When the verse was revealed, "And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses, lash them with eighty lashes and never accept their testimony" [Nur 24:4], Saad bin Ubada, who was the chief of the Ansar, said, "Is this how it has been revealed, Messenger of Allah?"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Company of the Ansar, do you not hear what your chief is saying?"They replied, "Messenger of Allah, do not blame him, for he is a jealous man. By Allah, he has never married any woman except a virgin, nor has he ever divorced any woman of his such that any man among us would dare to marry her, due to the intensity of his jealousy."Saad said, "By Allah, Messenger of Allah, I know that this is the truth and that it is from Allah Almighty. But what astonishes me is that if I were to find some scoundrel lying with my wife, I would not be permitted to disturb him or stir against him until I brought four witnesses. By Allah, I would never bring them before he had finished his business."It was not long after this that Hilal bin Umaya, one of the three whose repentance was accepted, came from his land in the evening and found a man with his wife. He saw with his own eyes and heard with his own ears, but did not disturb the man until morning. Then he went early to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "Messenger of Allah, I came to my wife in the evening and found a man with her. I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ disliked what Hilal had brought to him, and it weighed heavily upon him. The Ansar gathered and said, "We have been afflicted with what Saad bin Ubada spoke of. Now the Messenger of Allah ﷺ will flog Hilal bin Umaya and invalidate his testimony among the Muslims."Hilal said, "By Allah, I hope that Allah will provide me a way out of this."Hilal then said, "Messenger of Allah, I see that what I have brought weighs heavily upon you, but Allah knows that I am truthful."By Allah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was about to order him to be flogged when revelation descended upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Whenever revelation came down upon him, they would recognize it by the change in the color of his skin, so they held back from him until the revelation was complete. Then was revealed, "And those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves, then the testimony of one of them..." [Nur 24:6], the verse.When the state passed from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he said, "Rejoice, Hilal, for Allah has provided you relief and a way out."Hilal said, "I had been hoping for that from my Lord."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Send for her."They sent for her and she came. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited the verses to them both, admonished them, and informed them that the punishment of the Hereafter is more severe than the punishment of this world.Hilal said, "By Allah, Messenger of Allah, I have spoken the truth against her."She said, "He has lied."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Have them perform the lian against each other."It was said to Hilal, "Bear witness."So he bore witness four times by Allah that he was among the truthful. When it came to the fifth oath, it was said, "Hilal, fear Allah, for the punishment of this world is lighter than the punishment of the Hereafter, and this fifth oath is the binding one that will bring punishment upon you."He said, "By Allah, Allah will not punish me for it just as He has not flogged me for it." So he bore witness on the fifth that the curse of Allah be upon him if he were among the liars.Then it was said to her, "Bear witness four times by Allah that he is among the liars."When the fifth came, it was said to her, "Fear Allah, for the punishment of this world is lighter than the punishment of the Hereafter, and this fifth oath is the binding one that will bring punishment upon you."She hesitated for a moment, then said, "By Allah, I will not disgrace my people." So she bore witness on the fifth that the wrath of Allah be upon her if he were among the truthful.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then separated them and ruled that her child would not be ascribed to a father, that she would not be accused of adultery, and that her child would not be accused of illegitimacy. Whoever accused her or her child would be subject to the prescribed punishment. He also ruled that she had no right to housing or maintenance from him, since they had been separated without divorce and without the death of a husband.He said, "If she gives birth to a child who is reddish-blond, with thin legs, then he is Hilal's. But if she gives birth to one who is dark-skinned, curly-haired, well-built, with thick legs and full buttocks, then he belongs to the man she was accused with."She gave birth to a child who was dark-skinned, curly-haired, well-built, with thick legs and full buttocks. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Were it not for the oaths, I would have had a different matter to settle with her."Ikrima said, "He later became a governor of Egypt, and he was ascribed to his mother and not to his father."
