Abu Dawud

Benefits and Issues:
➊ Although the previous scriptures—the Torah, the Psalms (Zabur), and the Gospel (Injil)—have undergone distortion, we nevertheless believe in their being revealed from Allah in a general sense.

➋ And it is also obligatory to show them respect and reverence. Disrespecting them is forbidden (haram).

Hadith Commentary:
From this hadith, the purpose of the chapter is derived in this way: the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not know the Hebrew language, yet when he ordered that the Torah be brought and recited, it is as if he permitted translation.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not know the Hebrew language, yet he ordered them to bring the Torah, and it was in the Hebrew language. Thus, it is as if he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam permitted them to translate the Word of Allah into the Arabic language.
Now, there are two possibilities:
One is that the person reading the Torah would recite it in Hebrew, then translate it into Arabic. In this case, the meaning of placing the hand over the verse of stoning was that those among the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum ajma'in who knew the Hebrew language would not be able to find out that the command of stoning was present in the Torah.
The second possibility is that he would read it in the Arabic language.
In this case, the hand was placed over the verse of stoning in order to conceal this ruling from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Ultimately, this deception was uncovered, and both the man and woman who had committed adultery were stoned.
2.
The purpose of Imam Bukhari rahimahullah is to clarify that there is a difference between the translation and the original: the original is the Speech of Allah, while the translation is a human effort and the act of a servant.
The acts of the servants are created by Allah Ta'ala, whereas the belief of the Mu'tazilah is that the servants themselves are the creators of their own acts.

Chapter of Sahih Bukhari Hadith No. 7332: «بَابُ مَا ذَكَرَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَحَضَّ عَلَى اتِّفَاقِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ:»
Relevance between the Chapter and the Hadith:
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah established the chapter heading to prove several issues, which consist of multiple parts. For example: the statement of consensus among the scholars of Makkah and Madinah, the mention of the blessed places of the Muhajirun and Ansar, the place where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam prayed and its being blessed, likewise the mention of the blessed grave of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the mention of his pulpit, and so on.

Through this single chapter, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah intends to resolve several issues, to which he alluded through the ahadith presented under the chapter. He presented about twenty-four ahadith under the chapter, each of which is related to the chapter in part or in a few aspects, but no single hadith is completely relevant to the chapter in its entirety. In reality, what Imam Bukhari rahimahullah wants to establish is that the report of the people of Madinah is reliable because they witnessed the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, such as the Muhajirun and Ansar, and those who witnessed the pulpit and grave of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, whom Imam Bukhari rahimahullah mentioned in the chapter; all these things are intended. The relevance of the hadith of Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah radi Allahu anhu to the chapter is from the aspect that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned the virtue of Madinah, that Madinah is superior to all cities, where evil people cannot remain; even the people there, including the scholars, will be good. However, this virtue was specific to the lifetime of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah writes:
«قال ابن بطال عن المهلب: فيه تفضيل المدينة على غيرها بما خصها الله به من أنها تنفي الخبث، و رتب على ذالك القول بحجية إجماع أهل المدينة، و تعقب بقول ابن عبدالبر أن الحديث دال على فضل المدينة، و لكن ليس الوصف المذكور لها فى جميع الأزمنه، بل هو خاص بزمن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم لأنه لم يكن يخرج منها رغبة من الإقامة معه إلا من لا خير فيه.» [فتح الباري لابن حجر : 261/14]
"Ibn Battal rahimahullah narrates from Muhallab rahimahullah that this hadith shows the superiority of Madinah over other regions, along with the special distinction Allah Ta'ala granted it, that Madinah repels filth. Upon this, the statement of the authority of the people of Madinah is based. The answer to this is given by Ibn Abd al-Barr rahimahullah, who says that the hadith does indicate the virtue of Madinah, but this described quality is not general for all times; rather, it is specific to the era of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, because only a person devoid of goodness would turn away from residing there during his presence."
From these excerpts of Allamah Muhallab rahimahullah, the relevance between the chapter and the hadith is also understood, and at the same time, a certain issue is clarified. The connection of the hadith to the chapter is that the aforementioned hadith gives virtue to Madinah Munawwarah, which matches one part of the chapter.

As for the practice of the people of Madinah, we will, inshaAllah, discuss this in detail in the benefit section at the end of this chapter. The second hadith, which is narrated from Sa'ib bin Yazid, is relevant to the chapter in the following way, as mentioned in Fath al-Bari:
«ومناسة هذا الحديث للترجمة أن قدر الصاع مما اجتمع عليه أهل الحرمين بعد العهد النبوي و استمر، فلما ذار بنو أمية فى الصاع لم يتركوا اعتبار الصاع النبوي.» [فتح الباري لابن حجر : 263/14]
"The relevance of the hadith to the chapter heading is that the measure of the sa' remained as it was upon which the people of the two Harams agreed during the Prophetic era. So when Banu Umayyah increased the sa', even then, the sa' of the Prophetic era was not abandoned (rather, it remained in effect)."
Therefore, in light of these details, the aspect of relevance between the chapter and the hadith is that during the era of Umar bin Abd al-Aziz rahimahullah, the measure of the sa' may have increased, but in the legal rulings, such as zakat al-fitr, etc., the same sa' will be considered as was in the time of the people of Madinah and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

The hadith narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma is relevant to the chapter in that the place near the mosque where he was stoned is historically blessed, because the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would often perform funeral prayers at that place. Therefore, the blessedness of that place is established from here, and thus the relevance to a part of the chapter is also established. [ارشاد الساري : 89/12], [عمدة القاري للعيني : 88/25]
Benefit:
Is every practice of the people of Madinah authoritative (hujjah)?
Some people claim that the practice of the people of Madinah is absolutely authoritative, whereas this is questionable. In fact, even according to Imam Malik rahimahullah, this was not a relied-upon position. For Imam Malik rahimahullah, the real importance was always given to the Qur'an and hadith. An incident clearly proves this: When Harun al-Rashid offered Imam Malik rahimahullah to make his Muwatta the law of the land, it is written:
«انه شاور مالكا فى أن يعلق الموطأ فى الكعبة، و يحمل الناس على ما فيه، فقال: لا تفعل، فان أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم اختلفوا فى الفروع، و تفرقوا فى البلدان، و كل سنة مضت، قال: وفقك الله يا أبا عبدالله.» [حجة الله البالغه : 116/1], [مفتاح السعادة 87/2]
"The caliph Harun al-Rashid consulted Imam Malik rahimahullah about making the Muwatta the law of the land and hanging it in the Ka'bah so that people would be compelled to follow it. Imam Malik rahimahullah replied: The Companions radi Allahu anhum differed in subsidiary matters and spread to different lands; whatever is transmitted from them is all Sunnah. Harun understood the matter and said: May Allah grant you success in goodness."
From this, it is clear that Imam Malik rahimahullah did not consider the practice of Madinah to be absolutely authoritative, but rather regarded the hadith of every Companion as religion.

