Tawḍīḥ al-Aḥkām - Abd Allah al-Bassam - (6/221)

Tawḍīḥ al-AḥkāmAbd Allah al-Bassam

Points derived from the two hadiths:

1 – Maʿiz ibn Mālik al-Aslamī (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet ﷺ while he was in the mosque, called out to him, and confessed that he had committed adultery. The Prophet ﷺ turned away, hoping he might retract and repent privately to his Lord. But Maʿiz, angered with himself and determined to purify his soul through the prescribed penalty, confronted the Prophet again and confessed a second time. The Prophet ﷺ continued to turn away until Maʿiz had testified against himself four times. Only then did the Prophet verify his condition: he asked whether Maʿiz was insane, and Maʿiz said no; he asked Maʿiz’s relatives about his mental soundness, and they praised him. He then asked whether Maʿiz was previously married or a virgin—because only a previously married adulterer is to be stoned—and Maʿiz confirmed he was married. The Prophet ﷺ inquired further, lest what Maʿiz had done fall short of the act that incurs the ḥadd, perhaps mere touching or kissing; Maʿiz declared he had committed the very act of adultery. When the Prophet ﷺ had confirmed every detail and was certain the penalty must be carried out, he ordered his Companions to take Maʿiz and stone him. They led him to Baqīʿ al-Gharqad, the place where funeral prayers are offered, and began the stoning. When Maʿiz felt the sting of the stones, his human nature sought escape and he fled; they caught up with him at al-Ḥarra and continued until he died—may Allah be pleased with him.

2 – Adultery is established by confession just as it is established by testimony. A discussion will follow on whether a single confession suffices or whether, as in this hadith, four confessions are required.

3 – The confession of a madman is not accepted and no ḥadd is applied to him, because legal responsibility (taklīf) is a precondition for the prescribed penalties. In some narrations of this hadith the Prophet ﷺ asked, “Are you insane?” and he replied, “No.”

4 – A judge or muftī must investigate thoroughly when issuing rulings and ask detailed questions about matters that could change the verdict. The Prophet ﷺ questioned the confessor here about his deed until it became clear that he had committed the very act of adultery, and he turned away from him hoping he would retract his admission—until the confession was repeated four times.

* ما يؤخذ من الحديثين: ١ - أتى ماعز بن مالك الأسلمي ﵁ إلى النَّبي ﷺ وهو في المسجد، فناداه، واعترف على نفسه بالزنا، فأعرض النبي ﷺ لعلَّه يرجع، فيتوب فيما بينه وبين ربه، ولكن قد جاء غاضبًا على نفسه، جازمًا على تطهيرها بالحد، فقصده من تلقاء وجهه مرَّة أخرى، فاعترف بالزنا أيضًا، فأعرض عنه النبي ﷺ حتى شهد على نفسه بالزنا أربع مرات، حينئذٍ استثبت النبي ﷺ عن حاله، فسأله: هل به من جنون؟ قال: لا، وسأل أهله عن عقله، فأثنوا عليه خيرًا، ثم سألة: هل هو محصن، أم بِكر لا يجب عليه الرجم؟ فأخبره أنَّه محصن، وسأله: لعلَّه لم يأت ما يوجب الحد، من لمس أو تقبيل، فصرح بحقيقة الزنا، فلما استثبت ﷺ من كل ذلك، وتحقق من وجوب إقامة الحد، أمر أصحابه أن يذهبوا به فيرجموه، فخرجوا به إلى بقيع الغرقد، وهو مصلى الجنائز، فرجموه، فلما أحسَّ بحر الحجارة، طلبت النفس البشرية النجاة، ورغبت في الفرار من الموت، فهرب، فأدركوه بالحرة، فأجهزوا عليه حتى مات، ﵀، ورضي عنه. ٢ - أنَّ الزنا يثبت بالإقرار، كما يثبت بالشهادة، ويأتي: هل يكفي الإقرار مرَّة، أم لابد من الإقرار أربع مرات كما في هذا الحديث؟. ٣ - أنَّ المجنون لا يعتبر إقراره، ولا يثبت عليه الحد؛ لأنَّ شرط الحد التكليف؛ فقد جاء في بعض روايات هذا الحديث أنَّ النَّبيَّ ﷺ قال له: "أبك جنون؟ قال: لا". ٤ - أنه يجب على القاضي والمفتي التثبت في الأحكام، والسؤال بالتفصيل عما يجب الاستفسار عنه، مما يغيِّر الحكم في المسألة؛ فإنَّ النَّبيَّ ﷺ سأل المقر هنا عن عمله، حتى تبيَّن له أنَّه فعل حقيقة الزنا، وأعرض عنه لعله يرجع عن اعترافه, حتى كرر الإقرار، أربع مرات.