وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: أَتَى رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَهُوَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَنَادَاهُ فَقَالَ: يَارَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي زَنَيْتُ، فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ، فَتَنَحَى تِلْقَاءَ وَجْهِهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي زَنَيْتُ، فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ حَتَّى تَنِّى ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِ أَرْبَعَ مَرَّاتٍ، فَلَمَّا شَهِدَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ، دَعَاهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ مَا فَقَالَ: أبكَ جُنون؟ قَالَ: لَا قَالَ: فَهَلْ أَحْصَنْتَ؟ – قَالَ: نَعَمُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ مَن: اذْهَبُوا بِهِ فَارْجُمُوهُ
Narrated Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه: A man came to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم among the Muslims while he was in the mosque. He called out to him and said, “O Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, I have committed adultery.” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم turned away and averted his face. The man said, “O Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, I have committed adultery.” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم turned away again, repeating this four times. When the man bore four testimonies against himself, the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم called him and said, “Are you insane?” He said, “No.” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked, “Are you married?” He said, “Yes.” The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Take him and stone him.”
Investigation and Authentication
Benefits:
➊ The events during the blessed era of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم are astonishing. Some cases related to adultery came forward. The adulterer himself came forward and demanded the punishment. There was no need to tell anyone, nor was anyone forced. This is the respect for Hudood (Islamic punishments). It is to be understood that when a person realizes that this punishment is actually beneficial for him and is a minor expiation for sins in this world, then he comes forward himself. The girl, to save herself from disgrace in this world and the Hereafter, offers the sacrifice of her life. Those who do not fear Allah are not affected by Hudood either, as is the case today. Considering Hudood as oppression is itself an excess on oppression.
➋ The implementation of the punishment of stoning is applied even by the confession of the adulterer alone. This hadith shows that the adulterer gives four testimonies against himself, then a proper investigation is conducted, and after fulfilling all the conditions, he is stoned.
➌ It is necessary to be legally responsible (mukallaf) for Hudood to be applied. Hudood are not applied to a mad person, a person with epilepsy, or a child.
➍ It is necessary to be married for stoning. It is also understood that flogging the adulterer before stoning is not correct.
➎ Hudood is the name of a fixed punishment for a specific sin, which is established by the Quranic text, and it serves as a solution to prevent committing the sin again in the future and as expiation for the previous sin. Adultery is the unlawful union of a man and a woman outside of a valid marriage. Digging a pit and burying the adulterer up to the chest so that he is restrained, then punishing him with every possible means until he dies is called stoning.