Imam Ibn Hazm rahimahullah, in his book «الأحكام فى أصول الأحكام», has also discussed this issue in detail, the summary of which is that it is impermissible to consider only the people of Madinah as those possessing knowledge of the Sunnah. Allamah Ibn Hazm rahimahullah writes:
«و أما قولهم: إن أهل المدينة أعلم بأحكام رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ممن سواهم، فهو كزب و باطل، و إنما الحق أن أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم و هم العالمون بأحكامه سواء بقي منهم من بقي بالمدينة أو خرج منهم من خرج.» [الاحكام فى اصول الاحكام : 684/4]
"And their statement that the people of Madinah knew the rulings of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam more than others is a lie and falsehood. Therefore, the correct and true position is that all the Companions radi Allahu anhum knew the rulings of the religion, whether they remained in Madinah or migrated from there."

Allamah Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullah, discussing the official status of the Muwatta, writes:
«وهذا يدل على أن عمل أهل المدينة ليس عنده حجة لازمة لجميع الأمة . . . . .» [اعلام الموقعين : 297/2]
"This indicates that the practice of the people of Madinah is not authoritative, nor is it necessary for the entire Ummah to accept it. And the claim that (the practice of the people of Madinah is authoritative) was neither made by Imam Malik rahimahullah in the Muwatta nor anywhere else; rather, it is merely the expression of an incident."
Therefore, to say that the practice of the people of Madinah is absolutely authoritative for the entire Ummah is completely wrong and false; in fact, the majority are opposed to this. The author of Fiqh al-Islam has said very well, he writes:
"The majority believe that Madinah has no special status over other cities in practice. In times of disagreement, following the Sunnah is the real thing. The statement of one scholar is not authoritative over another. The Companions radi Allahu anhum spread to different lands; all were people of knowledge. The real thing is the Sunnah. The knowledge of any city cannot be made the basis of legislation." [فقه الاسلام از شيخ احمد : ص 170]
In fact, if considered carefully, even according to Imam Malik rahimahullah, the practice of the people of Madinah was not authoritative, because he presented in his Muwatta such narrations that are contrary to the practice of the people of Madinah. Another strong proof is that he was asked:
«عمن أخذ بحديث حدثه ثقة عن أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أتراه من ذالك فى سعة؟ فقال: لا والله يصيب الحق، و ما الحق الا واحد، قولان مختلفان يكونان صوابًا جميعًا؟ و ما الحق و الصواب الا واحد.» [جامع بيان العلم وفضله عن اشهب : 102/2]
"From whom should hadith be taken? He rahimahullah replied: From one who is trustworthy and narrates from the Companions of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Then he was asked: Is there any leeway in this matter according to you? He rahimahullah, denying, replied: No! By Allah, there is not, until the truth is reached, and the truth is only one. Can two differing statements both be correct? No, the truth and correctness can only be one."

Allamah Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullah, shedding light on this issue regarding the affairs of the people of Madinah after the Companions radi Allahu anhum and the Rightly Guided Caliphs, comments:
"The practice of the people of Madinah was according to the ruling of «محتسبين» over the muftis, rulers, and markets. The subjects could not oppose these people. So if a mufti gave a fatwa, the governor would enforce it, and the market inspector would act accordingly. Thus, that fatwa would become the norm. But this is not worthy of consideration; rather, the actions of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and his caliphs and Companions radi Allahu anhum are the Sunnah. Therefore, one should not confuse one of these two things with the other. Thus, in our view, giving judgment based on this practice is even more severe, and if the other thing (the practice of the later people of Madinah) is contrary to the Sunnah, it is most deserving of being abandoned."

Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan Bhopali rahimahullah, commenting on this issue, writes:
"The practice of the people of Madinah, contrary to any authentic hadith, is not authoritative, just as it is not for Imam Malik rahimahullah and his followers, because they too are only a part of the Ummah (i.e., not the whole). Therefore, it is possible that the authentic report did not reach them." [حصول المامول من علم الاصول : ص 59]
The sum of all this discussion is that the only criterion will be the Prophetic Sunnah. Any practice contrary to it—whether of the people of Madinah, Kufa, Basra, Sham, Yemen, Egypt, Damascus, or, hypothetically, any well-known or unknown scholarly or non-scholarly city—can never be made the criterion.

Imam Shafi'i rahimahullah says:
«كيف أترك الخبر لأقوال أقوام لو عامرتهم لما حجتهم بالحديث .» [الاحكام فى اصول الاحكام للامدی : 165/2]
"How can I abandon the report (i.e., the hadith of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) for statements? If I had been among those people, I would have debated with them about the authority of the hadith."
So the only criterion is the Qur'an and hadith; this is the sum of the discussion.

Hadith Commentary:
The relevance of this chapter is as follows: this location near the mosque is also historically blessed, because the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would often lead the funeral prayer (salat al-janazah) at this very place.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has narrated this hadith with extreme brevity.
There are many details within it.
To learn about them, refer to Kitab al-Hudud, Hadith: 6841.
2.
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s purpose is to show that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to lead the funeral prayer at the mentioned place near the mosque, and for this reason, it holds historical significance.

