Tafsir of An-Nisa' 4:16

واللذان يٲتيانها منكم فاذوهما

And the two persons among you who commit illegal sexual intercourse, punish them both. Ibn Abbas and Sa`id bin Jubayr said that; this punishment includes cursing, shaming them and beating them with sandals. This was the ruling until Allah abrogated it with flogging or stoning, as we stated. Mujahid said, "It was revealed about the case of two men who do it.'' As if he was referring to the actions of the people of Lut, and Allah knows best. The collectors of Sunan recorded that Ibn Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah said,

من رأيتموه يعمل عمل قوم لوط فاقتلوا الفاعل والمفعول به

Whoever you catch committing the act of the people of Lut (homosexuality), then kill both parties to the act. Allah said,

فٳن تابا وأصلحا

And if they repent and do righteous good deeds, by refraining from that evil act, and thereafter their actions become righteous.

فٲعرضوا عنهما

leave them alone, do not verbally abuse them after that, since he who truly repents is just like he who has no sin.

إن الله كان توابا رحيما

Surely, Allah is Ever the One Who accepts repentance, Most Merciful. The following is recorded in the Two Sahihs:

إذا زنت أمة أحدكم فليجلدها الحد وﻻ يثرب عليها

When the slave-girl of one of you commits illegal sexual intercourse, let him flog her and not chastise her afterwards. because the lashes she receives erase the sin that she has committed