| An-Nisa (The Women): (16) And those two [men] who commit it from among you...

In this verse, there are several issues:

Issue 1: The Reading of "الَّذَانِ" (Al-Ladhān)

There are two main readings for the word الَّذَانِ (those two):

1. Ibn Kathir read it with a shaddah (doubled 'n'): الَّذَانَّ (Al-Ladhānna).
2. The rest read it with a sukūn (un-doubled 'n'): الَّذَانِ (Al-Ladhāni).

Furthermore, Abu 'Amr agreed with Ibn Kathir in his reading of فَذَانِكَ (fa-dhānika) in the context of fear (الرَّهْب).

The rationale for Ibn Kathir's doubling of the 'n' (tashdīd):

1. To differentiate between the dual form of ismun mumakkan (a fully declined noun) and non-fully declined nouns.
2. Because الَّذِي (the relative pronoun) and هَذَا (this demonstrative pronoun) are built upon a single letter, the dhāl (ذ). Therefore, they intended to strengthen each part by adding another 'n' of the same kind to its existing 'n'.

Other explanations for the doubling:

• The 'n' here is not the 'n' of the dual form, and the doubling distinguishes it from the dual marker.
• The 'n' was added for emphasis (ta'kīd), similar to how the lām (in الَّذِي) was added.

Regarding Abu 'Amr's specific choice to compensate (with the shaddah) only in the ambiguous pronouns (المُبْهَمَة) and not in the relative pronouns (المَوْصُولَة), it seems this is because the omission (of the nūn) is more necessary for the ambiguous pronoun, making its right to compensation stronger.

Issue 2: The Subject Matter of the Verse and Repetition

Those who held that the preceding verse (4:15) concerns adulterous women argue that this verse (4:16) also concerns adulterers. This raises the question: What is the reason for this repetition, and what is the benefit? Several views are mentioned:

First View: The first verse (وَاللَّاتِي يَأْتِينَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مِنْ نِسَائِكُمْ) refers to adulterous women (zawānī), while this verse (وَاللَّذَانِ يَأْتِيَانِهَا مِنْكُمْ) refers to adulterous men (zanāh).

• Differentiation of Punishment: Allah specified confinement at home (الْحَبْسُ فِي الْبَيْتِ) for the woman and causing harm (الْإِذَاءُ) for the man.
• Rationale: A woman commits adultery primarily when she goes out and exposes herself. Confining her indoors cuts off the source of this sin. A man, however, cannot be confined because he needs to go out to manage his livelihood and provide for his family. Thus, the punishment for the adulterous woman is confinement, and for the adulterous man, it is causing him harm. If he repents, the harm ceases.
• Alternative within this view: Harm was a shared punishment for both, but confinement was specific to the woman. If both repent, the harm is removed from both, but confinement remains for the woman. This is considered the best of these explanations.

Second View (As-Suddī): The first verse refers to married individuals (thayyib), and this verse refers to unmarried individuals (bikr)—both men and women. This explains the difference between the two verses.

• Evidence for this interpretation:
  1. Allah attributed the women in the first verse to their husbands (مِنْ نِسَائِكُمْ).
  2. The term nisā' (women) is more fitting for married women (thayyib).
  3. Harm (الْأَذَى) is a lighter punishment than confinement, which is more appropriate for the unmarried (bikr) than the married (thayyib).

Third View (Al-Hasan): This verse was revealed before the preceding one. The original order was: "And those two [men and women] who commit indecency from among you, then harm them. If they repent and make amends, then turn away from them." Then, the verse (فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ فِي الْبُيُوتِ) was revealed, meaning: If they do not repent and persist in this ugly act, confine them in houses until their situation becomes clear to you. This view is considered very weak because it disrupts the established order of the verses.

Fourth View (Abu Muslim): The first verse concerns lesbians (sahāqāt), and this verse concerns homosexual men (ahl al-liwāṭ), as previously discussed.

Fifth View: Allah clarified in the first verse that four witnesses are required for proving adultery. In this verse, He clarifies that if two witnesses testify against them and harm/threaten them with referral to the ruler for punishment, but they repent before the referral, then leave them alone.

Issue 3: The Nature of the Harm (الْإِذَاء)

There is consensus that the harm (الْإِذَاء) must include verbal abuse (التَّوْبِيخُ وَالتَّعْيِيرُ), such as saying: "Woe to you both for what you have done! You have exposed yourselves to God's punishment and wrath, removed yourselves from the status of trustworthiness, and invalidated your eligibility to be witnesses."

Disagreement exists regarding whether physical striking is included:

• Ibn 'Abbas held that they should be struck with sandals (النِّعَال).
• The first opinion is preferred because the text only mandates "harm" (الْإِذَاء), which is achieved merely through verbal abuse. The text does not explicitly indicate striking, so one should not resort to it.

Then Allah Almighty said: فَإِنْ تَابَا وَأَصْلَحَا فَأَعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمَا (If they repent and make amends, then turn away from them), meaning: cease harming them.

Then He said: إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ تَوَّابًا رَحِيمًا (Indeed, Allah is ever Accepting of repentance, Merciful).

• The meaning of التَّوَّاب (Accepting of repentance) is that He returns to His servant with grace and forgiveness when the servant repents from his sin.
• The meaning of "was" (كَانَ) in this context has already been explained previously.

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(The repentance is only incumbent upon Allah for those who do evil out of ignorance and then repent soon thereafter. It is those whom Allah accepts the repentance of. And Allah is Ever Knowing and Wise.)