Bayhaqi 16913 — The evidence that the way is flogging the two

The nephew of Kathir bin al-Salt said: We were with Marwan, and Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) was also present there. Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We used to recite: 'Al-shaykhu wal-shaykhatu idha zanaya farjumuhuma al-battata' (When the old man and the old woman commit adultery, stone them both outright). Marwan said: Should we not write it in the Mushaf? He said: No. Do you not see that two young married people are also stoned? And it was mentioned that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was among us; he said: I will give you a satisfying answer about this. We said: How? He said: I would come to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and mention such and such, and when he mentioned stoning, I would say: O Messenger of Allah, let me write down the verse of stoning. So I came to him and reminded him, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned the verse of stoning, and I said: O Messenger of Allah, let me write down the verse of stoning. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I am not able to do that." This and the evidence before it indicate that the recitation of the verse of stoning is abrogated while its ruling remains, and I do not know of anyone differing on this.