It is quiet difficult for our human minds to comprehend how stoning by death (Rajm) could be a form of punishment for adultery for this Ummah, when our Nabi (saw) was sent down as a Mercy to the worlds (Rahmatallil Alameen). But if we look into this issue with some thought and logic, things become very easy to understand.
First that the conditions or criteria to be fulfilled for a person to be stoned are very hard to meet- almost impossible. Lets see what the Hanafi fiqh says about this, as it is the largest madhab in Sunni Islam.
Requirements for stoning-
Actually some scholars say that Rajm was a pre-Islamic practice and Islam had substituted with lashings, as lashing is the punishment we find in Quran for this particular sin. But according to Sahih Hadith, Rajm was carried out in the time of Rasool Allah (saw), so all 4 madhabs of Sunni Islam consider it a legal form of punishment. But if we look at the conditions needed to implement Death by Stoning, it is quite clear that it is quite impossible to carry it out.
That is the reason why, we rarely see this kind of punishment being given in Islamic history. No case of stoning was seen in Mughal era. And only one case of Rajm was reported in Ottoman era. Moreover, Rasool Allah (saw), according to sahih Hadith, didnt like it if someone came for him to be punished. He (saw) would try to turn them away or try to downplay it. Below is a short video narrating a hadith regarding Rajm and how Rasool Allah (saw) told the sahaba to let the person be if he runs away.
In recent times, we have seen cruel cases of stoning of women in some places like Pakistan and african countries where extremist wahhabism has taken hold. These people do not refer to the rulings of Imams of Fiqh, they insist on following their own understanding of Hadith and follow their own understanding of shariat. These days, it has become a fashion among Muslims to read Hadith by themselves and infer the meaning by themselves, without consulting the books of Fiqh or consulting the elders and Aalims. because of this attitude, confusion, cruelty and fitnah are becoming rampant. May Allah make us obedient to our elders and follow the footsteps of our Imams and Ulama to understand Islam better. Ameen
- The person himself should come forward as a sign of repentance. Does Allah not forgive him if he doesnt go for Rajm? Ofcourse Allah is all merciful and he forgives if we repent with a pure heart. But some people are so obedient and fearful of punishment in hereafter, that they prefer being punished here to make sure that they do not have any change of punishment on the day of judgment.So it is totally upto the person who committed adultery.
- The person should be already married with another woman. If an unmarried person (man or woman) commits adultery, they get lashes only- as prescribed in the Quran.
- There should be 4 male witnesses who have watched the act of adultery taking place- as ridiculous as it might seem, this conditions nullifies any possibility of the adulterer to be punished with death by stoning. Unless the couple had committed the act in public, its not possible for 4 men to watch them performing the act. No married adulterer does such an act in public, even in the western world.
- If the person runs away when he/she is being hit by the stone- it is allowed. He can run away and there is no more punishment.
Actually some scholars say that Rajm was a pre-Islamic practice and Islam had substituted with lashings, as lashing is the punishment we find in Quran for this particular sin. But according to Sahih Hadith, Rajm was carried out in the time of Rasool Allah (saw), so all 4 madhabs of Sunni Islam consider it a legal form of punishment. But if we look at the conditions needed to implement Death by Stoning, it is quite clear that it is quite impossible to carry it out.
That is the reason why, we rarely see this kind of punishment being given in Islamic history. No case of stoning was seen in Mughal era. And only one case of Rajm was reported in Ottoman era. Moreover, Rasool Allah (saw), according to sahih Hadith, didnt like it if someone came for him to be punished. He (saw) would try to turn them away or try to downplay it. Below is a short video narrating a hadith regarding Rajm and how Rasool Allah (saw) told the sahaba to let the person be if he runs away.
In recent times, we have seen cruel cases of stoning of women in some places like Pakistan and african countries where extremist wahhabism has taken hold. These people do not refer to the rulings of Imams of Fiqh, they insist on following their own understanding of Hadith and follow their own understanding of shariat. These days, it has become a fashion among Muslims to read Hadith by themselves and infer the meaning by themselves, without consulting the books of Fiqh or consulting the elders and Aalims. because of this attitude, confusion, cruelty and fitnah are becoming rampant. May Allah make us obedient to our elders and follow the footsteps of our Imams and Ulama to understand Islam better. Ameen
Also read Stoning in other religions.
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