سُوْرَةٌ اَنْزَلْنٰهَا وَفَرَضْنٰهَا وَاَنْزَلْنَا فِیْهَاۤ اٰیٰتٍ بَیِّنٰتٍ لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُوْنَ ۟سُوۡرَةٌ اَنۡزَلۡنٰهَا وَفَرَضۡنٰهَا وَاَنۡزَلۡنَا فِيۡهَاۤ اٰيٰتٍۭ بَيِّنٰتٍ لَّعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُوۡنَ
This is a chapter which We have revealed and which We have made obligatory; We have sent down clear revelations in it, so that you may take heed.
— Tazkirul Quran (En)
اَلزَّانِیَةُ وَالزَّانِیْ فَاجْلِدُوْا كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِّنْهُمَا مِائَةَ جَلْدَةٍ ۪— وَّلَا تَاْخُذْكُمْ بِهِمَا رَاْفَةٌ فِیْ دِیْنِ اللّٰهِ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِاللّٰهِ وَالْیَوْمِ الْاٰخِرِ ۚ— وَلْیَشْهَدْ عَذَابَهُمَا طَآىِٕفَةٌ مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ ۟اَلزَّانِيَةُ وَالزَّانِىۡ فَاجۡلِدُوۡا كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِّنۡهُمَا مِائَةَ جَلۡدَةٍ ۖ وَّلَا تَاۡخُذۡكُمۡ بِهِمَا رَاۡفَةٌ فِىۡ دِيۡنِ اللّٰهِ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ تُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِاللّٰهِ وَالۡيَوۡمِ الۡاٰخِرِۚ وَلۡيَشۡهَدۡ عَذَابَهُمَا طَآئِفَةٌ مِّنَ الۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ
Flog the adulteress and the adulterer, each one of them, with a hundred lashes. Let no pity for them cause you to disobey God, if you truly believe in God and the Last Day; and let their punishment be witnessed by a number of believers.
— Tazkirul Quran (En)
اَلزَّانِیْ لَا یَنْكِحُ اِلَّا زَانِیَةً اَوْ مُشْرِكَةً ؗ— وَّالزَّانِیَةُ لَا یَنْكِحُهَاۤ اِلَّا زَانٍ اَوْ مُشْرِكٌ ۚ— وَحُرِّمَ ذٰلِكَ عَلَی الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ ۟اَلزَّانِىۡ لَا يَنۡكِحُ اِلَّا زَانِيَةً اَوۡ مُشۡرِكَةً وَّ الزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنۡكِحُهَاۤ اِلَّا زَانٍ اَوۡ مُشۡرِكٌ ۚ وَحُرِّمَ ذٰ لِكَ عَلَى الۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ
The adulterer shall marry only an adulteress or a polytheist woman, and an adulteress shall marry only an adulterer or a polytheist man; such marriages are forbidden for believers.
— Tazkirul Quran (En)
Tafseer of 24:1–3
This chapter was revealed in the year 6 A.H., after the campaign of Banu al- Mustaliq. A minor incident took place during this campaign, which the hypocrites of Madinah chose to misrepresent in order to defame ‘A’ishah, the Prophet’s wife, and create trouble for the Prophet Muhammad. In this chapter, on the one hand, ‘A’ishah has been completely exonerated, and on the other hand, legal provisions to be enforced under similar social circumstances, have been laid down.
In Islamic law, zina i.e. an illicit sexual relationship (which includes in its definition fornication, adultery and rape) is an extremely serious offence. Giving a hundred lashes to a man or woman indulging in adultery is the punishment prescribed for illicit relations between unmarried persons.
The purpose of meting out punishment in public is to add a deterrent aspect to the penal provision. The idea is that, after seeing the fate of the guilty persons in question, anyone who has any intention of committing such a crime will desist from doing so.
If men or women guilty of illicit sexual relations repent and reform after punishment, they may again resume the lives of believers. But, if they fail to do so, they can no longer be accepted in Islamic society as being fit for marital relations.