Sahih Bukhari Hadith Number: 6819, Chapter: «بَابُ الرَّجْمِ فِي الْبَلاَطِ:»
Relevance between the Chapter and the Hadith:
Apparently, the word «بلاط» appears both in the chapter heading and in the hadith. However, a problem arises regarding the relevance between the chapter title and the hadith. Ibn Battal rahimahullah writes:
«البلاط و غيره فى ذالك سواء.»
“What is the difference between balāt and non-balāt?”
In reality, balāt also refers to a place that is paved, constructed from stones and bricks, and specifically, balāt refers to a well-known place near the door of the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid Nabawi) where a floor was made by laying down stones. Other ahadith in Sahih Bukhari also indicate this. Imam Bukhari rahimahullah stated in Kitab al-Mazalim:
«عَنْ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللّٰهِ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمَا، قَالَ: دَخَلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمَسْجِدَ، فَدَخَلْتُ إِلَيْهِ وَعَقَلْتُ الْجَمَلَ فِي نَاحِيَةِ الْبَلَاطِ، فَقُلْتُ: . . . . .» (1)
He mentioned another hadith in Kitab al-Jihad, the wording of which is as follows:
«عَنْ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللّٰهِ الْأَنْصَارِيَّ . . . . . فَدَخَلْتُ إِلَيْهِ، وَعَقَلْتُ الْجَمَلَ فِي نَاحِيَةِ الْبَلَاطِ.» (2)
Ibn Athir rahimahullah, while discussing balāt, writes:
«البلاط ضرب من الحجارة تفرش به الأرض، ثم سمى المكان بلاطًا اتساعًا، و هو موضع معروف بالمدينة.» (3)
From these excerpts of Ibn Athir rahimahullah, it is understood that “balāt” refers to a floor made from stones and bricks, and later this name became well-known for a stone-paved floor in front of Masjid Nabawi.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani rahimahullah, while discussing this point in detail, writes:
«في رواية المستملي ”بالبلاط“ بالموحدة بدل ”في“ ففهم منه بعضهم أنه يريد أن الآلة التى يرجم بها تجوز بكل شيئي حتي بالبلاط.» (4)
“In the manuscript of Mustamli, it is «بالبلاط», from which some have understood that what is meant is the tool with which the stoning (rajm) is carried out, i.e., it is permissible to perform rajm with anything, even with balāt. This refers to those stones and bricks, etc., with which houses, floors, etc., are constructed.”
From these discussions, it is understood that the word «بلاط» means both a specific place near Masjid Nabawi and is also used in a general sense, as discussed in the previous lines. Ibn Battal rahimahullah’s objection is: what is the difference between balāt and non-balāt? Responding to this problem, Ibn al-Munir rahimahullah writes:
«و يحتمل عندى فائدتين تقصران: إحداهما أن نبّه على أن الرجم لا يختص بماكن مخصوص لأنه مرة رجم بالبلاط و مرة بالمصلي، و هو الحديث الذى ترجم عليه يلي هذه الترجمة.» (1)
“That is, presenting the chapter heading to Ibn Battal became a cause of confusion. In my view, the possible reason for the chapter heading is that there are two benefits in it. One of them is that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah wants to establish through the chapter heading that there is no specific place designated for rajm (stoning); sometimes the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had rajm carried out at the place of balāt, and sometimes at the place of musalla (as will be evident from the following chapter).”
That is, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s inclination is that rajm can be carried out at any place. By using the word “balāt,” Imam Bukhari rahimahullah intended the general meaning, because “balāt” is well-known and used in both senses.
This humble and insignificant servant says that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s objective may also be that for the punishment of zina (fornication/adultery), public disclosure and announcement are necessary, because the hadith under «باب من أمر بضرب الحد فى البيت» pertains to the hadd (legal punishment) for drinking, as Allah Ta’ala says: «﴿وَلْيَشْهَدْ عَذَابَهُمَا طَائِفَةٌ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾» [النور : 2] From this verse, the necessity of public disclosure and announcement is clearly established. Therefore, in this chapter, it is intended to clarify that for the punishment of zina, wherever the punishment is carried out, it should be at a place where the principle is not violated that «﴿وَلْيَشْهَدْ عَذَابَهُمَا طَائِفَةٌ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾» [النور : 2] “And a group of the believers should be present at their punishment.”

Hadith Commentary:
It is established that in a Muslim state, the judgments concerning Jews and Christians will be made according to their own religious law, provided that these are in accordance with Islam.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
In front of the door of the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid Nabawi) there was an open area extending up to the marketplace, upon which stones and the like were laid.
This place was called Balat.
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s purpose here is to show that there was no specific place designated for carrying out the punishment of stoning (rajm); rather, sometimes the adulterer would be stoned in the Eid prayer ground (musalla), and at other times he would be executed by stoning at the place called Balat.
It is also possible that there is no need to dig a pit for stoning (rajm), and that it can be carried out without it, because at the place of Balat it was not possible to dig a pit.
From this, it is also established that the ruling for the mosque and its surrounding areas is not the same, because Balat was a place near the mosque but did not share the mosque’s ruling, as the stoning was carried out at this location and not inside the mosque.

(2)
Some scholars have interpreted Balat to mean the stones with which the adulterer is stoned and executed; this meaning is far-fetched, because at the end of the hadith it is mentioned that the Jewish couple was stoned near Balat.
In any case, what is meant is not the stones themselves, but rather the place where stones were laid out.
(Fath al-Bari: 12/157)

