Ma'iz came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and admitted (having committed adultery) four times in his presence so he ordered him to be stoned to death, but said to Huzzal: If you had covered him with your garment, it would have been better for you.
Hadith Text & Context
The narration from Sunan Abi Dawud 4377 describes Ma'iz ibn Malik al-Aslami's voluntary confession to adultery before the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). He insisted four times despite the Prophet's attempts to divert him, leading to the implementation of the prescribed punishment (hadd).
Legal Analysis of Confession
Scholars emphasize that the Prophet's repeated questioning and attempts to suggest alternative explanations demonstrate the Islamic legal principle of seeking doubt (shubha) to avert punishments. The fourfold confession establishes the requirement for certainty in implementing hudud.
Classical jurists note that the Prophet's instruction to Huzzal indicates the merit of concealing others' sins when possible, as private repentance is preferable to public punishment unless the crime becomes publicly known.
Jurisprudential Principles
This hadith establishes several key principles in Islamic criminal law: the necessity of clear, repeated confession for hadd punishments; the obligation to seek excuses for the accused; and the preference for privacy in sin when possible.
The ruling applies specifically to muhsan (married) individuals, as stoning is prescribed for those who have entered valid marriage. Scholars differ on whether four separate confessions are required or if a single clear confession suffices.
Moral & Spiritual Dimensions
The incident illustrates Islam's balance between justice and mercy. While the punishment was implemented to preserve social morality, the Prophet's sorrow and advice to Huzzal reveal the spiritual preference for covering faults and facilitating private repentance.