Prescribed Punishment for Adultery

Mā‘iz ibn Mālik al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) while he was in the mosque and confessed to having committed adultery. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) turned away from him, hoping that he would retract his statement and repent to Allah in secret. Yet, Mā‘iz was angry with himself, and he was determined to purify his soul through the prescribed punishment. Hence, he went to face the Prophet from the other side and again confessed to having committed adultery. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) once more turned his face to the other side, and he kept doing so until Mā‘iz confessed to having committed adultery four times. Afterwards, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him if he was suffering from any form of insanity, and he answered in the negative. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then asked his family about the state of his mind, and they said that he was fine. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then asked him if he was (currently or previously) married or a virgin, as the punishment of the virgin does not amount to stoning. He told him that he was married. Furthermore, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him if he had committed complete adultery, and not merely touching or kissing, but the man admitted to having committed complete adultery. After the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had made sure of the veracity of all of those conditions which require the implementation of the legal prescribed punishment, he ordered his Companions to take the man and stone him to death. They took him to Baqī‘ al-Gharqad [a place where the funeral prayer is performed in Madīnah] and stoned him. When he experienced the severity of stoning, he asked to be released and tried to escape death. He ran away as the human soul is unable to bear this. The Companions caught up to him in a place called "Al-Harrah" and continued stoning him until he died (may Allah have mercy upon him and be pleased with him).

- صحيح البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، ط1، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، 1422هـ. - صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، 1423هـ. - تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام للبسام، حققه وعلق عليه وخرج أحاديثه وصنع فهارسه: محمد صبحي بن حسن حلاق، ط10، مكتبة الصحابة، الإمارات - مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة، 1426هـ. - عمدة الأحكام من كلام خير الأنام صلى الله عليه وسلم لعبد الغني المقدسي، دراسة وتحقيق: محمود الأرناؤوط، مراجعة وتقديم: عبد القادر الأرناؤوط، ط2، دار الثقافة العربية، دمشق، بيروت، مؤسسة قرطبة، 1408هـ. - الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام لإسماعيل الأنصاري، ط1، دار الفكر، دمشق، 1381هـ. - الإعلام بفوائد عمدة الأحكام لابن الملقن، المحقق: عبد العزيز بن أحمد بن محمد المشيقح، دار العاصمة للنشر والتوزيع، المملكة العربية السعودية الطبعة: الأولى، 1417هـ - 1997م.

When a man and a woman from among the Jews committed adultery during the Prophet's time, the Jews came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) seeking his judgment in the hope that they would get something lighter than the punishment of adultery in the Torah, which is stoning. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked them about Allah's judgment in the Torah, only to expose them, not to act upon it. They lied to him, saying that the judgment was to expose the adulterers. On hearing that, ‘Abdullāh ibn Salām (may Allah be pleased with him) said that they were lying. When they checked the Torah, they found the ruling of adultery, which is stoning the married adulterer. Hence, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded the punishment to be inflicted on the adulterers. Our Islamic law is dominant over any other law and abrogates it. In this Hadīth, however, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked them about the ruling of the Torah on stoning the adulterer in order to establish the argument against them through their own book, which they claimed that it did not include the ruling of stoning the married adulterer. Furthermore, he aimed thereby to show them that all the books of Allah are in agreement on that eternal ruling which involves deterrence to the sinners.

- صحيح البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، ط1، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، 1422ه - صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، 1423 هـ - عمدة الأحكام من كلام خير الأنام صلى الله عليه وسلم لعبد الغني المقدسي، دراسة وتحقيق: محمود الأرناؤوط، مراجعة وتقديم: عبد القادر الأرناؤوط، ط2، دار الثقافة العربية، دمشق ، بيروت، مؤسسة قرطبة، 1408 هـ - تأسيس الأحكام للنجمي، ط2، دار علماء السلف، 1414ه - الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام لإسماعيل الأنصاري، ط1، دار الفكر، دمشق، 1381ه - تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام للبسام، حققه وعلق عليه وخرج أحاديثه وصنع فهارسه: محمد صبحي بن حسن حلاق، ط10، مكتبة الصحابة، الأمارات - مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة، 1426 هـ الإعلام بفوائد عمدة الأحكام لابن الملقن المحقق: عبد العزيز بن أحمد بن محمد المشيقح - دار العاصمة للنشر والتوزيع، المملكة العربية السعودية الطبعة: الأولى، 1417 هـ - 1997 م.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about the corporal punishment prescribed by Shariah for the crime of fornication committed by the unmarried slave girl. So, he replied that she should be flogged, and she deserves to be flogged half the number of times that the free woman receives when committing fornication, which is fifty whips, as Allah, the Almighty, says: {When they are married, if they should commit adultery, they receive half the punishment of free women} [An-Nisā’: 25]. If she fornicates a second time, she should be flogged again fifty times to be deterred from committing this sin again. If she fornicates for the third time and is not deterred by that punishment and does not repent to Allah, the Almighty, and it is feared that she would do it again, then she should be flogged and sold, even at the least price, which is a cheap rope only. This is because there is no good in keeping her and there is no hope in her becoming upright, and her being far away is better than her being close so as not to be a cause of evil in the house where she resides.