Hadith Commentary:
It was the dishonesty of the Jewish scholars that they acted arbitrarily and altered the rulings of the Torah.
An example of this is mentioned in the above narration.
Some among the jurists of Islam have also behaved in such a way that they authored the book "Kitab al-Hiyal" (Book of Legal Stratagems), in which many such stratagems were taught for altering the rulings of the Shari'ah.
Especially, the people of innovation (Ahl al-Bid‘ah) have, through various stratagems and references, made all kinds of prohibitions permissible.
Dancing, singing, calling upon other than Allah, reciting litanies with their names—what evil act is there that the people of innovation have not declared permissible?
These are the very people who deserve to be called imitators of the Christians and Jews.
The meaning of "rajm" is to kill by crushing with stones.
Even today, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia—may Allah preserve it—Qur’anic laws are in effect.
May Allah support it.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
To nullify and conceal the legal rulings of the Shari‘ah is a characteristic of the Jews.
The ruling of stoning (rajm) was also established in the previous Mosaic law, but the later people suspended and abandoned it due to some expediency.
A similar incident is also transmitted in the hadiths: It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ bin ‘Azib radi Allahu anhu that he said: People passed by the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam with a Jew whose face had been blackened, and they were parading him around.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam asked them under oath:
“What is the prescribed punishment for adultery in your Book?” They shifted the matter onto one of their men to answer.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam asked him under oath:
“What is the prescribed punishment for adultery in your Book?” He said:
“It is stoning (rajm), but when adultery became widespread among our nobles, we considered it inappropriate to leave the influential unpunished and enforce the punishment only on the poor, so we abandoned it.” Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam ordered that he be stoned, and then he said:
“O Allah! I am the first to revive Your Book’s command which they had caused to die.”
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hudud, Hadith: 4447)
In another narration:
Then we said:
“Let us agree upon something that we can enforce upon both the influential and the weak,” so we agreed upon blackening the face and public humiliation, and abandoned stoning (rajm).
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hudud, Hadith: 4448)
2.
In any case, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave the verdict of stoning (rajm) according to the command revealed by Allah Ta‘ala, and by having the Torah brought, he established the proof against them so that Allah’s command—which they had concealed—would be revived.
(‘Umdat al-Qari: 12/500)

Hadith Commentary:
It had become a common practice among the Jews to distort (the scriptures) in this manner.
Alas, this evil has also emerged within the Muslim Ummah.
Except for whom Allah wills.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
From this hadith, it is understood that when a dhimmi (non-Muslim under Muslim protection) turns to the Muslims for judgment, the Muslims are obliged to judge according to their own Shariah (Islamic law). The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) asked them about the ruling in the Torah so that, by establishing proof against them, he could silence them. The following incident further clarifies this:

It is narrated from al-Bara’ ibn Azib (radi Allahu anhu) that he said: A Jew was brought before the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) whose face had been blackened and who had been flogged. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) summoned the Jews and asked them: “Do you find this as the punishment for adultery in your Book?” They said: “Yes.” Then he called one of their scholars and said to him: “I adjure you by Allah, Who revealed the Torah to Musa (alayhis salam)! Tell me, do you find this as the punishment for adultery in your Book?” He replied: “No, and if you had not adjured me by Allah, I would not have informed you of the truth. The fact is, we do find the punishment of stoning (rajm) in the Torah, but when adultery became widespread among our nobles, if we caught a noble, we would let him go, and if we caught a weak person, we would carry out the prescribed punishment on him. Then we said among ourselves: Let us agree on a punishment that we can enforce on both the noble and the lowly alike. So we instituted flogging and blackening of the face.”

Upon this, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “O Allah! I am the first to revive Your command after they had made it dead.” Then he ordered that the man be stoned, and so he was stoned. Then this verse was revealed: “O Messenger! Let not those grieve you who vie with one another in disbelief...” (al-Ma’idah: 5:41) The Jews used to say: Go to Muhammad; if he gives you the ruling of blackening the face and flogging, accept it, but if he gives the verdict of stoning, avoid it. (Sahih Muslim, al-Hudud, Hadith: 4440(1700))

(2)
According to the guidance of the Noble Qur’an, we have the choice whether or not to judge in the disputes of the Jews, but if we do judge, then we must fulfill the requirements of justice and fairness and give an impartial verdict.

And Allah knows best.

Relevance Between the Chapter and the Hadith
The Chapter of Sahih Bukhari: «بَابُ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: {يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ وَإِنَّ فَرِيقًا مِنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ} :»
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has mentioned in the chapter heading the blessed verses of the Noble Qur’an in which it is established that the People of the Book had knowledge of and recognized the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. However, the hadith mentioned under this chapter does not describe the characteristics of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, but rather presents a narration regarding stoning (rajm). Therefore, apparently, there seems to be no direct relevance between the chapter heading and the hadith.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah, while establishing the relevance, states:
«دخول هذه الترجمة فى أبواب علامات النبوة من جهة أنه أشار فى الحديث الي حكم التوراة وهو امي لم يقرأ التوراة قبل ذالك فكان الأمر كما أشار اليه» [فتح الباري لابن حجر : 546/7]
The purpose of including this chapter heading under the section “Signs of Prophethood” is that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam pointed towards the Torah (asking: What is the ruling of stoning in the Torah?), even though the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not know how to read, nor had he ever read the Torah before. Thus, the Prophet’s sallallahu alayhi wa sallam pointing towards the Torah aligns with the signs of prophethood.
From Hafiz Ibn Hajar’s answer, the relevance of the hadith to “Signs of Prophethood” is established, but the connection with the chapter heading still does not become clear. Allamah Ayni rahimahullah has also given a similar explanation. He writes:
«من جهة أنه أشار فى الحديث الي حكم التوراة، والنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم سألهم عما فى التوراة فى حكم من زني، والحال أنه لم يقرأ التوراة ولا وقف عليها قبل ذالك، فظهر الامر كما أشار اليه، وهو ايضا من أعظم علامات النبوة .» [عمدة القاري للعيني : 242/16]
“The relevance of the hadith is from the aspect that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, in his hadith, pointed towards the ruling of the Torah and asked them about the punishment for adultery in the Torah. At that time, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam neither knew how to read the Torah nor had he ever read it before. Thus, it became evident (from this hadith) that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam pointed towards the verse of stoning that was present in the Torah, and this is a great sign of the Prophet’s sallallahu alayhi wa sallam prophethood.”
Even after these excerpts from Allamah Ayni rahimahullah, the issue remains unresolved, because the respected scholar mostly writes what Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah has written, with only slight differences in wording, as can be seen in the above quotations.
Therefore, Allamah Ayni rahimahullah also did not present any relevance from the chapter heading, but rather provided an application related to the Book of Prophethood, in the same manner as Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah did in Fath al-Bari.
With the help of Allah, this humble and insignificant servant says:
There is indeed a relevance between the chapter heading and the hadith, but it is very deep.
The Jews came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam with their issue, intending that whatever punishment the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would determine, they would oppose it and conceal the verse of stoning. The first relevance is that these people had already read in their book the signs of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, that he is “unlettered” (ummi). That is why they covered the verse of stoning in the Torah with their hand. Even today, the attribute of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam being “unlettered” is present in the Bible. The Bible says:
“Then the book will be given to one who is unlettered, saying, ‘Read this, please.’ And he will say, ‘I cannot read.’” [يسعياه : 14/29]
This phrase from the Bible still exists today and is a clear prophecy about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Indeed, the method of deduction used by Imam Bukhari rahimahullah is of the highest order, as he alludes to this attribute through the hadith, indicating that those people recognized the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and also knew that he was “unlettered.” That is why the Jews, when they came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, concealed the verse of the Torah.
The second relevance between the chapter heading and the hadith is:
In the chapter heading, the verse that is quoted contains the words «يكتمون الحق . . . . . . . الآية», and the same meaning is present in the hadith—that they knew the punishment of stoning was present in the Torah and, despite knowing, they concealed it. Thus, the second part of the hadith is relevant to the chapter.
Therefore, the hadith has two parts: the first part is the attribute of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam being mentioned in the Torah as “unlettered,” and the second part is the Jews concealing the verses of stoning. Alhamdulillah, this humble servant has presented the application of both parts, with the help and guidance of Allah Ta’ala.

