When the Prophet (May peace e upon him) commanded to stone Ma’iz b. Malik, we took him out to Baql. I swear by Allah, we did not tie him, nor did we dig a pit for him. But he was standing before us. The narrator Abu Kamil said: So we threw at him bones, clods of mud and pieces of earthenware. He ran away and we ran after him till he came to a side of the Harrah. He stood there before us and we threw at him big stones of the Harrah until he died. He (the Prophet) did not ask forgiveness for him, nor did he speak ill of him.
Hadith Commentary: The Stoning of Ma'iz ibn Malik
This narration from Sunan Abi Dawud 4431 in the Book of Prescribed Punishments (Kitab Al-Hudud) describes the implementation of the hadd punishment for adultery. The scholars explain that Ma'iz came to the Prophet voluntarily confessing his sin, seeking purification through prescribed punishment.
Legal Methodology & Evidentiary Standards
Classical jurists emphasize that stoning requires either four upright witnesses to the actual act of penetration or a voluntary confession repeated four times. Ma'iz's case fell under the latter category, demonstrating the high evidentiary threshold in Islamic law.
The absence of binding or pit-digging indicates the punishment's focus on spiritual purification rather than mere retribution. His initial running away did not invalidate the punishment once the legal conditions were met.
Spiritual Dimensions & Theological Implications
Scholars note the Prophet's silence regarding seeking forgiveness reflects the completion of divine justice. The punishment served as both worldly expiation and means to avoid greater punishment in the hereafter.
This incident establishes that once hadd punishments are legally mandated, they cannot be suspended due to personal feelings or requests for intercession, maintaining the integrity of Islamic legal boundaries.