Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulām Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
If there are no witnesses to an act of zinā (fornication/adultery), but the perpetrator confesses, can the ḥadd (prescribed Islamic punishment) be enforced?
If the perpetrator of zinā confesses to the act, the ḥadd (prescribed punishment) will be enforced. However, thorough verification must be conducted to ensure that the confession was not made under the influence of intoxication, nor under coercion or pressure.
If the individual confesses while being in full senses and compos mentis, the ḥadd punishment should be carried out.
أَنَّ رَجُلًا مِنْ أَسْلَمَ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَأَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ قَدْ زَنَى، فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ، فَشَهِدَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ أَرْبَعَ مَرَّاتٍ، فَدَعَاهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَقَالَ: «أَبِكَ جُنُونٌ؟» قَالَ: لَا. قَالَ: «أَحْصَنْتَ؟» قَالَ: نَعَمْ. فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَرُجِمَ، فَلَمَّا أَذَاقَ الْحِجَارَةَ هَرَبَ، فَأُدْرِكَ فَرُجِمَ حَتَّى مَاتَ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَنْهُ خَيْرًا، وَلَمْ يُصَلِّ عَلَيْهِ.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 6820, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1691 (summarized)
Translation:
A man from the tribe of Aslam (Māʿiz ibn Mālik) came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and confessed to having committed zinā. The Prophet ﷺ turned away from him, but the man repeated his confession multiple times. After he had confessed four times against himself, the Prophet ﷺ asked him, “Are you insane?” He replied, “No.” The Prophet ﷺ asked, “Are you married?” He replied, “Yes.”
The Prophet ﷺ then ordered that he be stoned to death. When the pain of the stones affected him, he attempted to flee, but he was caught and stoned until he died. The Prophet ﷺ spoke well of him but did not offer his funeral prayer.
أَنَّ امْرَأَةً مِنْ جُهَيْنَةَ أَتَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهِيَ حُبْلَى مِنَ الزِّنَا، فَقَالَتْ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ، أَصَبْتُ حَدًّا، فَأَقِمْهُ عَلَيَّ. فَدَعَا نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلِيَّهَا فَقَالَ: «أَحْسِنْ إِلَيْهَا، فَإِذَا وَضَعَتْ فَأْتِنِي بِهَا». فَفَعَلَ، فَأَمَرَ بِهَا نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَشُدَّتْ عَلَيْهَا ثِيَابُهَا، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِهَا فَرُجِمَتْ، ثُمَّ صَلَّى عَلَيْهَا. فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ: تُصَلِّي عَلَيْهَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَقَدْ زَنَتْ؟ قَالَ: «لَقَدْ تَابَتْ تَوْبَةً لَوْ قُسِمَتْ بَيْنَ سَبْعِينَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ لَوَسِعَتْهُمْ، وَهَلْ وَجَدْتَ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ أَنْ جَادَتْ بِنَفْسِهَا لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ؟»
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1696
Translation:
A woman from the tribe of Juhaynah came to the Prophet ﷺ and confessed that she had committed zinā and was now pregnant. She said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have committed a punishable offense, so enforce the ḥadd upon me.”
The Prophet ﷺ called her guardian and said, “Treat her well. When she gives birth, bring her to me.” After the child was born, she was brought to the Prophet ﷺ. He instructed that her clothes be secured firmly on her, and then he ordered that she be stoned. She was stoned to death, and afterward, the Prophet ﷺ performed her funeral prayer.
ʿUmar رضي الله عنه asked, “O Messenger of Allah! You prayed for her even though she committed zinā?” He replied:
“Indeed, she repented such a repentance that if it were distributed among seventy people of Madinah, it would suffice them. Have you found a better repentance than this — that she sacrificed herself for the sake of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic?”
① Confession alone is sufficient to establish the ḥadd of zinā, provided the individual is in a sound mental state and not coerced.
② The Prophet ﷺ himself applied the punishment of stoning based on repeated, voluntary confessions.
③ Due process is essential: sanity must be confirmed, and coercion ruled out.
④ Repentance, even after punishment, holds immense value in the sight of Allah.
❖ Question:
If there are no witnesses to an act of zinā (fornication/adultery), but the perpetrator confesses, can the ḥadd (prescribed Islamic punishment) be enforced?
