Iran often gains particular coverage for it's regular use of stoning as a mode of execution.
What is the scholarly view on this?. I had been told that the prophet, p.b.u.h. opposed such?.
I'd appreciate information.
Thanks
S
:salam2:
This is an important topic, so I wanted to elaborate on what has been presented previously with references to Quran and Sunnah.
It is clear that fornication and adultery are heinous sins. The problem is that we have become so desensitized to just how terrible these acts truly are. It is so prevalent in the world today, Shaitan has truly deceived so many and led so many people astray. Engaging in pre-marital or extra-marital affairs was once clearly regarded as an evil and transgression, but is now often considered good and normal to engage in these types of relationships. I am so glad that more and more people are "seeing the light" with the religion of Islam and are stopping this detrimental behavior which is so harmful.
Consider the following
Volume 8, Book 82, Number 802:
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud:
I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Which is the biggest sin?" He said, "To set up rivals to Allah by worshipping others though He alone has created you." I asked, "What is next?" He said, "To kill your child lest it should share your food." I asked, "What is next?" He said, "To commit illegal sexual intercourse with the wife of your neighbor."
from the Quran:
"And those who invoke not any other god along with Allah, nor kill such life as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse (zina) and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace; except those who repent and believe and do righteous deeds, for those Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful." (al-Furqaan #25, ayat #68-70)
"And come not near to unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is a faahishah (a great sin) and an evil way." (Sura Al-Israa # 17 ayah # 32)
It is clear that there is a terrible punishment awaiting those who remain unrepentant regarding this sin. BUT, fortunately for us, Allah is most kind and merciful and accepts the sincere repentance of his servants. Alhamdulilahi for that!
Consider the following . . .
Hadithi Qudsi: "O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and put your hope in Me, I have forgiven you for what you have done and I do not mind. O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky and then you would seek My forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins that are close to filling the earth and then you would meet Me without ascribing any partners with Me, I would certainly bring to you forgiveness close to filling it."
Say: O My servants who have transgressed against their own souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. [39.53]
And return to your Lord time after time and submit to Him before there comes to you the punishment, then you shall not be helped. [39.54]
‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas narrates, “When Islam entered my heart, I went to the Messenger of Allah and said, ‘Give me your hand so that I may pledge allegiance to you.’ The Prophet spread his hand, but I withdrew mine. He said, ‘What is wrong ‘Amr?’ I said, ‘I want to make a condition.’ ‘And what is that?’ he said. I said, ‘That Allah will forgive me.’ Then the Messenger of Allah said, ‘Did you not know that Islam wipes out what came before it, and that Hijrah wipes out what came before it and that Hajj wipes out what came before it!” (Sahih Muslim).
However, once we have entered the religion of Islam, we are brought out of that state of ignorance, and recognize the truth of the warning contained in the Quran and agree to sumbit ourselves fully to the Law of Allah. Therefore, we must be willing to take full responsibility for our transgressions from this point on, because we are no longer acting in ignorance but know exactly what are the major sins that are prohibited. Corporal punishments are prescribed for some transgressions, and this is the justice and judgement of Allah. As sister Sandra pointed out, these punishments are not something new, the same punishments were prescribed when the Law of Allah was given to Moses, peace be upon him.
It is true that the prophet, peace be upon him, did not enjoy carrying out the punishment of stoning. But it cannot be said that he opposed the punishment of stoning. He recognized that it was a prescribed punishment from Allah that he had a duty to carry out. The ayah from the Quran posted by brother Optomist was directed to Muhammad, salla aleyhi wa salaam, as well as to the rest of us.
Consider the following as well:
On the authority of ‘Ubaadah ibn As-Saamit the Prophet , said that anyone who commits a sin which deserves a corporal punishment and receives that punishment in the worldly life, it will be an expiation for such a sin. Anyone who commits a sin and Allaah The Almighty does not expose him, his affair is up to Allaah The Almighty; He either punishes or forgives him. Al-Qaadhi ‘Iyaadh from the Maaliki School of jurisprudence, mentioned that the majority of scholars take this Hadeeth as evidence that the corporal punishment prescribed for sins expiates when applied to the sinner.
Some examples of cases when the prophet had to carry out the punishment of stoning include the following:
*Hussain (rha) says The Prophet(SWS) was approached by a woman who committed adultery and became pregnant. She said "punish me" and so after she delivered the child, the Prophet(SWS) tied her clothes and enacted the punishment. Upon being asked the Prophet (SWS) said "She has repented so strongly that if it were distributed amongst seventy people of Madinah, it would accommodate them(that is, her repentance would be good enough for all of them.) (11)
Malik came to the Prophet(SWS) and said "I have committed adultery" The
Prophet(SWS) eventually ordered a ditch to be dug for him in which the man
stood and was stoned to death. The Prophet(SWS) said "He has repented with such a repentance that if it were to be distributed amongst a whole nation, it would be enough for them." (11)
Volume 8, Book 82, Number 813:
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
When Ma'iz bin Malik came to the Prophet (in order to confess), the Prophet said to him, "Probably you have only kissed (the lady), or winked, or looked at her?" He said, "No, O Allah's Apostle!" The Prophet said, using no euphemism, "Did you have sexual intercourse with her?" The narrator added: At that, (i.e. after his confession) the Prophet ordered that he be stoned (to death).
