Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (14/393)

Issue: A man finds another man—may Allah protect us—committing adultery with his wife. Is his punishment a matter of repelling an assailant?

Answer: No. Rather, it falls under punishing the aggressor. If he finds him with his wife, he may take up the sword and cut him in two without warning. For this, as Shaykh al-Islam also stated, is a case of punishing the aggressor.

Such a case occurred during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him. A man entered upon his wife and found another man with her. He took a sword and cut him in two. The relatives of the slain man demanded retaliation for his blood, and the parties brought their case before Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him. The man said, “By Allah, O Commander of the Believers, if anyone was between my wife’s thighs, I killed him.” Umar said, “What do you say?” They replied, “Yes.” So Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, took the sword, shook it, and said to him, “If they return, then return.” (1) This is because it is a case of punishing the aggressor; that is, we punish such an offender without warning.

His statement: “Whoever enters a man’s home stealthily”: even if he is not one of the thieves, he entered furtively, intending to take something from that house.

His statement: “His ruling is likewise”: that is, like one who assaults another’s property. He is to be repelled by the least severe means possible; if he cannot be repelled except by killing, then he is killed.

If he says, “I entered seeking a book that I wanted to consult; I did not intend to…”

(1) Sa'id ibn Mansur narrated it in his Sunan, as cited in Al-Mughni (9/153), but its chain is disconnected. Abu Nu'aym also narrated it in Al-Hilya (4/321-322), with similar wording and some variation, on the authority of al-Shabi; its chain is likewise disconnected.

مسألة: رجل وجد على امرأته رجلاً ـ والعياذ بالله ـ يزني بها، فهل عقوبته من باب دفع الصائل؟ الجواب: لا، لكنه من باب عقوبة المعتدي، فإذا وجده على أهله فله أن يذهب إلى السيف، ثم يقدَّه نصفين، بدون إنذار؛ لأن هذا ـ كما قال شيخ الإسلام أيضاً ـ من باب عقوبة المعتدي، وقد وقعت هذه القضية في عهد عمر بن الخطاب ﵁، فقد دخل رجل على أهله، فوجد عليها رجلاً، فأخذ بالسيف فقدَّه نصفين، فطالب أولياء المقتول بدمه، ثم ارتفعوا إلى عمر بن الخطاب ﵁، فقال الرجل: والله يا أمير المؤمنين إن كان أحد بين فخذي أهلي فأنا قد قتلته، فقال: ما تقولون؟ قالوا: نعم، فأخذ عمر ﵁ السيف وهزه، وقال له: إن عادوا فعد (١)؛ لأن هذا من باب عقوبة المعتدي، بمعنى أننا نعاقب هذا الفاعل بدون إنذار. قوله: «وَمَنْ دَخَلَ مَنْزِلَ رَجُلٍ مُتَلَصِّصاً» وإن كان ليس من اللصوص، لكنه دخل متلصصاً، يريد أن يأخذ من هذا البيت. قوله: «فحُكْمُهُ كَذلِكَ» أي: كالصائل على المال، فيدافع بالأسهل فالأسهل، فإن لم يندفع إلا بالقتل فإنه يقتل. فإن قال: أنا دخلت أطلب كتاباً، أريد أن أراجع، ما أريد

(١) رواه سعيد بن منصور في سننه كما في المغني (٩/ ١٥٣) وهو منقطع. ورواه أبو نعيم في الحلية (٤/ ٣٢١ ـ ٣٢٢) بنحوه ببعض اختلاف عن الشعبي به وهو منقطع أيضاً.