حدثنا يزيد أخبرنا عباد بن منصور عن عكرمة
لما نزلت {والذين يرمون المحصنات ثم لم يأتوا بأربعة شهداء فاجلدوهم ثمانين جلدة ولا تقبلوا لهم شهادة أبدا} قال سعد بن عبادة وهو سيد الأنصار أهكذا نزلت يا رسول الله فقال رسول الله ﷺ يا معشر الأنصار ألا تسمعون إلى ما يقول سيدكم قالوا يا رسول الله لا تلمه فإنه رجل غيور والله ما تزوج امرأة قط إلا بكرا وما طلق امرأة له قط فاجترأ رجل منا على أن يتزوجها من شدة غيرته فقال سعد والله يا رسول الله إني لأعلم أنها حق وأنها من الله تعالى ولكني قد تعجبت أني لو وجدت لكاعا تفخذها رجل لم يكن لي أن أهيجه ولا أحركه حتى آتي بأربعة شهداء فوالله لا آتي بهم حتى يقضي حاجته قال فما لبثوا إلا يسيرا حتى جاء هلال بن أمية وهو أحد الثلاثة الذين تيب عليهم فجاء من أرضه عشاء فوجد عند أهله رجلا فرأى بعينيه وسمع بأذنيه فلم يهجه حتى أصبح فغدا على رسول الله ﷺ فقال يا رسول الله إني جئت أهلي عشاء فوجدت عندها رجلا فرأيت بعيني وسمعت بأذني فكره رسول الله ﷺ ما جاء به واشتد عليه واجتمعت الأنصار فقالوا قد ابتلينا بما قال سعد بن عبادة الآن يضرب رسول الله ﷺ هلال بن أمية ويبطل شهادته في المسلمين فقال هلال والله إني لأرجو أن يجعل الله لي منها مخرجا فقال هلال يا رسول الله إني قد أرى ما اشتد عليك مما جئت به والله يعلم إني لصادق و والله إن رسول الله ﷺ يريد أن يأمر بضربه إذ أنزل الله على رسول الله ﷺ الوحي وكان إذا نزل عليه الوحي عرفوا ذلك في تربد جلده يعني فأمسكوا عنه حتى فرغ من الوحي فنزلت {والذين يرمون أزواجهم ولم يكن لهم شهداء إلا أنفسهم فشهادة أحدهم} الآية فسري عن رسول الله ﷺ فقال أبشر يا هلال فقد جعل الله لك فرجا ومخرجا فقال هلال قد كنت أرجو ذاك من ربي عز وجل فقال رسول الله ﷺ أرسلوا إليها فأرسلوا إليها فجاءت فقرأها رسول الله ﷺ عليهما وذكرهما وأخبرهما أن عذاب الآخرة أشد من عذاب الدنيا فقال هلال والله يا رسول الله لقد صدقت عليها فقالت كذب فقال رسول الله ﷺ لاعنوا بينهما فقيل لهلال اشهد فشهد أربع شهادات بالله إنه لمن الصادقين فلما كان في الخامسة قيل يا هلال اتق الله فإن عذاب الدنيا أهون من عذاب الآخرة وإن هذه الموجبة التي توجب عليك العذاب فقال والله لا يعذبني الله عليها كما لم يجلدني عليها فشهد في الخامسة أن لعنة الله عليه إن كان من الكاذبين ثم قيل لها اشهدي أربع شهادات بالله إنه لمن الكاذبين فلما كانت الخامسة قيل لها اتق الله فإن عذاب الدنيا أهون من عذاب الآخرة وإن هذه الموجبة التي توجب عليك العذاب فتلكأت ساعة ثم قالت والله لا أفضح قومي فشهدت في الخامسة أن غضب الله عليها إن كان من الصادقين ففرق رسول الله ﷺ بينهما وقضى أنه لا يدعى ولدها لأب ولا ترمى هي به ولا يرمى ولدها ومن رماها أو رمى ولدها فعليه الحد وقضى أن لا بيت لها عليه ولا قوت من أجل أنهما يتفرقان من غير طلاق ولا متوفى عنها وقال إن جاءت به أصيهب أريسح حمش الساقين فهو لهلال وإن جاءت به أورق جعدا جماليا خدلج الساقين سابغ الأليتين فهو للذي رميت به فجاءت به أورق جعدا جماليا خدلج الساقين سابغ الأليتين فقال رسول الله ﷺ لولا الأيمان لكان لي ولها شان قال عكرمة فكان بعد ذلك أميرا على مصر وكان يدعى لأمه وما يدعى لأبيه