Question Summary:
What is the punishment if a “rape” is done and there is no other witness other than the victim woman?

Question Detail:

I am resubmitting this question, have asked it a few weeks ago too. My question is that for a married male the punishment for zina is "RAJAM" when there are 4 witnessessss available, but how is the matter handled in Shariah and what is the punishment if a "rape" is done and there is no other witness other than the victm woman. As a student of deen I want to understand it that what does shriah tells, how is thgia matter handled if the woman doesn't want to stay quiet and needs justice but has no other witness.

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh.
In principle, a woman who is put in a situation where she is threatened with sexual abuse and rape should call for help and defend herself against the attacker. If the circumstances give her no other option, she may even kill the attacker.[1] The law courts of an Islāmic state will consider her claim and will not issue a verdict of qisās (retaliation) for murder if there is substantial circumstantial evidence in her favour.[2]
If a woman is sexually abused and the attacker is not apprehended, she may seek justice through the courts of an Islāmic state. Her lone testimony will not constitute sufficient evidence to make the hadd of stoning (for a married man) or 100 lashes (for an unmarried man) binding. Rather, the Qādī and law courts will assess all available circumstantial evidence, and if there is sufficient proof to convince them that sexual abuse took place, they may enforce some form of discretionary punishment on the attacker, like a long-term prison sentence etc.[3]
And Allah Ta‘ālā Knows Best
Zameelur Rahman
Student Darul Iftaa
UK
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net