4.15 – (As for) those of your women who commit immorality, . . . confine them in their houses until death takes them
This verse prescribes a punishment for women who are guilty of lewdness. The Arabic word translated “immorality” is fāḥisha, meaning “uncleanness” (not the word for “adultery,” which is zinā). The punishment for this immorality is confinement until death, though the verse seems to suggest another unspecified possibility. The Quran prescribes a punishment for adultery at 24.2.
The expression “until death takes them” uses the Arabic verb tawaffā, which causes confusion related to the death of ‘Īsā at 3.55. In this verse, the clear meaning is that the subject of the verb is “death” (al-mawt).