Public shaming, though it has long been abandoned in Western world, is one of the tools we may use against crimes. The Quran gives high importance to the institution of marriage. Social and psychological problems experienced among millions of children because of the breakdown of marriage institution in otherwise prosperous Western countries justify the importance of marriage. Additionally, the harms of the promiscuous lifestyle to the health and well being of the society is another reason why the Quran takes marriage contract so seriously and issues a harsh penalty for its violation.

The verse emphasizes public shame rather than inflicting physical pain. The word JaLDa does not mean a stick, but something that will touch the skin, since the word jalda is a derivative of a word that is used for skin (JeLD).

Shaming is a social and psychological penalty. For such a penalty to be effective, researchers suggest the fulfillment of the following conditions: (1) The convict must be a member of a particular group; (2) The group must approve of the penalty; (3) The shaming penalty should be delivered to the group and group should ignore the convict for a period physically, emotionally, and economically; (4) The convict who is wished to be shamed must fear the group's decision to cut the relation; and (5) The convict must have a means to regain the trust of the group.

First we should be reminded that there is no stoning-to-death punishment for adultery in Islam. The punishment of stoning was introduced to the Islamic law long after prophet Muhammed through fabricated hadith. It is the followers of Sunni and Shiite sects that adopted the Jewish practice and fabricated the most ridiculous stories, such as the story of a hungry holy goat eating a verse about stoning, etc. The followers of hadith and sunna accept the Jewish practice and the related silly stories by claiming that "these verses are not clear about adultery; thus, hadith and sunna explain these verses." Knowing the excuse of those who associate other partners with God, the first two verses rebut the claim of the unappreciative people by asserting the clarity of its language.

The origin of stoning is found in the Old Testament. For instance:

"But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel: Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you." (Deuteronomy 22:20-21)

According to the Old Testament, a rapist should be forced to marry the girl he violated. This rule punishes the victim to share the rest of her life with the violent and shameless man who violated her (Deuteronomy 22:28-30 ). How can this and many other unjust laws be imposed by a Just God? (See 2:59; 2:79; 5:13; 5:41; 7:162; 9:31).

See Leviticus 20:2,27 ; 24:14; Numbers 15:35 ; 35:17; Deuteronomy 13:10 ; 17:5; 22:21; Joshua 7:25 ; 1 Kings 21:1-29 . Also, see the Quran: 3:36.

See 4:15.

By not mentioning the person's name in this historical event, the Quran wants to keep its universal application clear. See 111:1

We are instructed not to disseminate rumors or hearsay statements about a person without proof or strong evidence. This warning is about any person. But, what about not any person, but the prophet? What about collecting rumors and hearsay statements about a prophet long after he passed away? What about not only believing those rumors and hearsay statements, but also sanctifying them as a part of the religion for future generations? What about going even further by preferring them to a book believed to be the verbatim word of God? And what about even going further, and declaring those who reject them to be apostates, deserving to be killed? It is these "holy" rumors and hearsay statements that have condemned Muslim societies to ignorance, oppression, and backwardness. Those who consider hadith and sunna, which would not be admitted in any court of law, as an important source of their system, have no respect to God and his messengers; since they follow conjecture and contradictory hearsay reports (6:116). See 6:148; 10:36; 53:28.

Righteous men and women should not dress provocatively. A woman should lower her dress (33:59) and cover her chest. God uses flexible language, to allow culture, time, climate, age, and social dynamics and other variables play a role in the decision. The underlying reason for this recommendation is expressed as protection of women from potential male harassment. There is nothing in the Quran that instructs the government or the society to force women, in the name of God, to cover themselves. A punishment neither in this world nor in hereafter is issued. While the male clerics and the followers of their misogynistic teachings are sunk up to their eyebrows in the mud of shirk, the only unforgivable sin, somehow they scrupulously split the hair of women. Does sanctifying the dress code of Christian nuns have anything to do with their psychological and sexual problems? The verses recommending women to cover themselves aim to protect them from the harassment of unrighteous men. Ironically, women are now harassed more by the self-righteous men.

