⪼ What Should Be Done If a Person Runs During Execution by Rajm (Stoning)? ⪻
❖ Reference:
Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī: 1428
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه), regarding Māʿiz ibn Mālik al-Aslamī
Also recorded in:
Imām Aḥmad: 2/450, Ibn Mājah: 2554, al-Ḥākim: 4/363
Hadith Status: Ḥasan
Māʿiz ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه), who had confessed to committing zinā, was being stoned according to the Islamic ḥadd punishment. When he felt the impact of the stones and sensed the approach of death, he attempted to flee. As he passed by a man carrying an animal bone, the man struck him with it, followed by others, until Māʿiz died. When this was mentioned to the Prophet ﷺ, he said:
“Why did you not let him go?”
➊ If the Adulterer Flees During Rajm, Let Him Go:
The Prophet ﷺ’s instruction, “Why did you not let him go?”, indicates that it is permissible to stop the stoning if the individual attempts to escape, especially after feeling the pain or facing the fear of death. This action respects the possibility of repentance and the complex human emotion in moments of death.
➋ Fear of Death Can Cause Panic:
The flight of Māʿiz upon sensing death highlights the natural human response to mortal danger, which cannot always be judged or anticipated beforehand.
➌ Public Execution with a Community Witness:
Rajm was performed publicly and in the presence of a group of Muslims to serve as a deterrent and source of reflection for others.
❖ Reference:
Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī: 1428
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه), regarding Māʿiz ibn Mālik al-Aslamī
Also recorded in:
Imām Aḥmad: 2/450, Ibn Mājah: 2554, al-Ḥākim: 4/363
Hadith Status: Ḥasan
Hadith Summary
Māʿiz ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه), who had confessed to committing zinā, was being stoned according to the Islamic ḥadd punishment. When he felt the impact of the stones and sensed the approach of death, he attempted to flee. As he passed by a man carrying an animal bone, the man struck him with it, followed by others, until Māʿiz died. When this was mentioned to the Prophet ﷺ, he said:“Why did you not let him go?”
Key Rulings and Lessons
➊ If the Adulterer Flees During Rajm, Let Him Go:The Prophet ﷺ’s instruction, “Why did you not let him go?”, indicates that it is permissible to stop the stoning if the individual attempts to escape, especially after feeling the pain or facing the fear of death. This action respects the possibility of repentance and the complex human emotion in moments of death.
➋ Fear of Death Can Cause Panic:
The flight of Māʿiz upon sensing death highlights the natural human response to mortal danger, which cannot always be judged or anticipated beforehand.
➌ Public Execution with a Community Witness:
Rajm was performed publicly and in the presence of a group of Muslims to serve as a deterrent and source of reflection for others.
