He said: "And what prevents me from doing so? Do not be an aid to Satan against your brother. It is incumbent upon the ruler, when a legal punishment (hadd) reaches him, to carry it out. 'And let them pardon and overlook. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you?' [24:22]" (1)

14280 - Abu Zur'ah narrated to us, [saying]: Yahya ibn 'Abd Allah narrated to us, [saying]: Ibn Lahi'ah narrated to me, [saying]: 'Ata' narrated to me, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr regarding the saying of Allah: "And let them pardon"—he said: The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to Abu Bakr: "So pardon." Abu Bakr said: "I have pardoned and overlooked; I will not withhold any kindness from him after today."

His saying: "And let them overlook."

14281 - Abu Zur'ah narrated to us, [saying]: Yahya narrated to us, [saying]: Ibn Lahi'ah narrated to me, [saying]: 'Ata' narrated to me, from Sa'id, regarding the saying of Allah: "And let them overlook"—meaning: let them forgive Mistah ibn Uthatha. It was narrated from Qatadah something similar.

The saying of the Most High: "Do you not love that Allah should forgive you?"

14282 - By the same chain, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr regarding the saying of Allah: "Do you not love"—meaning Abu Bakr—"that Allah should forgive you?" The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to Abu Bakr: "Do you not love that Allah should forgive you?" He said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said: "So pardon and overlook." Abu Bakr said: "I have pardoned and overlooked; I will not withhold any kindness from him after today."

The saying of the Most High: "And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."

[The first interpretation]

14283 - By the same chain, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr: "And Allah is Forgiving" of sins, "Merciful"—meaning: to the believers. And regarding His saying: "Indeed, those"—meaning: those who slandered 'Aisha—"who accuse"—meaning: who slander with adultery—"chaste women"—meaning: those chaste in their private parts, [meaning] pure.

14284 - Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman, the nephew of 'Abd Allah ibn Wahb, narrated to us, [saying]: My paternal uncle narrated to us, [saying]: Sulayman ibn Bilal narrated to me, from Thawr ibn Zayd, from Abu al-Ghayth, from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Avoid the seven destructive sins." It was said: "O Messenger of Allah, and what are they?" He said: "Associating partners with Allah (shirk), sorcery, killing the soul which Allah has forbidden except by right, consuming usury, consuming the wealth of the orphan, fleeing on the day of the march (battle), and slandering chaste, unsuspecting, believing women." (2)

14285 - Abu Sa'id al-Ashaj narrated to us, [saying]: 'Abd Allah ibn Khirash narrated to us, from al-'Awwam, from Sa'id