صحيح البخاري، للإمام أبي عبد الله محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري، عناية محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة، الطبعة الأولى، 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، للإمام مسلم بن الحجاج، حققه ورقمه محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار عالم الكتب-الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1417هـ. الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام، للشيخ إسماعيل الأنصاري -مطبعة السعادة، الطبعة الثانية، 1392هـ. تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، عبد الله البسام، تحقيق محمد صبحي حسن حلاق، مكتبة الصحابة، الشارقة، الطبعة العاشرة- 1426هـ.

A woman from the tribe of Juhaynah came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) as she was pregnant from adultery. She asked him to apply the prescribed punishment to her. Therefore, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) called her guardian and told him to treat her kindly and then bring her to him after she delivers her baby. When she gave birth, her guardian brought her to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who then ordered that her clothes be tied well around her so that her body would not be exposed, and then ordered stoning her to death. Afterwards, he offered the funeral prayer over her and made supplications for her. ‘Umar wondered why the Prophet prayed over her, despite the fact that she had fornicated. Hence, the Prophet told him that she had made a great repentance that would be useful to seventy sinners from among the people of Madīnah, if it were to be spread over them. That is because the lady came willingly and submitted herself for the sake of Allah, so as to rid herself of her sin. Is there anything greater than what she did?

- صحيح البخاري -للإمام أبي عبد الله محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري، عناية محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة، الطبعة الأولى، 1422هـ. - صحيح مسلم؛ للإمام مسلم بن الحجاج، حققه ورقمه محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار عالم الكتب-الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1417هـ. - شرح رياض الصالحين؛ للشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين، مدار الوطن، الرياض، 1426هـ. - نزهة المتقين بشرح رياض الصالحين/تأليف مصطفى سعيد الخن-مصطفى البغا-محي الدين مستو-علي الشربجي-محمد أمين لطفي-مؤسسة الرسالة-بيروت –لبنان-الطبعة الرابعة عشرة1407-. -بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين –سليم بن عيد الهلالي دار ابن الجوزي –الطبعة الأولى 1418. - دليل الفالحين لطرق رياض الصالحين -المؤلف: محمد علي بن محمد بن علان الصديقي-اعتنى بها: خليل مأمون شيحا-دار المعرفة للطباعة والنشر والتوزيع، بيروت – لبنان-الطبعة: الرابعة، 1425 هـ - 2004 م. -المعجم الوسيط-المؤلف: مجمع اللغة العربية بالقاهرة (إبراهيم مصطفى / أحمد الزيات / حامد عبد القادر / محمد النجار) -دار الدعوة.

A woman from the tribe Juhaynah came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) while she was pregnant from adultery and said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, I have committed a sin liable to the legal punishment, so execute the legal punishment on me." She wanted the Prophet to subject her to the prescribed punishment for adultery, which is stoning to death because she was a married woman. So the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) called her guardian and said to him: "Treat her kindly, and bring her to me after she delivers (her baby)." The Prophet ordered him to treat her kindly for fear of what he and her family might do to her because of the disgrace her sin had brought upon them all. So the Prophet told him to be kind to her to prevent them from harming her and as mercy for her since she repented of her sin. He encouraged kindness towards her because people commonly shun the likes of her and might speak to her harshly. After delivering her child, she was brought to the Prophet who ordered her to wait until she weans the child. When she had weaned it, she came to the Prophet so he ordered that the punishment be executed on her. He also ordered that her clothes be secured so that they would not become disarranged during the stoning and thus reveal her body. She was then stoned to death and he offered the funeral prayer over her.

بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين؛ تأليف سليم الهلالي، دار ابن الجوزي. دليل الفالحين لطرق رياض الصالحين؛ لمحمد بن علان الشافعي، دار الكتاب العربي-بيروت. رياض الصالحين من كلام سيد المرسلين؛ للإمام أبي زكريا النووي، تحقيق د. ماهر الفحل، دار ابن كثير-دمشق، الطبعة الأولى، 1428هـ. شرح رياض الصالحين؛ للشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين، مدار الوطن-الرياض، 1426هـ. صحيح مسلم؛ للإمام مسلم بن الحجاج، حققه ورقمه محمد فؤاد عبدالباقي، دار عالم الكتب-الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1417هـ. نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين؛ تأليف د. مصطفى الخِن وغيره، مؤسسة الرسالة-بيروت، الطبعة الرابعة عشر، 1407هـ.

In this Hadīth, an unmarried man committed adultery with the wife of his employer. The father of the fornicator heard that anyone who commits adultery must be stoned. So he ransomed his son by offering one hundred sheep and their offspring to the husband of that woman. Later, he asked the people of knowledge, and they told him that the punishment for his son would be one hundred lashes and exile for one year rather than stoning, and that this married woman would be stoned. Therefore, the husband of the adulteress and father of the fornicator went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) together, asking him to judge between them according to the Book of Allah. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) judged that the one hundred sheep and their offspring must be returned to the father of the fornicator. He also told the father that his son was to be given one hundred lashes and be exiled for one year, because he was unmarried. Regarding the adulteress, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered one of his Companions to go to her to verify whether she would admit the crime. The woman admitted it, so he ordered her to be stoned as she was married.

