They come to the immoral act, and they are overwhelmed by it. It is said that he came to the immoral act, and he approached it, and he overwhelmed it, all meaning the same. In the reading of Ibn Mas'ud: they come with the immoral act, and the immoral act is adultery due to its greater ugliness compared to many other immoral acts. So, keep them confined in the houses. It is said that its meaning is: imprison them in your houses. This was their punishment in the early days of Islam, then it was abrogated by His saying, the Exalted: (The adulteress and the adulterer ...) the verse. It may be that it is not abrogated, as the punishment is known from the Book and the Sunnah, and it is recommended to keep them in the houses, after they are punished to protect them from what happened to them due to leaving the houses and exposing themselves to men. Or may Allah provide them a way, which is marriage, by which they can be independent of illicit relations. It was said that the way is the punishment, as it was not legislated at that time. If you say: What is the meaning of 'death takes them'? - and taking and death are one meaning, as if it were said: until death kills them? I say: It may be intended until the angels of death take them, as in His saying: (Those whom the angels take in death) (Indeed, those whom the angels take in death), (Say: The Angel of Death takes you). Or until death takes them and their souls are taken. And those who come to it from among you refers to the adulterer and the adulteress. So, punish them, reprimand them, and blame them, and say to them: Did you not feel ashamed? Did you not fear Allah? If they repent and amend their situation, then turn away from them and cease the reproach and blame, for repentance prevents deserving blame and punishment. It is possible that this is addressed to the witnesses who have stumbled upon their secret, and the intended punishment is to blame them, scold them, and threaten them with reporting to the imam and the punishment. If they repent before reporting to the imam, then turn away from them and do not approach them. It was said that the first was revealed concerning lesbians and this one concerning sodomites. And it was read: 'and those who' with the noon being emphasized. And 'those who' with the hamzah and the noon being emphasized.