If any of your women is guilty of unnatural offence, bring four of your witnesses to give evidence; if they testify against them, retain them in the houses until death overtakes them or God provides some other way for them. 15 And the two who commit it among you, dishonor them both. But if they repent and correct themselves, leave them alone. Indeed, Allah is ever Accepting of repentance and Merciful. 16 (Allah accepts) the repentance from only those who commit evil in ignorance and then quickly turn to Him in repentance. Allah will relent towards them. Allah is Knowing, Wise. 17 whereas repentance shall not be accepted from those who do evil deeds until their dying hour and then say: "Behold, I now repent"; nor from those who die as deniers of the truth: it is these for whom We have readied grievous suffering. 18 O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will, and you should not treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the Mahr you have given them, unless they commit open illegal sexual intercourse. And live with them honourably. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing and Allah brings through it a great deal of good. 19 But if you desire to give up a wife and to take another in her stead, do not take away anything of what you have given the first one, however much it may have been. Would you, perchance, take it away by slandering her and thus committing a manifest sin? 20 And how will you take it back whereas you have become unveiled before each other, and they have taken a strong pledge from you? 21 And marry not women whom your fathers married,- except what is past: It was shameful and odious,- an abominable custom indeed. 22