✿ Answer:
If the perpetrator of zinā confesses to the act, the ḥadd (prescribed punishment) will be enforced. However, thorough verification must be conducted to ensure that the confession was not made under the influence of intoxication, nor under coercion or pressure.
If the individual confesses while being in full senses and compos mentis, the ḥadd punishment should be carried out.
◈ Evidences from the Sunnah:
❀ Narrated by Jābir ibn ʿAbdillāh رضي الله عنهما:
أَنَّ رَجُلًا مِنْ أَسْلَمَ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَأَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ قَدْ زَنَى، فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ، فَشَهِدَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ أَرْبَعَ مَرَّاتٍ، فَدَعَاهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَقَالَ: «أَبِكَ جُنُونٌ؟» قَالَ: لَا. قَالَ: «أَحْصَنْتَ؟» قَالَ: نَعَمْ. فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَرُجِمَ، فَلَمَّا أَذَاقَ الْحِجَارَةَ هَرَبَ، فَأُدْرِكَ فَرُجِمَ حَتَّى مَاتَ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَنْهُ خَيْرًا، وَلَمْ يُصَلِّ عَلَيْهِ.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 6820, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1691 (summarized)
Translation:
A man from the tribe of Aslam (Māʿiz ibn Mālik) came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and confessed to having committed zinā. The Prophet ﷺ turned away from him, but the man repeated his confession multiple times. After he had confessed four times against himself, the Prophet ﷺ asked him, “Are you insane?” He replied, “No.” The Prophet ﷺ asked, “Are you married?” He replied, “Yes.”
The Prophet ﷺ then ordered that he be stoned to death. When the pain of the stones affected him, he attempted to flee, but he was caught and stoned until he died. The Prophet ﷺ spoke well of him but did not offer his funeral prayer.
❀ Narrated by ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn رضي الله عنهما:
أَنَّ امْرَأَةً مِنْ جُهَيْنَةَ أَتَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهِيَ حُبْلَى مِنَ الزِّنَا، فَقَالَتْ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ، أَصَبْتُ حَدًّا، فَأَقِمْهُ عَلَيَّ. فَدَعَا نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلِيَّهَا فَقَالَ: «أَحْسِنْ إِلَيْهَا، فَإِذَا وَضَعَتْ فَأْتِنِي بِهَا». فَفَعَلَ، فَأَمَرَ بِهَا نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَشُدَّتْ عَلَيْهَا ثِيَابُهَا، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِهَا فَرُجِمَتْ، ثُمَّ صَلَّى عَلَيْهَا. فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ: تُصَلِّي عَلَيْهَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَقَدْ زَنَتْ؟ قَالَ: «لَقَدْ تَابَتْ تَوْبَةً لَوْ قُسِمَتْ بَيْنَ سَبْعِينَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ لَوَسِعَتْهُمْ، وَهَلْ وَجَدْتَ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ أَنْ جَادَتْ بِنَفْسِهَا لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ؟»
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1696
Translation:
A woman from the tribe of Juhaynah came to the Prophet ﷺ and confessed that she had committed zinā and was now pregnant. She said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have committed a punishable offense, so enforce the ḥadd upon me.”
The Prophet ﷺ called her guardian and said, “Treat her well. When she gives birth, bring her to me.” After the child was born, she was brought to the Prophet ﷺ. He instructed that her clothes be secured firmly on her, and then he ordered that she be stoned. She was stoned to death, and afterward, the Prophet ﷺ performed her funeral prayer.
ʿUmar رضي الله عنه asked, “O Messenger of Allah! You prayed for her even though she committed zinā?” He replied:
“Indeed, she repented such a repentance that if it were distributed among seventy people of Madinah, it would suffice them. Have you found a better repentance than this — that she sacrificed herself for the sake of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic?”
Summary:
① Confession alone is sufficient to establish the ḥadd of zinā, provided the individual is in a sound mental state and not coerced.
② The Prophet ﷺ himself applied the punishment of stoning based on repeated, voluntary confessions.
③ Due process is essential: sanity must be confirmed, and coercion ruled out.
④ Repentance, even after punishment, holds immense value in the sight of Allah.
