was shamed by being censured and struck with sandals. Then Allah, the Exalted, later revealed the verse: "The woman and the man guilty of illegal sexual intercourse, flog each of them with a hundred stripes," and if they were married, they would be stoned according to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

4989 - Abu Zur'ah narrated to us, Yahya ibn Abdullah narrated to us, Ibn Lahi'ah narrated to me, 'Ata ibn Dinar narrated to me, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr regarding His saying: "Then punish them both," meaning: with the tongue, through censure and ugly speech towards them for what they did. There is no detention for them because they are both unmarried, but they are to be censured so that they may repent and feel remorse.

His saying, the Exalted: "Then if they repent"

4990 - Abu Zur'ah narrated to us, Yahya ibn Abdullah narrated to us, Ibn Lahi'ah narrated to me, 'Ata ibn Dinar narrated to me, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr regarding His saying: "Then if they repent," meaning: from the immorality.

His saying, the Exalted: "And make amends"

4991 - And through the same chain, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr regarding His saying: "Then if they repent and make amends," meaning: their deeds.

His saying, the Exalted: "Then leave them alone"

4992 - And through the same chain, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr regarding His saying: "Then leave them alone," meaning: do not let them hear abuse after their repentance. "Indeed, Allah is ever Accepting of repentance, Merciful." This was the practice for the unmarried and the married at the beginning of Islam, then the prescribed punishment (hadd) for the adulterer was revealed, and so the detention and abuse were abrogated, superseded by this verse in the chapter which mentions the Light (Surah al-Nur): "The woman and the man guilty of illegal sexual intercourse..." [to the end of the] verse.

His saying, the Exalted: "Indeed, Allah is ever Accepting of repentance"

4993 - Ali ibn al-Husayn narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Isa narrated to us, Jarir narrated to us, from 'Umarah, from Abu Zur'ah who said: The first thing that was written is: I am the One who accepts repentance, I accept the repentance of whoever repents.

His saying, the Exalted: "Merciful"

4994 - Abu Zur'ah narrated to us, Yahya ibn Abdullah narrated to us, Abdullah ibn Lahi'ah narrated to me, 'Ata ibn Dinar narrated to me, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr regarding His saying: "Merciful," meaning: merciful to them after repentance.

4995 - Ali ibn al-Husayn narrated to us, al-Abbas ibn al-Walid narrated to us, Yazid narrated to us, Sa'id narrated to us, from Qatadah regarding His saying: "Merciful," he said: To His servants.