What is slandering chaste women (Qadhf al-Muhsanat)? Do phrases such as: "So-and-so (female) sits with so-and-so (male) for long hours in his office," or "So-and-so (male) exploits so-and-so (female) and deceives her," or "So-and-so (female) ran away with so-and-so (male)," or "So-and-so (female) is in a relationship with so-and-so (male)" count as such? And how can one expiate for this sin?

Slandering chaste women is forbidden by the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and scholarly consensus. It refers to accusing someone of zina (unlawful sexual intercourse) in a derogatory context. It is divided into explicit accusation, implicit accusation, and insinuation. The phrases mentioned appear to be implicit accusations. If the speaker did not intend to accuse the person of zina, but merely to insult them, then there is no prescribed punishment (hadd) upon him. However, he deserves to be disciplined by the ruler. If it was indeed an accusation of zina, and the accuser confessed and the prescribed punishment was carried out against him, then it serves as an expiation for him. If he was disciplined (ta'zir), some jurists hold that the discipline purifies the person. However, if he was neither subjected to a prescribed punishment nor disciplined, then his expiation is repentance by seeking forgiveness from the slandered person, unless informing them would lead to a greater harm.