AbuZubyan said: A woman who had committed adultery was brought to Umar. He gave orders that she should be stoned.
Ali passed by just then. He seized her and let her go. Umar was informed of it. He said: Ask Ali to come to me. Ali came to him and said: Commander of the Faithful, you know that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: There are three (people) whose actions are not recorded: A boy till he reaches puberty, a sleeper till he awakes, a lunatic till he is restored to reason. This is an idiot (mad) woman belonging to the family of so and so. Someone might have done this action with her when she suffered the fit of lunacy.
Umar said: I do not know. Ali said: I do not know.
Hadith Text & Context
This narration from Sunan Abi Dawud 4402 presents a significant legal case involving Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab and Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib regarding a woman accused of adultery. The incident demonstrates the careful application of Islamic legal principles in the Prescribed Punishments (Kitab Al-Hudud).
Legal Analysis of the Case
Imam Ali's intervention was based on the established Prophetic principle that certain categories of people are not legally accountable for their actions. The three exceptions mentioned - minors before puberty, those asleep until they awaken, and the insane until they regain sanity - are well-established in Islamic jurisprudence.
The woman was identified as mentally incompetent (majnunah), which immediately suspended the application of the prescribed punishment. This demonstrates that hudud punishments require full legal capacity (ahliyyah) and conscious intent.
Scholarly Commentary
Classical scholars emphasize that this narration establishes crucial safeguards in implementing hudud. The requirement of sound mind (aql) is a fundamental condition for legal responsibility. Even Caliph Umar, known for his strict adherence to justice, accepted this legal reasoning when presented with evidence.
The exchange "I do not know" between Umar and Ali reflects the Islamic legal principle of giving the benefit of doubt in hudud cases. When there is uncertainty about the conditions required for punishment, the punishment must be suspended to avoid wrongful application.
Legal Principles Derived
This hadith establishes that: 1) Mental capacity is essential for legal responsibility; 2) Doubt (shubhah) prevents application of hudud; 3) Even high authorities must defer to established legal principles; 4) The purpose of Islamic law is justice, not mere punishment.
Scholars note that this case exemplifies the wisdom of Islamic jurisprudence in protecting the vulnerable and ensuring that punishments are only applied when all conditions are definitively met without doubt.