- صحيح البخاري، دار طوق النجاة ط 1422هـ. - صحيح مسلم، ط دار إحياء التراث العربي .تحقيق محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي - تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، للبسام، حققه وعلق عليه وخرج أحاديثه وصنع فهارسه: محمد صبحي بن حسن حلاق، ط10، مكتبة الصحابة، الإمارات - مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة، 1426 هـ. - الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام، لإسماعيل الأنصاري، ط مكتبة السعادة، الطبعة الثانية. - تأسيس الأحكام للنجمي، ط دار المنهاج 1427هـ.

This Hadīth highlights the inviolability of the blood of Muslims who testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger and do not do any of the acts that constitute a violation of the testimonies of Islam. The Wise Lawgiver advocated the safeguarding and protection of lives. Thus, He made such protection and safeguarding part of His legislation. Also, He declared that the gravest sin after polytheism is the killing of a soul which Allah has forbidden to kill. Hence, it is forbidden to kill a Muslim who affirm the two testimonies unless he commits one of three things: 1. Commit unlawful sexual intercourse after Allah has bestowed chastity upon him by virtue of a valid marriage. 2. Kill someone whose life is protected by the Shariah, out of injustice and aggression. Justice requires that the killer is to be killed in order to deter the transgressors from their aggression. 3. Disassociate himself from the Muslim community and go out in rebellion against Allah and His Messenger by committing highway robbery, scaring people, and spreading corruption on earth. The perpetrator is to be killed, crucified, or exiled so that the people become safe from his evil and transgression. These three categories of people are to be killed, for killing them maintains safety of the religion, lives, and honor.

- سنن أبي داود , تحقيق: محمد محي الدين, المكتبة العصرية. - سنن للنسائي, تحقيق: عبد الفتاح أبو غدة, مكتب المطبوعات الإسلامية الطبعة: الثانية، 1406 - صحيح الجامع الصغير وزيادة للألباني , المكتب الإسلامي - بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام لابن حجر تحقيق: سمير بن أمين الزهيري, دار الفلق - ط: السابعة، 1424 هـ - توضِيحُ الأحكَامِ مِن بُلوُغ المَرَام، للبسام، مكتَبة الأسدي، مكّة المكرّمة، الطبعة: الخامِسَة، 1423 هـ - عون المعبود شرح سنن أبي داود، للعظيم آبادي دار الكتب العلمية - بيروت, الطبعة: الثانية، 1415 هـ - تسهيل الإلمام بفقه الأحاديث من بلوغ المرام، تأليف: صالح بن فوزان بن عبد الله الفوزان، الطبعة: الأولى، 1427 هـ 2006 م - تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام للبسام، حققه وعلق عليه وخرج أحاديثه وصنع فهارسه: محمد صبحي بن حسن حلاق، ط10، مكتبة الصحابة، الإمارات، مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة، 1426 هـ - فتح ذي الجلال والاكرام بشرح بلوغ المرام، للشيخ ابن عثيمين، المكتبة الإسلامية - الطبعة الأولى 1427.

This Hadīth shows that Allah, the Almighty, revealed a final prescribed punishment for those who commit fornication or adultery, whether or not they got married before. A virgin who fornicates is to be lashed one hundred times and exiled from his/her country. Also, a previously married man or woman who commits adultery is to be lashed and stoned to death. This ruling abrogated the verse of Sūrat An-Nisā', or explained what is meant by the "another way" mentioned in the verse. Allah, the Exalted, says: {Those who commit unlawful sexual intercourse of your women - bring against them four [witnesses] from among you. And if they testify, confine the guilty women to houses until death takes them or Allah ordains for them [another] way.} [Sūrat An-Nisā': 15]

صحيح مسلم؛ للإمام مسلم بن الحجاج، حققه ورقمه محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار عالم الكتب - الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1417هـ. منحة العلام في شرح بلوغ المرام، تأليف عبد الله الفوزان، طبعة دار ابن الجوزي، الطبعة الأولى، 1428ه. توضيح الأحكام شرح بلوغ المرام، تأليف عبد الله البسام- مكتبة الأسدي، مكة المكرمة، الطبعة الخامِسَة، 1423هـ - 2003م. تسهيل الإلمام بفقه الأحاديث من بلوغ المرام، تأليف الشيخ صالح الفوزان- عناية عبد السلام السليمان - مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة الأولى. فتح ذي الجلال والإكرام بشرح بلوغ المرام، للشيخ ابن عثيمين- المكتبة الإسلامية، القاهرة، تحقيق صبحي رمضان وأم إسراء بيومي- الطبعة الأولى، 1427ه. بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام، لابن حجر، دار القبس للنشر والتوزيع، الرياض - المملكة العربية السعودية، الطبعة الأولى، 1435هـ - 2014م.