eighty lashes, the permanent rejection of their testimony, and their being deemed defiantly disobedient:

“Except for those who repent thereafter and reform; indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

Repentance does not waive the lashes if the person accused demands them, but it unquestionably removes the status of defiant disobedience. Does it also remove the bar to accepting their testimony? Most scholars said that it does.

If a person is widely reputed among people to have committed sexual immorality, he is not stoned on that account. This is established by the authentic report from Ibn ‘Abbās: when he related the account of the spouses’ mutual oaths and the Prophet’s words, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“If she gives birth to a child resembling her husband, he has falsely accused her; but if she gives birth to a child resembling the man with whom he accused her of committing adultery, his accusation is true.”

She then gave birth to a child matching the unwelcome description, and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Were it not for the oaths, I would have dealt with her differently.”

Ibn ‘Abbās was asked: “Was this the woman about whom the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘If I were to stone anyone without proof, I would stone her’?”

He replied: “No. That was a woman who openly engaged in wickedness while a Muslim.”

He thus stated that he would not stone anyone without proof, even if that person’s wickedness was apparent.

This hadith also shows that resemblance carries weight in this matter, even in the absence of proof. Likewise, it is authentically reported that when that funeral procession passed by him and people praised the deceased—and so on to the end of the report—he said:

“You are Allah’s witnesses on His earth.”

It is also reported from him in al-Musnad that he said:

“Soon you will be able to distinguish the people of Paradise from the people of Hell.”

He was asked: “O Messenger of Allah, how will that be?”

He replied: “By the good and bad things said about them.”

Thus, he regarded widespread reports