What is the punishment for adultery in Islam? If I'm not mistaken, the Quraan says to flog them, I would say that flogging is the valid punishment. But let me remind you that there is a haddith that says to stone them to death. Why? I will explain briefly later, but first, let me quote for you the ayats that states flogging in the Quraan;
Let no man guilty of adultery or fornication marry and but a woman similarly guilty, or an Unbeliever: nor let any but such a man or an Unbeliever marry such a woman: to the Believers such a thing is forbidden. [24:3]
Coupled with ayat 24:02: The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication,- flog each of them with a hundred stripes: Let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by God, if ye believe in God and the Last Day: and let a party of the Believers witness their punishment.
From the above ayats, it is clear that the punishment for 'zina', whether adultery or fornication, is flogging, not stoning. Stoning was done before the relevant verses of the Quraan on flogging were revealed, and applied to the Jews with whom there was an agreement to apply to them their law of the Torah.
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar
The Jew brought to the Prophet a man and a woman from amongst them who have committed (adultery) illegal sexual intercourse. He ordered both of them to be stoned (to death), near the place of offering the funeral prayers beside the mosque."
Did you read this right??? The Jew...
Jewish people usually asked the Prophet pbuh to judge between them, under their law. The Prophet pbuh was so well regarded in Medina that Jews would come to him to act as judge using their law. After the verse was revealed, no Muslims (to my knowledge) where stoned to death by the Prophet pbuh. Basically, one version of the story says that when confronted with a need to know how to proceed, the Prophet pbuh consulted "the learned ones to whom the Book was revealed before", the Jews. The Talmud prescribes stoning for adultery, so that was what was adopted. Some scholars believe that stoning is the punishment for married adulterers and flogging is reserved for unmarried adulterers. Yet, the Quran seems to indicate that adulterers get to live:
If some Muslims today wish to follow the ways of the Jews, then such Muslims may continue to apply stoning to death for adultery, then they may disregard the command of Allah SWT on adultery, as explicitly stated in the Quraan. I have stated this specific punishment in the Quran about adultery. How can a Hadith specific to a given time abrogate the Quraan? To elevate ahadith above the Holy Quraan, is a form of manifest misguidance.
Yes, the Holy Prophet Mohamed pbuh issued commands on the basis of received revelation from Allah SWT. But no such revelation that we are to follow, can possibly contradict the preserved Word of Allah SWT. If it appears to be, then we have to lay aside such reports as questionable. In the meantime, we obey Allah SWT and follow His Word, and not follow the Jews in their laws. Thereby, we will be avoiding a clear and manifest form of shirk by equating, or elevating the words of humans over that of Allah SWT.
The Quraan is the preserved literal word of Allah [15:10]. We are bidden to love and follow the Holy Prophet pbuh.
