What is li'an and how does it apply when a husband accuses his wife of adultery without proof?

Li'an is a specific Quranic procedure used when a husband accuses his wife of adultery, or denies the paternity of a child she has borne, but cannot produce the four eyewitnesses ordinarily required to prove such an accusation. Normally, an unsubstantiated accusation of adultery carries a severe punishment for slander, but li'an offers an alternative when the accuser is the husband himself: he swears four times by God that he is truthful in his accusation, followed by a fifth oath invoking God's curse upon himself if he is lying. The wife can then avert the legal consequence by swearing four times that he is lying, followed by a fifth oath invoking God's wrath upon herself if he is telling the truth. Once this mutual oath-taking is completed, the marriage is permanently dissolved, and if a disputed child was involved, the paternity claim is voided along the lines set by the oaths, without either party facing the criminal penalty for adultery or slander that would otherwise apply. Li'an is a mechanism of last resort, used only when ordinary evidence is unavailable and reconciliation has failed.

Ask your own question → All questions