Zayd bin Aslam (may Allah have mercy on him) said: A man committed zina and confessed, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called for a whip. A broken whip was brought, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Bring one better than this." Then a new whip was brought whose tip had not yet been broken, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Bring one between these two." Then such a whip was brought, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) had the punishment carried out with it and said: "O people! The time has come for you to refrain from what Allah has forbidden. Whoever falls into any of these (foul deeds), let him conceal it; if (his matter) is exposed to us, we will apply the punishment of the Book of Allah to him."
Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This hadith is munqati' (broken), not of the kind that is itself established as proof; but I have seen among the people of knowledge here those who know it and act upon it, so we hold by it.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الأشربة والحد فيها / 17574
Abu Uthman al-Nahdi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: A very harsh whip was brought to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) for (carrying out) a hadd punishment, so he (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Softer than this. Then a soft one was brought, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) said: A little harsher than this. When that was brought, he said: Strike him, but do not let your armpits be seen, and give every limb its due.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الأشربة والحد فيها / 17575
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: In this Ummah it is not lawful (when carrying out punishment) to strip (the offender), stretch him out, put him in an iron collar, or bind him in fetters.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الأشربة والحد فيها / 17577
Imam al-Zuhri (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The people of Iraq say that one who makes a false accusation of zina (qadhf) is not to be flogged severely.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الأشربة والحد فيها / 17579
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you strikes (someone), let him avoid the face."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الأشربة والحد فيها / 17580
Hunaydah bin Khalid (may Allah have mercy on him) said that he came to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was carrying out a hadd punishment on someone. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the executioner: Strike, give every limb its due, and avoid the face and the private parts.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الأشربة والحد فيها / 17581
Ma'rur (may Allah have mercy on him) said: A woman who had committed zina was brought to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and he said: Woe to this woman of (the tribe of) Murrah; she has ruined her family honour. And he said: Take her away and flog her, but do not let her skin be torn. And we have already mentioned the story of the Juhani woman: he (peace and blessings be upon him) had her clothes wrapped tightly around her and then had her stoned.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الأشربة والحد فيها / 17583