Volume 8, Book 82, Number 826:
Narrated Abu Huraira and Zaid bin Khalid:
Two men had a dispute in the presence of Allah's Apostle. One of them said, "Judge us according to Allah's Laws." The other who was more wise said, "Yes, Allah's Apostle, judge us according to Allah's Laws and allow me to speak (first)" The Prophet said to him, 'Speak " He said, "My son was a laborer for this man, and he committed illegal sexual intercourse with his wife, and the people told me that my son should be stoned to death, but I have given one-hundred sheep and a slave girl as a ransom (expiation) for my son's sin. Then I asked the religious learned people (about It), and they told me that my son should he flogged one-hundred stripes and should be exiled for one year, and only the wife of this man should be stoned to death " Allah's Apostle said, "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, I will judge you according to Allah's Laws: O man, as for your sheep and slave girl, they are to be returned to you." Then the Prophet had the man's son flogged one hundred stripes and exiled for one year, and ordered Unais Al-Aslami to go to the wife of the other man, and if she confessed, stone her to death. She confessed and was stoned to death.
Volume 8, Book 82, Number 805:
Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah Al-Ansari:
A man from the tribe of Bani Aslam came to Allah's Apostle and Informed him that he had committed illegal sexual intercourse and bore witness four times against himself. Allah's Apostle ordered him to be stoned to death as he was a married Person.
Volume 8, Book 82, Number 809:
Narrated Ibn 'Umar:
A Jew and a Jewess were brought to Allah's Apostle on a charge of committing an illegal sexual intercourse. The Prophet asked them. "What is the legal punishment (for this sin) in your Book (Torah)?" They replied, "Our priests have innovated the punishment of blackening the faces with charcoal and Tajbiya." 'Abdullah bin Salam said, "O Allah's Apostle, tell them to bring the Torah." The Torah was brought, and then one of the Jews put his hand over the Divine Verse of the Rajam (stoning to death) and started reading what preceded and what followed it. On that, Ibn Salam said to the Jew, "Lift up your hand." Behold! The Divine Verse of the Rajam was under his hand. So Allah's Apostle ordered that the two (sinners) be stoned to death, and so they were stoned. Ibn 'Umar added: So both of them were stoned at the Balat and I saw the Jew sheltering the Jewess.
The prophet did not enforce the punishment of stoning unless the person willingly confessed to having committed the act. As sister Amirah mentioned previously, it is necessary that there are 4 witnesses, or that the person confesses themselves. It is an atrocious thing to bring a false charge against someone who is innocent of committing adultery or zina, and he warned against this as well:
Volume 8, Book 82, Number 840:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Avoid the seven great destructive sins." They (the people!) asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What are they?" He said, "To join partners in worship with Allah; to practice sorcery; to kill the life which Allah has forbidden except for a just cause (according to Islamic law); to eat up usury (Riba), to eat up the property of an orphan; to give one's back to the enemy and freeing from the battle-field at the time of fighting and to accuse chaste women who never even think of anything touching chastity and are good believers."
Slandering (i.e. accusing others of Zina): Allaah Says (what means): {And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses — lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them testimony ever after.}[Quran 24:4].
Unfortunately I do think there are examples in the world today when the punishment for adultery is not being carried out according to the Sunnah and Quran, and this troubles me. I sometimes hear of an adultress being stoned to death, but not the male companion adulterer. Or that a person is stoned to death without a confession or without 4 witnesses. I have even heard that there have been women who were raped and were then stoned to death, which I hope is not true. This should never happen, a woman who is raped is a victim and is protected and consoled by Islam, and the rapist alone is the one to endure the punishment. And sometimes it appears as though the people carrying out the punishment actually are enjoying participating, and that is troubling as well. We need to speak out against these types of examples.
However, I absolutely accept and agree that stoning is an appropriate recompense for adultery and agree that it should be carried out according to Quran and Sunnah. It is a horrible act that is truly deserving of a terrible punishment. It is fortunate for us that we worship such a merciful God, who would spare a transgressor hell and promise heaven instead by the course of enduring a just punishment that in fact purifies from the sin completely.
May Allah bestow his Forgiveness and Mercy on us and deliver us from the punishment of Hell fire
