ayahs would suffice to prove the views; expressed in many exegeses that equate the object: of feminine plural verb with: , as erroneous. It was but a far fetched assumption. It is matter of common sense that injunctions are not interpreted by substituting the words of original command. Those who do so, they simply adhere not to basic academic principles of translation and interpretation of texts in target language text, level of scholarship notwithstanding.

Both words stem from different Roots: ف ح ش  and ز ن ى , which even do not share a common radical, and it is understood and generally accepted that each Root of Arabic language has distinct perception and semantic field.

Ayah 2:16 cannot be read in isolation as it is linked with 2:15 by conjunction particle and because the object pronoun of masculine dual verb: is referent to the direct object: of feminine plural imperfect verb: .

Two males (please note two men is not used) or two females are never alleged for: . This signifies an action performed by a woman and man respectively signified by active participle: and :

: It is much more a general term that refers to semantic domain: immoderate behaviour: going beyond what is healthy, moral, appropriate, or socially acceptable, while signifies specific act. Semantic fields are arranged hierarchically, going from the more general to the more specific. Linguists generally refer the general word by umbrella term "superordinate" and the specific word as "hyponym". The propositional meaning carried by a general word or superordinate is part of the meaning of each of its hyponyms but not vice versa.

Ibn Faris [died 1005] stated the perception embedded in its Root:

(فحش) الفاء والحاء والشين كلمةٌ تدلُّ على قُبحٍ في شيء وشَناعة. من ذلك الفحْش والفَحْشاء والفاحشة. يقولون: كلُّ شيء جاوَزَ قَدرَه فهو فاحش؛

That it leads to the perception of features of ugliness, deformity, repulsiveness in a thing; and it refers to every thing when it has gone out of its measure.

Lane's Lexicon:  فَحُشَ  , aor. فَحُشَ , inf. n. فُحْشٌ and فَحَاشَةٌIt (a thing, or an affair, or anything,  or any evil thing) was, or became, excessive, immoderate, enormous, exorbitant, beyond measure, or overmuch;

The basic perception is that of indulging in excessive, immoderate, or beyond measure with reference to generally or universally accepted norms, limits and measures of behaviour. The perception and meanings of the Root have built in subjective and relational element. Moreover, because the excessive, immoderate and extremist tendencies are universally looked upon with dislike, abomination, repulsiveness, and unacceptability, therefore, it has inherent negative element.

For reason of built-in subjective and relational element, it is the context and related field which will determine and expose its meanings with reference to that context; and in definite state generally about the irrational, unnatural, obscene, pervert and excessively emotional sexual conduct.

  • Take note about those women of your society: if it is alleged they show up immoderate - immoral public behaviour

  • Thereat, you are directed to seek and produce four men of good-repute amongst you as witnesses to testify the allegation against them (women)

[wāw], It is the Recommencing particle. It is a discourse coordinator that signals the speaker's identification of an upcoming unit in the discourse. The subject of nominal sentence is: a plural relative third person feminine pronoun. Its predicate begins with conjunction "fa" which shows that it has also the connotation of a condition. The verbal sentence: comprising of Verb-Subject-Object is the Relative clause for the Relative Pronoun. The verb is imperfect, third person, plural, feminine with suffixed subject pronoun. The prepositional coupled with possessive phrase:

relates to elided circumstantial clause for the subject of verb.

The verb signifies "to come, to show up" and considering the object of verb, it could be rendered in English as "to indulge". Since the object: has wide range of socially unacceptable behaviour it would include all sex inciting activities, public nudity, obscenity, lesbianism, professing prostitution.

The predicate of sentence: begins with conjunction/connective particle "fa" which signifies cause and effect and sequence of events. Discourse connectives can consist of two parts. These are called paired connectives where each connective's part introduces an argument of the connectives such as paired connectives if....then.  If immoderate turpitude is alleged against a woman, this injunction will have to be fulfilled otherwise law will come in force to punish the alleger (24:4). Verb is imperative, second person, plural, masculine of Form-X that has the connotation of seeking. Prepositional phrase: relates to the verb, meaning "upon them, against them". The object of verb is: which signifies for masculine objects-men. Following prepositional phrase: relates to the elided adjectival description of preceding noun, meaning "men of good-repute as witnesses".

