As he was being brought to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) I saw Ma'iz b. Malik-a short-statured person with strong sinews, having no cloak around him. He bore witness against his own self four times that he had committed adultery, whereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Perhaps (you kissed her or embraced her). He said: No. by God, one deviating (from the path of virtue) has committed adultery. He then got him stoned (to death), and then delivered the address: Behold, as we set out for Jihad in the cause of Allah, one of you lagged behind and shrieked like the bleating of a male goat, and gave a small quantity of milk. By Allah, in case I get hold of him, I shall certainly punish him.
The Case of Ma'iz ibn Malik
This narration from Sahih Muslim 1692a presents the legal precedent for the punishment of adultery when the perpetrator confesses voluntarily without coercion. Ma'iz ibn Malik approached the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) of his own accord, demonstrating the Islamic emphasis on sincere repentance.
Scholarly Commentary on the Confession
The Prophet's repeated questioning ("Perhaps you kissed her or embraced her") shows the Islamic legal principle of seeking alternatives to hudud punishments. Scholars explain this was to give Ma'iz opportunities to retract his confession and avoid the severe punishment.
Ma'iz's insistence on four separate occasions establishes the requirement for clear, unambiguous confession in Islamic jurisprudence. His statement "one deviating has committed adultery" indicates full awareness of the sin's gravity.
Legal and Spiritual Dimensions
The stoning punishment implements the divine law for married adulterers. Classical scholars note this case exemplifies how hudud punishments purify the sinner's spiritual record while maintaining societal moral boundaries.
The Prophet's subsequent sermon connects individual sins to collective spiritual health. The metaphor of the lagging goat refers to those who undermine community morality through hidden sins while appearing outwardly pious.
Jurisprudential Principles Established
This hadith establishes that hudud punishments require either confession or four reliable witnesses. It demonstrates the Islamic legal preference for privacy in sins and the high evidentiary standards for implementing capital punishments.
Scholars derive from this case that sincere repentance through accepting legal punishment expiates sin, as the Prophet did not condemn Ma'iz to eternal punishment but ensured his spiritual purification.