Were there any male Companions who were stoned to death?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The examples of the application of the penalty of stoning to death by the Prophet (pbuh):

1. A single worker who committed adultery with the wife of his employer was given the penalty of one hundred lashes and exile for one year; the woman was stoned to death.

According to what is reported from Abu Hurayra and Zayd b. Khalid al-Juhani, the husband of the woman who committed adultery and the father of the worker applied to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and asked him to judge based on “the Book of Allah”. The father of the worker said,

“My son was a worker in the house of this person and he committed adultery with his wife. I was informed that my son deserved stoning to death. However, I gave one hundred sheep and a female slave as ransom on behalf of him. Meanwhile, I asked some scholars. They told me that my son deserved one hundred lashes and exile for one year (since he was single) and the woman deserved stoning to death.” Thereupon, the Prophet (pbuh) said,

“By Him in whose hand is my life. I will decide between you according to the Book of Allah. The female slave and the sheep will be given back. Your son will be punished with one hundred lashes and exile for one year. O Unays! Go to the wife of this man. If she makes a confession, stone her.”

Unays went to the woman and she confessed her crime. She was stoned to death upon the order of the Prophet (pbuh). (Muslim, Hudud, 25; Bukhari, Hudud III, 38, 46, Wakalah, 13).

According to Abu Hanifa, one year of exile along with one hundred lashes is in the form of an addition to the verse; when the verse was sent down, that additional part was abrogated. However, the president of the Islamic state can apply it as a tazir penalty.

2. Stoning of Ma’iz b. Malik, who confessed his fornication four times.

Ma’iz b. Malik came to the Prophet (pbuh) and said, “Purify me.” The Prophet (pbuh) said to him, “Woe on you! Go away. Repent of your sin and ask Allah for forgiveness.” Ma’iz returned without going very far and said, “O Messenger of Allah! Purify me.” The Prophet (pbuh) made him go away three times by saying the same things. When he said it for the fourth time, the Prophet (pbuh) asked, “What shall I purify you from?” Ma’iz said, “From adultery.” The Prophet (pbuh) asked the people there, “Does he suffer from a mental illness?” They said that he did not have such an illness. He asked, “May he have drunk wine?” Somebody stood up to check. He could not sense any smell of wine. The Prophet (pbuh) asked Ma’iz again, “Did you commit adultery?” Ma’iz said, “Yes, I did.” The Prophet (pbuh) gave the order and he was stoned.

After Ma’iz was stoned to death, the Companions were divided into two about him. Some of them said that he had been destroyed while others said that he had made the most virtuous repentance. This different approach lasted for three days. Then, the Messenger of Allah came over to them and said, “Ask forgiveness for Ma’iz b. Malik.” They said, “ May Allah forgive Ma’iz.” Then, the Prophet (pbuh) said, “Ma’iz made such a repentance that if that were to be divided among a people, it would be enough for all of them.” (Muslim, Hudud, 22; ash-Shawkani, Naylul-Awtar, VII, 95,109; az-Zaylai, Nasbur-Raya, III, 314 ff)

3. The stoning of the married woman from Ghamidiya due to adultery

“A short while after Ma’iz was stoned to death, a woman from Ghamid branch of the tribe of Azd came and said, “O Messenger of Allah! Purify me.” The Prophet (pbuh) said to her, “Woe on you! Go away. Repent of your sin and ask Allah for forgiveness.” The woman said, “Do you want to send me away like you did to Ma’iz.” The Prophet (pbuh) asked, “What happened to you?” The woman said she was pregnant due to adultery. The Prophet (pbuh) asked, “You?” The woman said, “Yes.” The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Go away and return when you give birth.” A man from Ansar undertook the care of the woman. After a while, he came to the Prophet (pbuh) and said, “The woman from Ghamid gave birth.” A man from Ansar undertook the care of the child and she was stoned.” (Muslim, Hudud, 22, 23, 24; Ibn Majah, Diyat, 36; Malik, Muwatta’, Hudud, II).

It is stated in another narration that she was given permission until the child kept suckling and that Khalid b Walid uttered bad words about the woman when blood splashed on him during stoning. Then, the Prophet (pbuh) said to him,  

“O Khalid! Be gentle. By Him in whose hand is my life that she made such a repentance that even if a wrongful tax-collector were to repent, he would be forgiven.” Then, he ordered her dead body to be prepared and led her janazah prayer. Then, she was buried.

4. The stoning of a married Jewish man and a Jewish woman due to adultery

According to what is reported from Abdullah b. Umar, a Jewish man and woman who committed adultery were brought to the Prophet (pbuh). The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) asked Jews about the decree of adultery in the Torah. The Jews said, “We darken their faces and make them ride on the donkey with their faces turned to the opposite direction and their backs touching each other, and then they are taken round the city.” They brought the Torah but when the young Jew who was reading placed his hand on the verse pertaining to stoning and skipped it, Abdullah b. Salam, who was a Jew before becoming a Muslim, noticed it and asked the Prophet (pbuh) to command him to lift his hand. When he lifted his hand, the verse pertaining to stoning was seen. Both Jews were stoned because they committed adultery though they were married. (Muslim, Hudud, 26)

The incident of the stoning of the two Jews reported from Bara b. Azib is as follows:  

“A Jew whose face had been blackened by coal and who had been flogged was brought to the Prophet (pbuh). The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) asked Jews about the decree of adultery in the Torah. When the Jews said the penalty was like that, he asked a Jewish scholar, “I ask you in the name of Allah who sent down the Torah on Musa (Moses): What is the decree for adultery in the Torah?” The Jewish scholar said, “Stoning to death exist in the Torah. However, adultery became quite common amongst our aristocratic class. When a rich person was caught and brought to us, we would release him, but when we caught hold of a helpless person, we would stone him. We gave up stoning in order to punish both groups equally; we replaced stoning with blackening the face with coal and flogging.” Thereupon, the Prophet (pbuh) said, “O Allah! I am the one who will fulfill your command after they changed it.” Then, he gave the order and the Jew was stoned.”  

According to some Islamic mujtahids, if non-Muslims apply to the Muslim court, the judge has to act according to Allah’s decree. They say that their right of choice regarding the issue was abrogated. According to an opinion from Hanafis and Imam Shafi’i, this principle is valid. However, Abu Hanifa states the following: “If the non-Muslim husband and wife come to the Islamic court together, it is necessary to judge with justice between them. If the woman comes alone, the judge cannot make a judgment if her husband does not consent.” According to Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad, he can make a judgment. (Ahmed Davudoğlu, Sahihi Müslim Terceme ve Şerhi, İstanbul 1978, VIII, 376).

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