Umar bin Maymoon narrated that I saw a female monkey during the time of ignorance. Many monkeys gathered around her. This female monkey had committed adultery, so they all collectively stoned her, and I also participated in throwing stones at her.
Reference: (Sahih Bukhari: 3849)
This is a hadith that is beyond reason. The question is: Do monkeys also have Shariah? Do they have marriages? If they have marriages, then adultery can also occur, but if they do not have marriages, then how can there be adultery?
① First Point
The mentioned narration is neither a Hadith of the Prophet (Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ refers to the sayings, actions, approvals, and attributes of the Prophet) nor an effect of a Sahabi (effect of a Sahabi refers to the sayings and actions of a companion of the Prophet), but rather a statement of a Tabi'i, and that too regarding his observations before embracing Islam, as is clear from the words of the narration. Amr ibn Maymun is a Mukhadrim (one who lived in the pre-Islamic period and then accepted Islam but did not meet the Prophet ﷺ), and he is a Tabi'i as Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned.
Reference: (See: Taqreeb al-Tahdheeb: 427)
.So this story in no way causes any disparagement of the Hadith, and Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned this incident to prove that Amr ibn Maymun was a Mukhadrim, not to establish the obligation on the animal or to prove the punishment of stoning.
② Second point
This can only be said as an estimate because monkeys do not speak, so it is quite possible that they saw one monkey throwing stones at another and thought that they were stoning him as a punishment for adultery, or they saw some sign from which it became clear to them that he had committed adultery, because among the Arabs, the monkey is considered a very sinful animal.
③ Third Point
It is also possible that those were jinn in the form of monkeys, as can be understood from the statement of Hafiz Ibn Abdul Barr that "these monkeys were jinn"
Reference: (See: Fath al-Bari: 7/160)
.Because jinn are also accountable to Shariah. Allah Almighty says:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
Reference: (Surah Adh-Dhariyat: 56)
Reference:
Translation: I have created jinn and humans only that they may worship Me alone.
And it is proven by authentic hadiths that jinn can take the form of animals, so in this incident, all objections are completely removed.
Abu Saib says that I came to Abu Saeed Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him). While I was sitting with him, I felt something crawling under his cot. I looked (peered) and saw a snake there. I stood up. Abu Saeed (may Allah be pleased with him) said: What happened to you? (Why did you stand up?) I said: There is a snake here. He said: What do you intend to do? I said: I will kill it. He pointed towards a room in his house and said: My cousin used to live in this house. During the Battle of the Trench, he asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for permission to go to his family. He had just recently married. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ granted him permission and ordered him to go with his weapon. When he came to his house, he found his wife standing at the door of the room, so he waved his spear towards her (Come inside. How are you standing here?). The wife said: Do not rush, first see what forced me to come outside. He entered the room and saw a terrifying snake, so he speared it and took it out on the spear. It was writhing. Abu Saeed says: So I could not tell who died first, the man or the snake? (Meaning, either the snake bit him while being taken out on the spear, or the snake was a jinn and the jinn strangled him in revenge). Then the people of his tribe came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and requested him to pray to Allah to return their man (companion) to life. He said: Pray for forgiveness for your man (now there is no hope of life). Then the Prophet ﷺ said: A group of jinn in Medina have become Muslim. Whenever you see any of them (in the form of snakes or other harmful animals), warn them three times not to come out again, or else they will be killed. If despite this warning they do not disappear and you find it necessary to kill them, then after the three warnings, kill them.
Translation: I have created jinn and humans only that they may worship Me alone.
And it is proven by authentic hadiths that jinn can take the form of animals, so in this incident, all objections are completely removed.
Abu Saib says that I came to Abu Saeed Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him). While I was sitting with him, I felt something crawling under his cot. I looked (peered) and saw a snake there. I stood up. Abu Saeed (may Allah be pleased with him) said: What happened to you? (Why did you stand up?) I said: There is a snake here. He said: What do you intend to do? I said: I will kill it. He pointed towards a room in his house and said: My cousin used to live in this house. During the Battle of the Trench, he asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for permission to go to his family. He had just recently married. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ granted him permission and ordered him to go with his weapon. When he came to his house, he found his wife standing at the door of the room, so he waved his spear towards her (Come inside. How are you standing here?). The wife said: Do not rush, first see what forced me to come outside. He entered the room and saw a terrifying snake, so he speared it and took it out on the spear. It was writhing. Abu Saeed says: So I could not tell who died first, the man or the snake? (Meaning, either the snake bit him while being taken out on the spear, or the snake was a jinn and the jinn strangled him in revenge). Then the people of his tribe came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and requested him to pray to Allah to return their man (companion) to life. He said: Pray for forgiveness for your man (now there is no hope of life). Then the Prophet ﷺ said: A group of jinn in Medina have become Muslim. Whenever you see any of them (in the form of snakes or other harmful animals), warn them three times not to come out again, or else they will be killed. If despite this warning they do not disappear and you find it necessary to kill them, then after the three warnings, kill them.
Reference: (Sunan Abu Dawood: 5257)
④ Fourth Point
If there is something astonishing and beyond reason in this incident, then what should be said about the story in the Quran when Qabil killed Habil and was confused about what to do afterward, then Allah sent a crow as mentioned in the Quran. Allah Almighty says:
فَطَوَّعَتْ لَهُ نَفْسُهُ قَتْلَ أَخِيهِ فَقَتَلَهُ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ غُرَابًا يَبْحَثُ فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُ كَيْفَ يُوَارِي سَوْءَةَ أَخِيهِ ۚ قَالَ يَا وَيْلَتَا أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَٰذَا الْغُرَابِ فَأُوَارِيَ سَوْءَةَ أَخِي ۖ فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ النَّادِمِينَ
Reference: (Surah Al-Ma'idah: 30-31)
Translation: So his soul incited him to kill his brother. He killed him and thus became one of the losers. Then Allah sent a crow scratching the ground to show him how to hide the body of his brother. He said, "Woe to me! Have I failed to be like this crow and hide the body of my brother?" Then he became regretful.
Just as an example of Allah's power was created for education and admonition, where one crow buried another, similarly, this incident was presented to the observation of a follower (Tabi'i) to instill the virtue of Islam in his heart.
⑤ Fifth Point
Animals also possess a sense of honor, and they attack each other if any male approaches a female other than his own. Since monkeys and humans have many similarities, for example, their gait and behavior, it is not unlikely that they also feel intense jealousy for their companions, just like humans.
