2499 — “You have done well. Leave her until she recovers.”

Muslim (5/125), al-Tirmidhi (1441), Ibn al-Jarud (816), al-Bayhaqi (8/229), and al-Tayalisi (1/300, in its arranged edition)—and Ahmad (1/156) from him—also narrated it. So too did Abu Ya‘la (folio 23/1, microfilm 2), through al-Suddi, from Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaydah, from Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman, who said:

Ali delivered a sermon and said: “O people, enforce the prescribed penalty upon your slaves, whether married or unmarried. A slave-woman belonging to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, committed adultery, and he ordered me to flog her. But I found that she had recently given birth, and I feared that, if I flogged her, I would kill her. So I mentioned this to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and he said”—then he mentioned the above.

The additional wording is Muslim’s. It also has a supporting report through another route, which follows.

Al-Tirmidhi said: “A good, authentic hadith. Al-Suddi’s name is Isma‘il ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman. He was one of the Successors; he heard from Anas ibn Malik and saw Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him.”

I say: The other route is from ‘Abd al-A‘la ibn ‘Amir, from Abu Jamilah, from Ali, with similar wording: “Once her bleeding has dried up, flog her, and enforce the prescribed penalties upon those whom you own.” Abu Dawud (2/239), al-Bayhaqi, al-Tayalisi, and Ahmad (1/89, 136, 145) narrated it.

I say: ‘Abd al-A‘la ibn ‘Amir—who is al-Tha‘labi—is weak.