Benefit:
The Mention of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in the Present Bible
There are several detailed passages in the Bible regarding the mention and testimonies of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, which are the clearest evidence that the Bible itself establishes proof against the People of the Book. Our students must know that glad tidings of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam are present in other major religions as well, so that students can establish the proof of Islam upon the followers of other religions.
When the Christians posed seventeen questions to Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah, saying, “If you answer our objections, we will accept Islam,” Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah wrote a voluminous book in response to their objections and questions, named «الجواب الصحيح لمن بدل دين المسيح عليه السلام».
He rahimahullah answered each of their objections from multiple angles. Reflect: for just seventeen questions, he wrote a book of over a thousand pages... His distinguished student, Allamah Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullah, also wrote a book named «هداية الحياري فى اجوبة اليهود والنصاريٰ», in which he mentioned the prophecies of the coming of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. In addition, Allamah Qarafi rahimahullah wrote a separate book, «الاجوبة الفاخرة عن الأسلة الفاجرة», in which he mentioned fifty-one glad tidings regarding the coming of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam—a scholarly work of the highest order.
Furthermore, in Urdu, the book “Izhar al-Haqq” by Allamah Kiranwi rahimahullah is also an excellent work of this kind, in which he mentioned about twenty glad tidings regarding the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Respected readers, all these books provide the best scholarly material against Christianity, in response to their objections, and regarding the prophecies of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Exhaustiveness is not intended here; nevertheless, we will present a few passages from the Bible regarding the prophecies of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, so that our readers, especially our students, can memorize these references and use them to invite Christians to Islam, inshaAllah!

Prophecies of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in the Present Bible
➊ In the Gospel of John:
“And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’ And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ Are you that Prophet? He answered, ‘No.’”
(Are you that Prophet?)—these words are noteworthy...
Reflect on this phrase: when the priest was asked, “Who are you? Are you the Messiah? Or Elijah?” he replied in the negative. But when it was alluded to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, it was simply asked, “Are you that Prophet?”—meaning, they recognized the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in such a way that even without mentioning his name, he was known to them. The remarkable and interesting point is that various people have written commentaries on the Bible, but none have explained this part of the phrase, “Are you that Prophet?” because explaining it would expose the conspiracy of the Christians and Jews to the people.

➋ The Second Glad Tiding about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in the Bible:
“And he said: The Lord came from Sinai, and dawned upon them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, and came with ten thousand holy ones; at His right hand was a fiery law for them.” [استثناء : 1،2،3/33]
The Lord coming from Sinai refers to the appearance of Allah’s religion and the proclamation of His oneness, as Allah revealed to Musa alayhis salam there. The mountain of Seir refers to the mountain in Argentina from which the religion of Isa alayhis salam appeared, and Paran refers to the Mount of Light (Jabal al-Noor) in Makkah, where the revelation to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam began. The ten thousand holy ones refer to the devoted Companions radi Allahu anhum of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, who were ten thousand in number on the day of the conquest of Makkah. This prophecy was fulfilled exactly in the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, but it was enough to expose the conspiracy of the Christian scholars, so they altered the Bible and changed “ten thousand” to “millions,” which is clear evidence of the Bible’s distortion.

➌ The Third Glad Tiding:
“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Paraclete, to be with you forever.” [يوحنا : 16/14]
Paraclete is a blessed name in the Greek language, whose Arabic translation is “Ahmad,” as Allah Ta’ala says:
«وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ ۖ» [الصف : سورة 6، آية 61]
“And when Isa alayhis salam, son of Maryam, said: O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah to you, confirming what came before me of the Torah, and bringing good news of a Messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad.”

Respected readers, in the Bible, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is especially given glad tidings by the name “Paraclete.”

