حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ الْمَرْوَزِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ النَّحْوِيِّ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ ‏{‏ وَاللاَّتِي يَأْتِينَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مِنْ نِسَائِكُمْ فَاسْتَشْهِدُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةً مِنْكُمْ فَإِنْ شَهِدُوا فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ فِي الْبُيُوتِ حَتَّى يَتَوَفَّاهُنَّ الْمَوْتُ أَوْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُنَّ سَبِيلاً ‏}‏ وَذَكَرَ الرَّجُلَ بَعْدَ الْمَرْأَةِ ثُمَّ جَمَعَهُمَا فَقَالَ ‏{‏ وَاللَّذَانِ يَأْتِيَانِهَا مِنْكُمْ فَآذُوهُمَا فَإِنْ تَابَا وَأَصْلَحَا فَأَعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمَا ‏}‏ فَنَسَخَ ذَلِكَ بِآيَةِ الْجَلْدِ فَقَالَ ‏{‏ الزَّانِيَةُ وَالزَّانِي فَاجْلِدُوا كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا مِائَةَ جَلْدَةٍ ‏}‏ ‏.‏
Translation
‘Abd Allah b. ‘Abbas said

‘Umar b. al-Khattab gave an address saying: Allah sent Muhammad (ﷺ) with truth and sent down the Books of him, and the verse of stoning was included in what He sent down to him. We read it and memorized it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had people stoned to death and we have done it also since his death. I am afraid the people might say with the passage of time: We do not find the verse of stoning in the Books of Allah, and thus they stray by abandoning a duty which Allah had received. Stoning is a duty laid down (by Allah) for married men and women who commit fornication when proof is established, or if there is pregnancy, or a confession. I swear by Allah, had it not been so that the people might say: ‘Umar made an addition to Allah’s Book, I would have written it (there).

Comment

Historical Context & Significance

This narration from Sunan Abi Dawud 4418 in Kitab Al-Hudud preserves the critical testimony of Caliph 'Umar ibn al-Khattab regarding the divine legislation of stoning (rajm) for married adulterers.

'Umar affirms this punishment was revealed in the Qur'an, memorized by early Muslims, practiced by the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), and continued by the Rightly Guided Caliphs.

Legal Principles of Stoning

The hadith establishes three conditions for implementing stoning: 1) Establishment of proof through witnesses, 2) Pregnancy without lawful marriage, or 3) Valid confession.

This ruling applies specifically to muhsan (married) individuals who commit zinā, distinguishing it from the punishment for unmarried fornicators.

Abrogation in Recitation vs. Ruling

Scholars explain this as an instance of naskh al-tilāwah dūna al-hukm - abrogation in recitation while the ruling remains obligatory.

Although the specific verse was removed from the mus'haf, its legal authority persists through mutawātir practice and authentic Sunnah.

Caliphal Prudence

'Umar's restraint from adding to the mus'haf demonstrates profound respect for the sanctity of the Qur'anic text and awareness of potential misinterpretation.

This establishes the principle that established Sunnah rulings remain binding even if their original Qur'anic verses are no longer recited.