A man of the tribe of Aslam came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and testified four times against himself that he had had illicit intercourse with a woman, while all the time the Prophet (ﷺ) was turning away from him.
Then when he confessed a fifth time, he turned round and asked: Did you have intercourse with her? He replied: Yes. He asked: Have you done it so that your sexual organ penetrated hers? He replied: Yes. He asked: Have you done it like a collyrium stick when enclosed in its case and a rope in a well? He replied: Yes. He asked: Do you know what fornication is? He replied: Yes. I have done with her unlawfully what a man may lawfully do with his wife.
He then asked: What do you want from what you have said? He said: I want you to purify me. So he gave orders regarding him and he was stoned to death. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) heard one of his companions saying to another: Look at this man whose fault was concealed by Allah but who would not leave the matter alone, so that he was stoned like a dog. He said nothing to them but walked on for a time till he came to the corpse of an ass with its legs in the air.
He asked: Where are so and so? They said: Here we are, Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)! He said: Go down and eat some of this ass's corpse. They replied: Messenger of Allah! Who can eat any of this? He said: The dishonour you have just shown to your brother is more serious than eating some of it. By Him in Whose hand my soul is, he is now among the rivers of Paradise and plunging into them.
Prescribed Punishments (Kitab Al-Hudud) - Sunan Abi Dawud 4428
This narration from Sunan Abi Dawud presents profound legal and spiritual lessons regarding the Islamic legal principle of hudud (prescribed punishments).
Scholarly Commentary on the Confession
The Prophet's repeated turning away demonstrates the Islamic principle of seeking excuses and avoiding punishment when possible. Scholars note he gave the confessor multiple opportunities to retract, reflecting the legal maxim "ward off punishments by doubts."
The detailed questioning about the physical act shows the strict evidentiary requirements for hudud - requiring clear, unambiguous confession with full understanding of what constitutes unlawful intercourse.
Legal Principles Demonstrated
The requirement of four testimonies or four confessions for zina (fornication) is established here. Classical jurists derived that a single confession is insufficient - it must be repeated and verified.
The metaphorical language ("collyrium stick in its case") ensures the confessor understands the complete nature of the act, preventing punishment for incomplete or attempted acts.
Spiritual Dimensions
The companions' criticism reflects human judgment, while the Prophet's response teaches that sincere repentance and acceptance of divine law elevates one's spiritual status despite worldly punishment.
The analogy of the donkey's corpse powerfully illustrates that backbiting and dishonoring a repentant Muslim is more spiritually harmful than consuming carrion. The final affirmation of the man's paradise status confirms the efficacy of sincere tawbah (repentance).