It is up to women, not men, how long they will lower their dress, whether they will cover their breasts or not. It is a different thing to remind a monotheist woman nicely to wear modestly for her protection and perhaps for social order. But, using this issue to patronize and subjugate women is not what the Quran expects from us. Even worse than this, is to impose this recommendation onto those women who are not muslims, since that violates many more Quranic principles.

The male clerics who covered their intelligence by their obsessive interference with women's hair and dress, do not even notice the lesson in verse 7:26. Despite the verse informing us that women were walking in the street with their faces open in front of Muhammed (33:52), they still have the audacity to preach to women to cover their faces with veils. See 33:55.

For the Biblical account of women's dress, which is mostly ignored by Christians, see Genesis 24:65 ; Jeremiah 4:30 ; Ezekiel 16:10 ; Zephaniah 1:8 ; 1Timothy 2:9; 1 Peter 3:3 ; 1Corintions 11:15.

The reference pronoun of the word "IBaDukum" is misunderstood, and contrary to the clear verses of the Quran, it is abused for the justification of slavery. The expression "your slaves" should be understood as "slaves among you" or "slaves from your group" not as "the slaves that you own." For instance, the expression "feed your poor" does not mean "poor that you own." Similarly, "your ingrates" means, "the ingrates among you." (54:43; also see: 72:4). It would be literally awkward to repeat the preposition "from" (min) twice. (For a discussion on slavery, see the endnote for verse 4:3)

What about if they don't want to be chaste, then should they be forced? Of course not. For instance, "Don't force your children to eat meat, if they chose to be vegetarians" does not mean "Force your children to eat meat if they don't want to be vegetarians." The word FaTaYa has been usually mistranslated as slaves. For its meaning through its Quranic usages please see: 12:30; 12:36; 18:10; 18:60; 21:60; and 24:33.

This example highlights some of the main characteristics of the Quran. God is the source of enlightenment (light). The Quran radiates God's message (lamp). Though it is protected with a mathematical code, it has a transparent language (glass), reflecting a small portion of divine knowledge (radiant planet). Its message is universal; not limited to any language, race, or geography (neither of the east nor of the west). Those with open eyes may get its message even without showing much effort (gives off light even if not touched by fire). It has meaning inside meaning, message inside message (light upon light). Receiving its message is a blessing and its teacher is God Himself (God guides whomever/whoever wish(es) to His light). The word nur (light), in the normative case, occurs 33 times and is never used in plural from in the Quran, while its antonym is always used in its plural form, zulumat (darknesses), in 23 occurrences, and never in singular form. This implies singularity of the source of truth, which is God, and diversity of the sources of falsehood, which could be Satan, polytheist clergymen, ignorance, peer pressure, wrong choices, acquired weaknesses and addictions, etc.

According to the Bible, God created the light first (Genesis 1:3 ). Light is also used as a metaphor for divine enlightenment or instruction (Psalms 119:105; Isaiah 8:20 ; Matthew 4:16 ; Matthew 5:16 ; John 5:35 ). God is described as "the Father of lights" (James 1:17 ). The Bible and its appendices use the light metaphor for many creatures too, such as John the Baptist (John 5:35 ), Jesus (Luke 2:32 ; John 1:7-9 ), his disciples, (Matthew 5:14 ), and angels/controllers (2 Corinthians 11:14 ).

It is noteworthy that humans are included in the classification of living creatures according to physiological characteristics. This is in line with other verses that indicate an evolutionary method in creating Adam's biological body. Millions of years ago, the ability of a mammalian to walk on two feet is considered a critical point in the evolution of the human brain and the creation of homo sapiens. Walking on two feet might seem like a simple orthopedic change but its effect on the neuropsychological transformation is huge. See 29:18; 41:9; 7:69; 15:26; 32:7; 71:14.

Like the Quran, the Bible mentions water and ground as the main origin or ingredients of life (Genesis 1:20-21 ; 2:19).