When my vindication came down, the Prophet (ﷺ) mounted the pulpit and mentioned that, and recited the Qur'an. Then when he came down from the pulpit he ordered regarding the two men and the woman, and they were given the prescribed punishment.
Hadith Commentary: Prescribed Punishment for Adultery
This narration from Sunan Abi Dawud 4474 describes the implementation of ḥadd punishment for zinā (unlawful sexual intercourse). The Prophet's public sermon and Qur'anic recitation demonstrate the gravity of this offense in Islamic law.
Legal Procedure and Evidence
The Prophet's approach shows that ḥudūd punishments require proper judicial process, not vigilante justice. The public announcement indicates that such punishments serve as deterrents while ensuring transparency.
Classical scholars note that the "two men and woman" likely refers to a case where either both men committed zinā with one woman, or it involved a married woman and two unmarried men - with different punishments applying based on marital status.
Scholarly Interpretation
Imam al-Nawawi explains that the pulpit announcement emphasizes the public interest aspect of ḥudūd - serving as both punishment and lesson for the community.
Ibn Qudāmah notes that the phrase "prescribed punishment" here refers to either flogging for unmarried offenders or rajm (stoning) for married ones, depending on their marital status as determined by the court.
Contemporary Relevance
Modern scholars emphasize that the strict evidentiary requirements for implementing ḥudūd (four eyewitnesses to the actual act or confession) make their application extremely rare in proper Islamic judicial systems.