Allah's Messenger. I have committed adultery. He (the Holy Prophet) turned away from him, He (again) came round facing him and said to him: Allah's Messenger, I have committed adultery. He (the Holy Prophet) turned away until he did that four times, and as he testified four times against his own self, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) called him and said: Are you mad? He said: No. He (again) said: Are you married? He said: Yes. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Take him and stone him.
The Book of Legal Punishments - Sahih Muslim 1691c
This narration from Sahih Muslim presents the case of a man who voluntarily confessed to adultery before the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The man persisted in his confession despite the Prophet turning away from him repeatedly, demonstrating the seriousness of such admissions in Islamic law.
Scholarly Commentary on the Narration
The turning away of the Prophet (peace be upon him) indicates his desire for the person to reconsider his confession and potentially retract it, showing mercy and giving opportunity for repentance without legal consequences.
The four-fold confession requirement establishes the strict evidentiary standard for hadd punishments - ensuring the confession is deliberate, voluntary, and repeated without coercion or confusion.
The questions "Are you mad?" and "Are you married?" verify the legal conditions for implementing the punishment: sanity and marital status, as stoning applies only to married individuals (muhsan) who commit adultery.
Legal Principles Derived
Confessions to capital crimes must be clear, repeated, and voluntary without any external pressure or mental impairment.
Islamic judges should initially discourage confessions that lead to hadd punishments, emphasizing God's mercy and encouraging repentance without legal prosecution.
The punishment of stoning (rajm) applies specifically to married Muslims who commit adultery, distinguishing it from the punishment for unmarried offenders.