Then is the dependent clause of preceding sentence:

  • Thereby, if they (four witnesses) testified establishing their guilt: thereby you people (society-court of jurisdiction) restrict - restrain them (guilty women) in their respective houses

  • This restriction be kept till the natural death might render them segregated - alienated

  • Or Allah the Exalted might render an excuse - way-out as their resolve. [restraining their public appearance help them get rid of this abnormal behaviour]. [Refer 4:15]

If the witnesses have testified before the court of jurisdiction in support of the allegation, the apodosis clause: will be enforced. The convicted women are to be restrained in their respective houses that seizes their right-freedom of public appearance. For the length of enforcing the restraint two options are given: that is, till the moment the natural death renders them naturally alienated from the society, otherwise: or Allah the Exalted might render an excuse - way-out for their resolve.

Ayah 4:16 is linked with 4:15 by cohesive tie of conjunction particle. Unlike the preceding sentences where words are referent for plural number of women, here all words are referring only two males, and thus it is evident that here: signifies homosexual activity between two males.

Here the difference is that punishment is not subjected to primary evidence of four witnesses. The imperative verb in complete verbal sentence: is from Root:  ء ذ ى which is a sub-category of Semantic Domain: PainUnpleasant sensory and emotional experienceRoot: ع ذ ب that incorporates in its ambit all sorts of corporal inflictions that are to varying degree and intensity unpleasant, annoying, disagreeable and discomforting and in extreme case harmfulcausing physical impairment. Root: ء ذ ى signifies the least state of unpleasantness, irritation, annoyance and embarrassment. Physical harm or hurt is not its feature. Therefore, the State cannot prescribe a harsher punishment beyond the limit of basic meanings of the Root to two males, youngsters or men, found indulging in sodomy.

Sequel to punishment:

The apodosis clause: -thereby divert attention - watching themevidently suggests that the two convict males are to be kept under watch-surveillance that they avert their illicit activity and adopt righteous course.

Allah the Exalted closes the topic by giving information about His Majesty, encouraging people to adopt a certain type of behaviour in such situations:


Recurrences:

إعرا ب القرآن Syntactic Analysis

1

Recommencing/Conjunction particle.                                                     [اِستئنافية]

438

2

 Relative Pronoun: Plural; feminine;                                        الاسم الموصول جمع مؤنث

اسم موصول مبني على السكون في محل رفع مبتدأ

3

Verb: Imperfect; Third person; feminine; plural; Mood: indicative; نَ Subject pronoun, in nominative state; مصدر-اِتْيَانٌ Verbal noun.

    فعل مضارع مبنى على السكون لاتصاله بضمير الرفع المتحرك/نَ: ضمير متصل في محل رفع فاعل-جمع مؤنث غائب

 

4

Noun: Definite; feminine; singular; accusative. اسم:معرفہ باللام منصوب -واحد مؤنث

مفعول به

5

  Separable Preposition                                                                     حرف جر

متعلقان بمحذوف حال من فاعل يأتين

6

  Possessive Phrase: Noun: Definite; plural; feminine; genitive + Possessive pronoun: Second person; plural; masculine; in genitive state.  (1)4:15(2)65:04=2             الإِضَافَةُ-اسم مجرور-جمع مؤنث/مضاف + ضمير متصل-جمع مذكر حاضر في محل جر-مضاف إليه

 

7

Conjunction particleفَ  Cause and effect indicative + Verb: Imperative; second person; plural; masculine; [Form-X]; [و] Subject Pronoun, in nominative state; مصدر-اِسْتِشْهَادٌ Verbal noun. (1)4:15=1

                            حرف فَ +  فعل أمر مبنى على حذف النون لأنَّ مضارعه من الأفعال الخمسة /باب إستفعال

                                       و- ضمير متصل في محل رفع فاعل-والألف-فارقة/جمع مذكرحاضر

الفاء واقعة في جواب الموصول لما فيه من شبه الشرط/خبر

8

Prepositional Phrase: Preposition + Suffixed object pronoun: Third person; feminine; plural, genitive state.

                                       جار و مجرور = حرف جر + ضمير متصل-جمع  مؤنث غائب في محل جر

متعلقان بالفعل

9

Noun; cardinal number; feminine ascribing four masculine persons-objects; accusative.  (1)2:260(2)4:15=2                                                               اسم: منصوب- مذكر

مفعول به

10

Prepositional Phrase: Separable Preposition + Attached pronoun: Second person; plural; masculine; in genitive state.  

