Malik, al-Shafiʿi, Abu Thawr, and Ibn al-Mundhir, on the other hand, hold that one confession is enough to establish the ḥadd. They cite the Prophet’s ﷺ directive: “Anis, set out to this man’s wife; if she confesses, stone her,” in which no requirement is made for four admissions.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also ordered the stoning of the Juhaniyyah woman even though she had confessed only once.

They reply to the ḥadith of Maʿiz by pointing out that the reports on the number of confessions are inconsistent: some versions mention four, others two, and others three.

As for analogy, it does not hold here, for in property claims two upright witnesses are indispensable, yet if a person admits liability once, that single admission is—by consensus—sufficient.

In terms of evidence, the second view is weighty, whereas the first view is more cautious. Allah knows best.