➍ The Fourth Glad Tiding:
“And the Lord said to me: What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to My words that he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.” [استثناء : 18،19/18]
The prophecy in the Book of Deuteronomy applies one hundred percent to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, because in the mentioned phrase, Musa alayhis salam was told: The Prophet whom I will send will be like you...
And we know that there are many similarities between the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and Musa alayhis salam, for example:
➊ Musa alayhis salam migrated... The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam also migrated.
➋ Musa alayhis salam married... The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam also married.
➌ Musa alayhis salam had a companion... The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam also had a companion, Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu.
➍ Musa alayhis salam was affected by magic... The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was also affected by magic.
➎ Musa alayhis salam was born naturally... The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was also born naturally.
➏ Musa alayhis salam died a natural death... The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam also died a natural death.
➐ Musa alayhis salam established the legal punishments (hudud)... The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam also established the legal punishments.
In short, there are many similarities between the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and Musa alayhis salam, but these similarities do not fully apply to Isa alayhis salam. Therefore, the one about whom the prophecy is made refers to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

➎ The Fifth Glad Tiding:
In the Gospel of John:
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak; and he will tell you things to come.” [يوحنا 12،14/16]
This prophecy applies exactly to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. In this phrase, there are clear signs of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:
➊ The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is called the Spirit.
➋ The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is the one who guides to the truth.
➌ The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam does not speak from himself.
➍ The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gives true news of the future.
All these attributes are present in the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. He is indeed the Spirit of Truth, because after Isa alayhis salam, if anyone gave true and heavenly news, it was the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. As Isa alayhis salam says at the beginning of the phrase, “He will guide you to the path of truth.” In the Qur’an, it is clearly stated about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:
«وانك لتهدي الى صراط مستقيم .» [الشوريٰ : 52/42]
“Indeed, you (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) are guiding to the straight path.”
The Qur’an affirms the phrase from the Bible that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam calls people to the path of truth. Consider the third glad tiding in the phrase: “He will not speak from himself; whatever he hears, he will speak.” This phrase also applies to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, as affirmed by the verse of the Qur’an, where Allah Ta’ala says:
«وما ينطق عن الهوٰي . اِن هوَ اِلاّ وَحي يوحيٰ .» [النجم : 3،4/53]
“And he does not speak from [his own] desire. It is but a revelation revealed.”
Therefore, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not say anything from himself; whatever Jibril alayhis salam brought as revelation, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam conveyed it to his Ummah.
Consider the fourth sign in the phrase from Deuteronomy: that Prophet will give news of the future...
In the Qur’an and the hadiths of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the prophecies made by the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam until the Day of Judgment are found in countless places. According to our limited study, about eighty percent of the prophecies given to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam have already been fulfilled, and of the remaining twenty percent, ten percent are becoming apparent, and the rest will be fulfilled by Allah Ta’ala until the Day of Judgment. That is, these prophecies will, inshaAllah, be fulfilled until the Day of Judgment. The types of prophecies of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam are the major and minor signs; indeed, the minor signs have almost all been fulfilled, and the major signs are also nearing their end... Therefore, this is not the place for detail, otherwise much could be written about the prophecies of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. For details, one should carefully read the chapters of “Kitab al-Fitan” and “Signs of the Hour” in the books of hadith.
The summary of all this discussion is that even today, prophecies regarding the coming of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam are present in the Bible, which are a proof against the Christians and their scholars.

Hadith Commentary:

Abdullah bin Salam radi Allahu anhu was a great scholar among the Jews, whom the Jews held in high esteem. However, when he became Muslim, the Jews began to speak ill of him. He holds a lofty status in Islam.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
This hadith is a proof of prophethood, as the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had not read the Torah, nor did he have any familiarity with it before this incident. Despite this, he indicated the ruling of the Torah and, according to his indication, the ruling of stoning (rajm) was revealed in the Torah.
This is among the greatest evidences of the signs of prophethood.

➋
In reality, the Jews had agreed among themselves to go to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and seek a verdict regarding the adulterer and adulteress.
If he decreed stoning (rajm), they would outright reject it, and if he decreed flogging, they would accept it.
If Allah, the Exalted, were to question them on the Day of Resurrection about sufficing with flogging, they would say: “We judged according to the command of Your Prophet of the last era.”
From this, it is evident that the Jews were well aware that he was indeed a true Prophet, and there was not the slightest doubt about it.
The statement of Allah, the Exalted, is:
﴿فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُم مَّا عَرَفُوا كَفَرُوا بِهِ﴾ “When there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it.” ()
They had recognized him well due to the signs found in the Torah, but they rejected him merely out of stubbornness, just as the Qur’an has explicitly stated regarding Musa (alayhis salam).
The statement of Allah, the Exalted, is:
﴿وَجَحَدُوا بِهَا وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَا أَنفُسُهُمْ ظُلْمًا وَعُلُوًّا ۚ﴾ “And they rejected them, though their souls were convinced thereof, out of injustice and arrogance.” (that Musa is truthful) ()

Benefits and Issues:
Relevance between the Chapter and the Hadith:
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah indicated in the chapter that the funeral prayer (salat al-janazah) is permissible both at the Eid ground (musalla) and in the mosque. However, the hadith he presented as evidence is about stoning, where two adulterers were stoned near the mosque. There are very subtle aspects of correspondence in this. Consider the first point: the ruling for the Eid ground and the mosque is the same.

◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah says:
«لم يتعرض المصنف لكون الميت بالمصلي أو لأن المصلي عليه كان غائبًا وألحق حكم المصلي بالمسجد بدليل ما تقدم فى العيدين وفي الحيض من حديث أم عطية . . .» [فتح الباري، ج4، ص173]
That is, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah did not mention the deceased being at the Eid ground because the deceased was not present there, but rather absent, and the ruling of the Eid ground is attached to that of the mosque, along with the hadith of Umm Atiyyah that menstruating women should stay away from the Eid ground. So this is evidence that the ruling of the mosque and the Eid ground is the same; whatever must be avoided in the mosque must also be avoided in the Eid ground.
After the above hadith, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah clearly presented a hadith that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam led the prayer at the Eid ground. Therefore, if prayer can be performed at the Eid ground, why can the funeral prayer not be performed in the mosque?
As for the hadith of Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma regarding the command of stoning, its relevance to the chapter is that both the man and woman were stoned near the funeral prayer area, which was inside the Prophet’s Mosque. From here, the correspondence becomes apparent, and the permissibility is established from the chapter. Therefore, the funeral prayer that used to be performed would have been in the mosque, and this is the relevance of the hadith to the chapter heading. In the books of hadith, it is clearly established that the Companions radi Allahu anhum performed the funeral prayer in the mosque.

