‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar told that the Jews came to God’s Messenger and mentioned to him that a man and a woman of their number had committed fornication. He asked them what they found in the Torah about stoning and they replied that they should disgrace them and that they should be beaten. ‘Abdallah b. Salam then said, “You lie; it contains instruction that they should be stoned to death, so bring the Torah.” They spread it out, and one of them put his hand over the verse of stoning and read what preceded it and what followed it. 'Abdallah b. Salam told him to lift his hand and when he did so the verse of stoning was seen to be in it. They then said, “He has spoken the truth, Muhammad; the verse of stoning is in it.” The Prophet then gave command regarding them and they were stoned to death. In a version it says that he told him to lift his hand and that when he did so the verse of stoning was clearly in it. The man then said, “It contains the verse of stoning, Muhammad, but we have been concealing it from one another.” He then gave command regarding them and they were stoned to death. (Bukhari and Muslim.)
Contextual Background
This narration from Mishkat al-Masabih 3559 establishes the divine origin of stoning punishment for married fornicators, demonstrating the continuity between previous revelations and Islamic law.
Scholarly Commentary
The incident confirms that stoning (rajm) was prescribed in the Torah for adulterers, validating it as an authentic divine punishment maintained in Islamic jurisprudence.
Abdallah b. Salam's role highlights the importance of People of the Book who embraced Islam and their knowledge of previous scriptures in verifying Islamic rulings.
The Jews' concealment of the verse demonstrates how divine texts can be corrupted through human interference, emphasizing the need for Islam's final, preserved revelation.
Legal Implications
This hadith serves as foundational evidence for the punishment of stoning for married persons who commit adultery (muhsan), establishing it as a prescribed punishment (hadd) in Islamic law.
The Prophet's implementation despite initial denial shows the obligation to enforce divine punishments even when communities attempt to conceal or alter them.
Spiritual Lessons
The incident teaches the importance of truthfulness in religious matters and the grave sin of concealing divine revelations.
It demonstrates Islam's respect for previous revelations while confirming its role as the final, uncorrupted guidance for humanity.