An-Nisā’ 4:20

The issue

This verse commands men not to take a woman’s dowry “for a calumny.” The term

“calumny” was used in this verse outside of its proper linguistic meaning. Calumny

means slander. However, the act of not giving the woman her dowry is an act of

oppression, not of slander.

The scholars were confused about the use of this term. Some said, “The term calumny

indicated injustice.” Al-Zajjāj said, “It meant ‘in vain,’” and others said it referred to

the act of “a man denying that he owes the woman her dowry.” However, since none

of these suggested meanings coincided with the actual definition of the term, some

scholars said the verse was addressing the men who accused their wives of adultery in

order to force the women to abandon their right to a dowry.

Among the scholars, al-Rāzī preempted other attempts to provide suggestions for the

meaning of the term calumny by presenting the following suggestions:

• The first opinion: Allah has imposed a dowry for the wife. If the husband takes the

dowry back, it would appear as if he is denying his duty to allow her to keep it. As

a result, the act becomes slander.

• The second opinion: At the signing of the marriage contract, the husband gives

the wife a dowry and is not supposed to take it back. If he does, this action makes

his initial promise a slander.

• The third opinion: Men used to accuse their wives of adultery in order to secure

a divorce and to frighten women into giving up their right to a dowry rather than

face a scandal.

• The fourth opinion: Q 4.19 reads, “Nor to hinder them, that ye may go off with part of

what ye brought them, unless they commit fornication manifestly....” While a Muslim

should not disobey Allah’s command to give his wife a dowry, if he takes part of

his wife’s dowry back, that would indicate that she had committed adultery (illegal

sexual intercourse), which—if it were not true—would then be considered slander.

• The fifth opinion: The punishment of slander and evident sin was well known

to Muslims, so the phrase, “would you take it for a calumny and a manifest crime?”

actually means, “would you take the punishment of slander?” Q 4.10 reads, “Verily,

those who devour the property of orphans unjustly, only devour into their bellies fire,

and they shall broil in flames....”

All these opinions are merely arbitrary interpretations, futile attempts to make the

term “calumny” matches the meaning of the verse. Moreover, the multiple and various

possibilities created by the use of this word are only further proof of the contradictions found in the verse.