Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (14/263)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

being stoned, but when the stones caused him to slip and he felt their pain, he fled. They caught up with him and completed the stoning. When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, learned of this, he said: “Why did you not leave him, so that he might repent and Allah might accept his repentance?” (1)

The scholars said: This proves that a person who confesses may retract his confession, and that if he does so, it is forbidden to carry out the prescribed punishment on him—even if its execution has already begun. Even if he is prompted to retract and then does so, he is to be left alone and the prescribed punishment is not to be carried out on him.

Second: They said that this is what the Rightly Guided Caliphs, may Allah be pleased with them, ruled. (2) It is well known that the Rightly Guided Caliphs have a sunnah that is to be followed, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Hold fast to my sunnah and the sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me.” (3) Thus, if they ruled that a confessor’s retraction of his confession necessitates lifting the prescribed punishment from him, then we are obliged not to carry out the prescribed punishment on him, and it is forbidden for us to do so.

Third: They said that the underlying meaning requires that the prescribed punishment be lifted from him. For if he retracts and says that he did not commit zina, then how can we carry out the prescribed punishment on a man who cries out at the top of his

(1) Narrated by Ahmad (5:216) and Abu Dawud, in Kitab al-Hudud (Prescribed Punishments), chapter: “The Stoning of Ma'iz ibn Malik,” no. 4419, on the authority of Nu'aym ibn Hazzal, may Allah be pleased with him. Al-Hafiz stated in al-Talkhis (4:58): “Its chain of transmission is sound (hasan).” (2) This was reported from Umar and Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with them, by Abd al-Razzaq, no. 18919. Ibn Abi Shaybah also narrated it from Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, no. 28579, al-Hut edition. It was likewise reported from Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, in Musnad Abi Ya'la, no. 328, Husayn Salim Asad edition. (3) Narrated by Imam Ahmad (4:126); Abu Dawud, in Kitab al-Sunnah, chapter: “Adhering to the Sunnah,” no. 4606; al-Tirmidhi, in Kitab al-Ilm (Knowledge), chapter: “What Has Been Reported Regarding Adhering to the Sunnah,” no. 1676; and Ibn Majah, in the Introduction, chapter: “Following the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs,” no. 42, on the authority of al-Irbad ibn Sariyah, may Allah be pleased with him. Al-Tirmidhi said: “Sound and authentic (hasan sahih).” It was also authenticated by Ibn Hibban, no. 5, and al-Hakim (1:96).

يرجمونه، وأزلقته الحجارة، وذاق مسها هرب، حتى أدركوه فأتموا رجمه، فقال النبي ﷺ لما علم بهذا: «هلا تركتموه يتوب فيتوبَ الله عليه؟» (١). قال أهل العلم: وهذا دليل على جواز رجوع المقِر، وأنه إذا رجع في إقراره حرم إقامة الحد عليه، حتى ولو كان قد شُرِع في ذلك، وحتى لو أنه لُقن أن يرجع فرجع فإنه يترك، ولا يقام عليه الحد. ثانياً: قالوا: إن هذا هو ما قضى به الخلفاء الراشدون (٢) ﵃، ومعلوم أن للخلفاء الراشدين سنة متبعة؛ لقول النبي ﷺ: «عليكم بسنتي وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين المهديين من بعدي» (٣)، فإذا قضوا بأن رجوع المقر عن الإقرار موجب لرفع الحد عنه وجب علينا أن لا نقيم عليه الحد، وحرم علينا إقامة الحد. ثالثاً: قالوا: إن المعنى يقتضي رفع الحد عنه؛ لأنه إذا رجع وقال: إنه لم يزنِ، فكيف نقيم الحد على رجل يصرخ بأعلى

(١) أخرجه أحمد (٥/ ٢١٦)، وأبو داود في الحدود باب رجم ماعز بن مالك (٤٤١٩) عن نعيم بن هزال ـ رضي الله عنه ـ قال الحافظ في التلخيص (٤/ ٥٨): «إسناده حسن». (٢) جاء ذلك عن عمر وأبي بكر ﵄ فيما رواه عبد الرزاق (١٨٩١٩)، ورواه ابن أبي شيبة عن عمر ﵁ (٢٨٥٧٩) ط. الحوت، وجاء عن علي ﵁، كما في مسند أبي يعلى (٣٢٨) ط، حسين سليم أسد. (٣) أخرجه الإمام أحمد (٤/ ١٢٦)، وأبو داود في السنة باب لزوم السنة (٤٦٠٦)، والترمذي في العلم باب ما جاء في الأخذ بالسنة (١٦٧٦)، وابن ماجه في المقدمة باب اتباع سنة الخلفاء الراشدين (٤٢) عن العرباض بن سارية ـ ﵁ قال الترمذي: حسن صحيح، وصححه ابن حبان (٥)، والحاكم (١/ ٩٦).