Mukhtasar Muslim

Husayn bin Mundhir Abu Sasan says: I was present with Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) when Walid bin Uqbah was brought, as he had performed only two rak'ahs of the morning prayer and then said, "I will do more for you." Then two men testified against Walid, one of whom was Humran, that he had drunk alcohol. The other testified that he was vomiting (alcohol) in front of me. Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "If he had not drunk alcohol, why would he vomit alcohol?" Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), "Get up and carry out the hadd (punishment) on him." (Sayyiduna Uthman gave this order to Sayyiduna Ali to honor and elevate his status, and it is permissible for the Imam to do so.) Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him), "O Hasan! Get up and flog him." Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Uthman has taken the cold (of the caliphate), so let him also take the heat." Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) became angry with Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) over this and said, "O Abdullah bin Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him)! Get up and flog Walid." (He) flogged him, and Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) kept counting. When forty lashes were given, Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Stop now." Then he said, "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gave forty lashes, and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) also gave forty, and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) gave eighty lashes, and all are Sunnah, but in my view (giving forty) is better."