                 جار و مجرور = حرف جر + -ضمير متصل مبنى على الضم  فى محل جر/جمع مذكرحاضر

متعلقان بمحذوف صفة أربعة

11

= فَ Prefixed conjunction  +   Particle of condition.            حرف فَ + حَرْفُ شَرطٍ

 

12

Verb: Perfect; Third person; plural; masculine; [و ] Subject Pronoun, in nominative state; مصدر-شُهُودٌ-شَهَادَةٌ Verbal noun.  (1)4:15(2)6:130(3)6:150(4)7:37=4

   فعل ماضٍ مبنى على الضم لاتصاله بواو الجماعة/و- ضمير متصل في محل رفع فاعل-والألف-فارقة/جمع مذكر غائب

في محل جزم فعل الشرط

13

Prefixed conjunction فَ  which shows cause and effect/ consequence + Verb: Imperative; second person; plural; masculine; [Form-IV]; [و] Subject pronoun, in nominative state + Suffixed Object Pronoun: Third person; plural; feminine, in accusative state; مصدر-اِمْسَاكٌ Verbal Noun. (1)2:231(2)4:15(3)65:02=3

حرف فَ + فعل أمر مبنى على حذف النون لأنَّ مضارعه من الأفعال الخمسة/و- ضمير متصل في محل رفع فاعل/باب افعال

                                             هُنَّ- ضميرمتصل مبنى على الفتح فى محل نصب مفعول به جمع مؤنث غائب

في محل جزم جواب الشرط

14

Separable Preposition.                                                                      حرف جر

متعلقان بالفعل

15

Noun: Definite; broken plural; feminine; genitive. (1)4:15(2)29:41=2

                                                                                اسم:معرفہ باللام-مجرور- جمع مكسر مؤنث

 

16

 Genitive particle/Preposition and particle of intention of agent. [Recurrence 95; First occurrence in 2:55]                                            حرف جر و غاية

 

17

Verb: Imperfect; third person; singular; masculine; Mood: Subjunctive; [Form-V];  Fronted Object Pronoun: Third person; plural; feminine, in accusative state; مصدر-تَوَفِّى Verbal noun. (1)4:15=1

   فعل مضارع منصوب بأن مضمرة بعد حَتى و علامة  الفتح المقدرعلى الألف للتعذر/-صيغة:واحد مذكرغائب/باب تفعّل

                                                                        هُنَّ- ضميرالغائبات فى محل نصب مفعول به مقدم

المصدر المؤول في محل جر بحتى والجار والمجرور متعلقان بأمسكوهن

18

Verbal Noun/Noun: definite; masculine; singular; nominative.

                                                                                                 مصدر/اسم: معرفہ باللام-مرفوع-واحد مذكر

فاعل

19

Appositive/Coordinating Conjunction Particle: [التخيير alternative options:] [Recurrence 263; First Occurrence in 2:19]                                            حرف عطف للتخبير

 

20

Verb: Imperfect; Third Person; Singular; Masculine; Mood: Subjunctive; Subject pronoun hidden;  مصدر جَعْلٌَ Verbal Noun. (1)3:176(2)4:15(3)4:19(4)4:141(5)8:37(6)60:07=6                       ففعل مضارع منصوب بأن /الفاعل:ضمير مستتر جوازاً تقديره:هُوَ-واحد مذكرغائب

 

21

Allah: Proper Noun: Nominative.                             لفظ الجلالة مرفوع للتعظيم بالضمة

فاعل

22

Prepositional Phrase: Prefixed particle + Personal pronoun: third person; feminine; plural; in genitive state.

