Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah

Abu Abdur Rahman says that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) delivered a sermon and said: O people! Carry out the prescribed punishments on your slaves, whether they are married or unmarried, because a slave woman of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) committed adultery and he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered me to flog her, but she had just finished her postnatal bleeding. I feared that if I flogged her, she would die. When I mentioned this concern to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he said: "You did well, leave her until she becomes healthy."