A man of the tribe of Asalam came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and made confession of fornication. He (the prophet) turned away from him. When he testified against him four times, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: Are you mad? He said: No. he asked: Are you married? He replied: Yes. The Prophet (ﷺ) then commanded regarding him and he was stoned in the place of prayer. Then when the stones hurt him, he fled, but was overtaken and stoned to death. The Prophet (ﷺ) then spoke well of him and did not pray over him.
Hadith Text & Context
This narration from Sunan Abi Dawud 4430 in the Book of Prescribed Punishments (Kitab Al-Hudud) describes a significant incident where a man from the tribe of Asalam voluntarily confessed to fornication before the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). The man's persistent confession despite the Prophet's initial avoidance demonstrates the seriousness with which the Islamic legal system treats such matters.
Scholarly Commentary on the Legal Procedure
Classical scholars emphasize that the Prophet's turning away initially was to give the confessor opportunities to retract, reflecting the Islamic principle of seeking doubts in hudud cases. The requirement of four testimonies or confessions establishes the high evidentiary standard for implementing hadd punishments.
The question "Are you mad?" establishes the requirement of legal capacity (aqil) and sanity for the validity of confession. The question about marriage confirms the punishment applies only to muhsan (married persons), with stoning being the prescribed punishment for married fornicators according to scholarly consensus.
Analysis of the Stoning Execution
The execution occurring in the prayer place signifies the public nature of hudud punishments as deterrents. The man's attempt to flee when stones hurt him is understood by scholars as a natural human reaction to pain, not a retraction of confession. His subsequent capture and completion of the punishment demonstrates the irrevocable nature of legal judgments once properly established.
Spiritual Dimensions & Final Rulings
The Prophet's praise for the confessor afterward indicates the high spiritual status of one who voluntarily submits to Allah's prescribed punishment, purifying their soul. The absence of funeral prayers signifies that the hadd punishment serves as expiation, making additional prayers unnecessary since the punishment itself becomes his intercession on the Day of Judgment according to traditional interpretation.