Mishkat al-Masabih 3581

Yazid ibn Nuaym ibn Hazal, from his father, reported: Maiz ibn Malik was an orphan under my father's care, and he had intercourse with a young woman from the neighborhood. My father said to him, Go to the Messenger of God and tell him what you have done; perhaps he will ask forgiveness for you. He only intended this in the hope that Maiz might find a way out. Maiz went to him and said, Messenger of God, I have committed adultery, so carry out God's ruling on me. He said it four times. The Messenger of God said, You have said it four times; with whom? He replied, With so-and-so. He asked, Did you lie beside her? He said, Yes. He asked, Did you touch her? He said, Yes. He asked, Did you have intercourse with her? He said, Yes. The Prophet ordered that he be stoned. He was taken out to al-Harrah. When the stoning began and he felt the stones, he became distressed and ran off. Abdullah ibn Unays encountered him after his companions had fallen behind; he pulled off a camel's shinbone and threw it at him, killing him. Then he came to the Prophet and told him what had happened. The Prophet said, Why did you not leave him? Perhaps he would have repented, and God would have accepted his repentance. Abu Dawud transmitted it.