◈ Imam Abdullah Salim al-Basri rahimahullah writes:
«وقد روي ابن ابي شيبه وغيره : أن عمر صلى على ابن بكر فى المسجد، وأن صهيبًا صلى على عمر فى المسجد وزاد فى روايته : ووضعت الجنازة فى المسجد تجاه المنبر، وهذا يقتضي الاجماع على جواز ذالك» [ضياء الساري، ج11، ص453]
That is, Ibn Abi Shaybah and others have narrated that Sayyiduna Umar radi Allahu anhu performed the funeral prayer of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu in the mosque, and the funeral prayer of Umar radi Allahu anhu was performed in the mosque by Sayyiduna Suhayb radi Allahu anhu. In another narration, it is mentioned that the funeral was placed in front of the pulpit in the mosque, and this is a consensus-based indication of its permissibility.

Benefit:
It is permissible, without dislike, to perform the funeral prayer in the mosque, for which the clear evidence is the hadith of Umm al-Mu’minin Aisha radi Allahu anha. She said:
«لما توفي سعد بن ابي وقاص دخلوا به المسجد حتي اصلي عليه فانكروا ذالك عليها فقالت والله لقد صلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم على ابني بيضاء فى المسجد سهيل وأخيه رواه مسلم وفي رواية ما صلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم على سهيل بن أبيضاء إلا فى جوف المسجد .» [رواه الجماعة إلّا البخاري]
Regarding the funeral of Sa’d radi Allahu anhu, she said: “Bring him into the mosque so that I may also perform the funeral prayer over him.” When people objected to this, she said: “By Allah, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed the funeral prayer in the mosque over the two sons of Bayda’, Suhayl and his brother.” In another narration, it is explicitly stated that their funeral prayer was performed in the middle of the mosque.

◈ Imam Shawkani rahimahullah writes:
«والحديث يدل على جواز ادخال الميت فى المسجد والصلاة عليه فيه وبه قال الشافعي وأحمد وإسحاق والجمهور» “The hadith indicates that it is permissible to perform the funeral prayer in the mosque and to bring the funeral into the mosque. This is also the view of Imam Shafi’i rahimahullah, Imam Ahmad rahimahullah, Ishaq, and the majority.”
As for the issue of whether the deceased is pure or impure, it is clearly stated in Sahih Muslim in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that a Muslim is not impure. Therefore, a believer is not impure, whether alive or dead. The sons of Bayda’ were three brothers: Sahl, Suhayl, and Safwan. Their mother was described as Bayda’, and her name was Ra’d, and their father’s name was Wahb ibn Rabi’ah al-Qurashi al-Fihri.

◈ The author of Mir’at, Ubaydullah Mubarakpuri rahimahullah, says:
“The truth is that performing the funeral prayer in the mosque is permissible without dislike, but it is preferable to perform it outside the mosque, because most of the time the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed it at the Eid ground.” For details, see Mir’at al-Mafatih.

◈ Ibn al-Mulaqqin rahimahullah says:
“According to Imam Shafi’i rahimahullah, performing the funeral prayer in the mosque is permissible without dislike, rather it is recommended, as Imam Mawardi has explicitly stated.” [التوضيح، ج10، ص11، روضة الطالبين : 131/2، الحاوي : 50/3]

◈ Ibn al-‘Arabi al-Maliki rahimahullah says:
“Without doubt, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed the funeral prayer over the deceased in the mosque.” [التوضيح، ج10، ص12]

An Objection and Its Answer:
❀ It is narrated marfu‘an from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu that whoever performs the funeral prayer in the mosque, then there is nothing for him. [ابوداؤد : 3191]
◈ Imam Khattabi rahimahullah has declared this narration weak. [معالم السنن : 272/1]
◈ This is also the statement of Ahmad ibn Hanbal rahimahullah. [المسائل برواية عبدالله، ص146]
◈ Ibn Hibban rahimahullah said: “This report is false about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and how can this report be authentic when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself performed the funeral prayer over Suhayl radi Allahu anhu in the mosque?” [المجروين : 262/1]
❀ In Ibn Majah, the words are «فليس عليه شيئ», and in Sharh al-Sunnah, the words are «فلا اجر له», and the correct wording is «لا شيئ له», meaning there is no sin upon him. See: [الأحكام الوسطيٰ، ج2، ص141]

◈ Imam Abu ‘Umar says:
«والصلاة فى المسجد قول جمهور أهل العلم، وهى السنة المحمول بها فى الخليفتين . . .» [الاستذكار لابن عبدالبر، ج8، ص 272۔ 273]
“Performing the funeral prayer in the mosque is permissible; this is the view of the majority of scholars, and it is also the Sunnah, because both caliphs (Abu Bakr and Umar radi Allahu anhuma) acted upon it.”

◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah, after quoting the action of the two Shaykhs, says:
«وهذا يقتضي الاجماع على جواز ذالك» That is, the action of the Companions radi Allahu anhum in performing the funeral prayer of the caliphs in the mosque indicates that performing the funeral prayer in the mosque is unanimously permissible.
Therefore, from these quotations it is clear that the hadith in which the words «فلا اجر له» etc. appear is not correct, and the one in which it is said “there is nothing for him,” the meaning here is that there is no sin upon him... because it can never be that an action performed by the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is devoid of reward.

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
The literal meaning of "ihsan" (احصان):
The original meaning of "ihsan" is to prevent.
Woman,
Islam,
Chastity,
A woman is considered "muhsanah" (محصنہ) due to freedom and marriage.
Imam Tha‘lab said:
Every chaste woman is a muhsanah, and every married woman is a muhsanah.
A pregnant woman is also called muhsanah,
because pregnancy has prevented her from relations.
When a man is married, he is a muhsan.
Imam Zajjaj said: A man's ihsan is his being married and chaste, and the meaning of ﴿الُمحْصَنٰتُ مِنَ النِّسَاء﴾ is:
Married women.
(Taj al-‘Arus,
vol. 9,
p. 179,
Matba‘ah Khayriyyah, Egypt.)

