5 – ʿAlqamah reported—on the authority of Ibn Buraydah, from his father—that Maʿiz ibn Mālik came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, “The other man (i.e., I) has committed adultery; so carry out the prescribed penalty against him.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent him away. He came back a second time and repeated the same words; then a third time, saying the same; then a fourth, declaring, “The other man has committed adultery; apply the legal penalty to him.” The Prophet ﷺ asked his Companions, “Do you see anything wrong with his mind?” They answered, “No.” He said, “Take him away and stone him.” They led him off and began pelting him with stones. Because death was slow in coming, he moved to a spot where there were many stones, stood there, and the Muslims stoned him until they killed him. When news of this reached the Prophet ﷺ, he said, “Why did you not let him go?” Someone remarked, “We hope that this will count as repentance.” When that reached the Prophet ﷺ, he said, “He has indeed repented with a repentance that—were a whole group of people to show it—it would have been accepted from them.” When his clan heard this, they took hope and asked what should be done with his body. He said, “Do with him what you do with your dead: shroud him, perform the funeral prayer over him, and bury him.” So his people took him and offered the funeral prayer for him.

In another wording: “Maʿiz ibn Mālik came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and admitted to adultery, whereupon he turned him away. He returned and confessed again, and was turned away; a third time; and then a fourth. The Prophet ﷺ asked, ‘Do you notice any defect in his reason?’ They said, ‘No.’ He then ordered that he be stoned in a place with few stones. As death came slowly, he set off at a run toward a place with many stones, the people followed him, and they stoned him until he died. They later spoke of the matter to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who said, ‘If only you had let him be.’ His people then sought permission from the Prophet ﷺ to bury him and offer the prayer for him, and he gave it, saying, ‘He has repented with a repentance that—were a number of people to make it—it would be accepted from them.’”

Another version states: “When the Prophet ﷺ ordered that Maʿiz ibn Mālik be stoned, he first stood in a place where the stones were few and death was delayed. He was then taken to an area with many stones, and the people followed him until they stoned him. When this reached the Prophet ﷺ, he said, ‘Why did you not let him go?’”

Another narration says: “When Maʿiz ibn Mālik died from stoning, the people disagreed about him. Some said, ‘Maʿiz has destroyed himself,’ while others said, ‘He repented.’ When this reached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he said, ‘He has repented with a repentance that, if the collector of an unlawful tax were to repent in the same way—or any number of people—it would be accepted from them.’”

Yet another version relates: “Maʿiz ibn Mālik came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was sitting and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have committed adultery; enforce the legal penalty on me.’ The Prophet ﷺ turned away from him. He repeated this four times, and each time the Prophet ﷺ turned him away and ignored him. On the fourth occasion he asked, ‘Have you detected any impairment in this man’s mind?’ They replied, ‘We know only soundness of mind and goodness in him.’ He said, ‘Then take him and stone him.’ They led him to a place where the stones were few; when the stones struck him, he panicked, bolted toward al-Ḥarrah, and there he stood firm. They stoned him with its rocks until he fell silent. They told the Prophet ﷺ, ‘O Messenger of Allah, Maʿiz panicked when the stones hit him and fled.’ He replied, ‘Why did you not let him go?’ The people then disagreed about him: one group said, ‘Maʿiz is ruined; he destroyed himself,’ while another said, ‘Rather, he turned to Allah with a repentance that—were a number of people to make it—it would be accepted from them.’ They asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what should we do now?’ He said, ‘Do with him what you do with your dead: wash him, shroud him, apply scent, perform the prayer over him, and bury him.’

This ḥadith has reached us through multiple chains, all conveying what has just been mentioned.