                                                    جار و مجرور = لَ حرف جر + ضمير متصل-جمع  مؤنث غائب في محل جر

متعلقان بالفعل أو بمحذوف حال من سبيلا

23

Noun: Indefinite; Feminine; singular; accusative.                 اسم: منصوب-واحد مؤنث

460 مفعول به

1

Appositive/Conjunction particle.                                                   [حرف عطف]

461

2

Relative Pronoun; dual; masculine; nominative  (1)4:16=1    اسم موصول:تثنية مذكر

مبتدأ

3

Verb: Imperfect; Third person; masculine; dual; Mood: indicative; dagger alif Subject pronoun, in nominative state; Suffixed object pronoun: Third person; singular; feminine, in accusative state; مصدر-اِتْيَانٌ Verbal noun. (1)4:16=1 

        فعل مضارع مرفوع تثنية- مذكرغائب-ضمير متصل مبنى على الفتح  في محل نصب مفعول به / واحد مؤنث غائب

صلة الموصول

4

Prepositional Phrase: Separable Preposition + Attached pronoun: Second person; plural; masculine; in genitive state.  

                              جار و مجرور = حرف جر + -ضمير متصل مبنى على الضم  فى محل جر/جمع مذكرحاضر

متعلقان بمحذوف حال

5

Prefixed conjunction فَ  which shows cause and effect/Apodosis + Verb: Imperative; second person; plural; masculine; [و] Subject pronoun, in nominative state + Suffixed Object Pronoun: Third person; dual; masculine, in accusative state; مصدر-اِيْذَاءٌٌ Verbal noun. (1)4:16=1

 حرف فَ + فعل أمر مبنى على حذف النون لأنَّ مضارعه من الأفعال الخمسة/و- ضمير متصل في محل رفع فاعل/باب افعال

                                                                                            ضميرمتصل  فى محل نصب مفعول به تثنية مذكر غائب

 الجملة خبر المبتدأ اللذان

6

= فَ Prefixed conjunction  +   Particle of condition.            حرف فَ + حَرْفُ شَرطٍ

 

7

Verb: Perfect; Third Person; dual; Masculine; الف Subject pronoun in nominative;  مصدرتَوْبَةٌ Verbal Noun. (1)4:16=1

                 فعل ماضٍ مبنى على الفتح /الالف-الف الاثنين ضمير مبنى على السكون فى محل رفع فاعل-تثنية  مذكرغائب

في محل جزم فعل الشرط

8

Appositive/Conjunction particle.                                             [حرف عطف]

 

9

Verb: Perfect; Third person; dual; masculine; [Form-IV]; transitive; [الالف] Subject pronoun, in nominative state; مصدر اِصْلاَحٌ Verbal Noun. (1)4:16=1

            فعل ماضٍ مبني على الفتح-باب افعال/الالف-الف الاثنين ضمير مبنى على السكون فى محل رفع فاعل-تثنية غائب

عطف

10

Prefixed conjunction فَ  which shows cause and effect/Apodosis + Verb: Imperative; second person; plural; masculine; [Form-IV]; [و] Subject pronoun, in nominative state; مصدر-إِعْرَاضٌ Verbal noun. (1)4:16(2)9:95=2

 حرف فَ + فعل أمر مبنى على حذف النون لأنَّ مضارعه من الأفعال الخمسة/و- ضمير متصل في محل رفع فاعل/باب افعال

في محل جزم جواب الشرط

11

Prepositional phrase: Separable preposition + Suffixed pronoun: third person, dual, masculine; genitive state, with prolongation sign.(1)4:16=1

                                                        جار و مجرور = حرف جر+ ضمير متصل في محل جر-تثنية  مذكر غائب

 

12

Verb-Like Particle.                       حرف المشبهة بالفعل ينصب الاسم ويرفع الخبر، ويفيد التوكيد

 

13

Proper Name; singular; masculine; accusative.     لفظ الجلالة منصوب للتعظيم بالفتحة

 

14

Verb: Perfect; third person; singular; masculine; Subject Pronoun hidden.

           فعل ماضٍ ناقص مبنى على الفتح/الفاعل:ضمير مستتر جوازاً تقديره:هُوَ-واحد مذكر غائب في محل رفع اسم كان

 

15

Hyperbolic Noun/Intensive Adjective/Intensive Active participle: Indefinite; masculine; singular; accusative; on فَعَّالٌ measure; مصدرتَوْبَةٌ Verbal Noun (1)4:16(2)4:64=1                                                                                             اسم المبالغة-منصوب-واحد-مذكر

 

16

 Hyperbolic Participle/Intensive Active participle on  فَعِيْلٌ  measure [رَحْمةٌ]: Indefinite, Masculine; Singular; Accusative.                       اسم المبالغة-منصوب-واحد مذكر

476