Benefits and Issues:
The adulterous couple was from the people of Fadak, and the people there sent them to the Jews of Madinah for this purpose: that they should take them to the Last Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,
because there is leniency and ease in his Shari‘ah,
so if he gives a punishment less than stoning, accept it,
so that we can say before Allah that this was the decision of one of Your Prophets.
Therefore, some people from Banu Qurayzah and Banu Nadir who had remained behind came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,
and he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam took them to their school,
where they used to read the Torah, and the Torah was brought.
He said to that scholar named ‘Abdullah bin Suriya,
"Read the Torah."
He, even in the presence of ‘Abdullah bin Salam radi Allahu anhu, who was previously a great Jewish scholar,
did not refrain from deceit and dishonesty.
From this, it can be understood how deceitful and dishonest this nation is.
This incident occurred in 8 AH.
From this hadith, the Shafi‘is and Hanbalis have deduced that for stoning a married person, being Muslim is not a condition.
Ahl al-Dhimmah (non-Muslim subjects of a Muslim state)
will be given the same punishment as Muslims, and this is correct,
because public law is equal for all.
But according to Imam Abu Hanifah, being Muslim is a condition for being muhsan;
a disbeliever is not a muhsan,
therefore he will not be stoned, and if a Muslim's wife is a dhimmi woman, then he will not be muhsan.
Imam Malik also holds that a disbeliever is not a muhsan,
but according to him, if a Muslim's wife is a dhimmi woman, then he will be muhsan.
(Mughni, vol. 12,
pp. 317–318)
And according to one opinion, Imam Ahmad also holds that the husband of a dhimmi woman, if he is Muslim,
will not be muhsan.
According to Imam Abu Hanifah, a married disbeliever will be flogged, and according to Imam Malik, he will be given a discretionary punishment (ta‘zir),
because the hadd is not applied to a disbeliever.
According to the Hanafis, the Jewish couple was given the punishment of stoning according to the ruling of the Torah,
even though in the Noble Qur’an there is a clear address to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that if the People of the Book bring a case to you, then ﴿فَاحْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّـهُ﴾,
"Judge between them by what Allah has revealed,"
that is, judge among them according to your Shari‘ah.
Also, in the light of the Qur’an, disbelieving women are muhsanat,
because in Surah al-Nisa it is stated:
﴿وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ﴾ (Surah al-Nisa: 24)
"Married women are forbidden to you except those whom your right hands possess."
And according to the Ummah, in this verse, muhsanat unanimously means married women,
whether they are Muslim or disbeliever.
Therefore, through marriage, a person is considered muhsan (possessing ihsan),
whether he is a disbeliever or a Muslim, and for stoning, the required ihsan is that which is obtained through marriage.
Therefore, ‘Allamah Taqi has acknowledged that the position of the Hanbalis and Shafi‘is is strong.
(Takmilah, vol. 2, p. 474)

Explanation:
1:
The incident to which Imam Tirmidhi has alluded is as follows:
The Jews brought before the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam a man and a woman who had committed adultery.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam asked them:
What is the ruling regarding this in the Torah? Because in our law, the punishment for this is stoning (rajm).
They said:
The punishment is flogging,
or to blacken their faces and disgrace them publicly.
Abdullah ibn Salam radi Allahu anhu said:
You are lying,
there is also the ruling of stoning (rajm) in it.
Accordingly, the Torah was brought,
and it was recited, but the reciter concealed the verse of stoning and read the verses before and after it.
Then, at the suggestion of Abdullah ibn Salam, he lifted his hand, and the verse of stoning was present there.
Thus, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam ordered them to be stoned.

Benefits and Issues:
➊ To nullify or conceal the legal rulings of the Shariah is a characteristic of the Jews.

➋ The marriages of the People of the Book and other disbelievers are considered valid and sound; otherwise, they could not be regarded as married.

➌ The ruling of stoning (rajm) was also established in the previous Mosaic law, but later people suspended and abandoned it.

➍ It is not necessary to bind the one who is to be stoned.
(Khattabi)

Hadith Authentication: [وأخرجه البخاري 3635، 6841، ومسلم 27/1699، من حديث مالك به]
Jurisprudential Explanation:
➊ That which the opposing party accepts as evidence may rightly and justly be presented against them.
➋ Stoning (rajm) of a married adulterer is just and established by authentic, mass-transmitted (mutawatir) hadiths. See previous hadiths: 41, 54.
➌ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu that a group of Jews came to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and invited him to come to Quf (a valley). So he went to their school. They said: O Abu al-Qasim! One of our men has committed adultery with a woman among us, so judge between us. They had placed a cushion for the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, upon which he sat. Then he said: Bring me the Torah. When the Torah was brought, he descended from the cushion and placed the Torah upon it, and said: I have believed in you and in the One who revealed you. Then he said: Bring me the most learned among you. Then a strong young man was brought, and then they narrated the story of stoning as in the narration of Malik from Nafi’. [سنن ابي داود : 4449 وسنده حسن]
➍ When even the altered Torah was placed respectfully upon the cushion, it is understood that the Noble Qur’an and the books of hadith should also be kept elevated from the ground and shown utmost respect. It is also understood that the sacred books of opponents should not be insulted in their presence (or in their absence).
In the present Torah it is written: “If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then both of them shall die—the man that lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall put away the evil from Israel.
If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed to a husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; then you shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and you shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he has humbled his neighbor’s wife. So you shall put away the evil from among you.” [استثناء باب 21 فقره : 22 تا 24، بائبل اردو ص187]
It is thus clear that even in the present Torah, the punishment of stoning exists.
In the corrupted Gospel of the Pauline Christians, who call ‘Isa alayhis salam the son of God, it is written that ‘Isa alayhis salam said: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven…” [متي كي انجيل ب 5 فقره : 17 تا 20، عهد نامه جديد ص 8]
➎ The Jews are liars.
➏ In an Islamic government, the rulings of their own books are enforced upon the dhimmis (non-Muslims and polytheists under Muslim rule).
➐ Those who deny the stoning of the married adulterer are, by their actions, following in the footsteps of the Jews.
➑ In order to refute false religions and sects, one should study their books and be informed about them, so that they cannot resort to falsehood and so that the proof may be established against them.