the kindness he shows the sick person, and for enduring any hardship or irritation that may come from him—especially when the one under his care is facing a cause that will certainly end his life, whether through illness or a legal execution. This is illustrated by the ḥadith of ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn (may Allah be pleased with him), in which a woman from the tribe of Juhaynah came to the Prophet ﷺ while pregnant by fornication. She said, “Messenger of Allah, I have incurred a prescribed penalty; carry it out on me.” She was asking him to apply the ḥadd of stoning, for she was already married. The Prophet ﷺ summoned her guardian and said, “Treat her kindly; when she gives birth, bring her back to me.”

After she had delivered the child, she was brought to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He then instructed her to wait until she had weaned the infant. When she returned with the child weaned, he ordered that the penalty be carried out. He also directed that her clothes be fastened around her—tied securely so that she would not thrash about while being stoned and thus expose her private parts. She was then stoned to death, and the Prophet ﷺ performed the funeral prayer for her.

This narration proves that the relatives of a person who is dying—or of one about to be executed—should be advised to treat him with kindness, gentleness, and whatever else the situation requires, just as the Prophet ﷺ did. It also shows that a confession of fornication does not have to be repeated four times: if the adulterer confesses even once, while sane and free of any ambiguity, his confession is accepted and the ḥadd is enforced. In addition, the report indicates that, in carrying out a legal penalty, harm must not extend beyond the one on whom the sentence is imposed; for had she