Hadith Text & Context

This narration from Sahih Muslim 1690c presents the foundational Islamic legal punishments (hudud) for unlawful sexual intercourse (zina), as conveyed by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The command "Take from me" emphasizes the divine origin of these rulings, which are to be implemented by the legitimate Islamic authority under strict evidential requirements.

Scholarly Commentary on the Punishments

For the Married Offender (Muhsan): The punishment is one hundred lashes followed by stoning (rajm). The term 'Muhsan' refers to a free, adult Muslim who has previously entered a valid marriage and had the opportunity for lawful sexual relations. The legal principle derived is that the hadd punishment for a muhsan is stoning, with the lashing mentioned here understood by scholars as a disciplinary measure preceding the capital punishment.

For the Unmarried Offender (Ghair Muhsan): The punishment is one hundred lashes and exile for one year. Exile (nafy) is prescribed to separate the offender from their corrupt environment, allow for repentance, and protect the community's moral fabric. Jurists differ on whether exile is an integral part of the punishment or a discretionary measure (ta'zir) to be applied by the ruler.

Legal Principles & Evidentiary Requirements

These severe punishments are designed as a deterrent and to establish societal boundaries. Their application is contingent upon meeting the extremely high burden of proof, which requires either the confession of the accused (repeated voluntarily and retractable at any time) or the testimony of four upright, male Muslim witnesses who directly observed the sexual act.

The wisdom (hikmah) behind these rulings is the profound sanctity Islam places on lineage and family structure. By making the consequence of public immorality so severe, the law protects society from the widespread social ills that result from the normalization of illicit relationships.