Hafiz Abdur Razzaq,1 Abad bin Hamid and Ibne Mudhir have narrated
through their chains of narrators from Dauli that: A woman was brought to Umar,
who had delivered a child after six months of pregnancy and Umar ordered her to
be stoned to death.
Her sister came to Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a.s.) and said: “Umar wants to stone
my sister to death. I adjure you by God that if there is any excuse for her, let me
know.” Ali (a.s.) said: “There is an excuse for her.” So the woman recited: “God
is the greatest (Takbeer),” which Umar and those around him heard. Then she
came to Umar and said: “Ali (a.s.) believes that I have an excuse for my sister.”
Umar sent someone to Ali (a.s.) and asked what the excuse was. Ali (a.s.) replied:
Allah Almighty says:
ۖوَٱلْوَٰلِدَٰتُ يُرْضِعْنَ أَوْلَـٰدَهُنَّ حَوْلَيْنِ كَامِلَيْنِ۞
“And the mothers should suckle their children for two whole years…”2
And also says:
ۚ وَحَمْلُهُۥ وَفِصَـٰلُهُۥ ثَلَـٰثُونَ شَهْرًا
“And the bearing of him and the weaning of him was thirty months.”3
And God says:
وَفِصْلُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ
“And his weaning takes two years.”4
Now, even if we keep aside this report, it can be concluded that the period of
pregnancy in the verse:
ۚ وَحَمْلُهُۥ وَفِصَـٰلُهُۥ ثَلَـٰثُونَ شَهْرًا
“And the bearing of him and the weaning of him was thirty months.”5
…is supposed to be six months, [because, the period of weaning is 24
months and subtracting this from thirty months, six months remain.
At this point Umar released that woman. The narrator says: After that we
came to know that the woman delivered another child after six months’
pregnancy.
Most amazing
Scholars of tradition have narrated from Baja6 bin Abdullah Jehni that: A
man from our clan married a woman from the Jehina tribe. She gave birth to a
child after six months of pregnancy. Her husband went to Uthman and the latter
ordered them to stone her to death. This was reported to Ali (a.s.). He came to
Uthman and said: “What are you doing? It is not justifiable to condemn her to
stoning, because Allah, the Mighty and the High says:
ۚ وَحَمْلُهُۥ وَفِصَـٰلُهُۥ ثَلَـٰثُونَ شَهْرًا
“And the bearing of him and the weaning of him was thirty months.”7
He also says:
ۖوَٱلْوَٰلِدَٰتُ يُرْضِعْنَ أَوْلَـٰدَهُنَّ حَوْلَيْنِ كَامِلَيْنِ۞
“And the mothers should suckle their children for two whole years…”8
On the basis of this, the period of weaning is 24 months and what remains is
the period of pregnancy: that is six months. Uthman said: “By God, I never
noticed this.” Then he ordered her to be released, but they found that by that time
she had already been stoned to death. And the words of that lady to her sister
were: “Sister, don’t worry, by God, no one, other than my husband has touched
me.”
The narrator says that the boy grew up and resembled the father and the
latter admitted that he was indeed his son, and I saw that man after that on his
sick bed and each of his limbs fell off.9
Is it not shameful that in the absence of Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) some
persons become his successors, who have such a level in adjudication? Is it
justice that a person having such lack of knowledge should get power on life and
property of Muslims? Is it justice that honor of Muslims, public treasury and their
women should come under control of someone, whose behavior is as such? No,
by God:
وَرَبُّكَ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ وَيَخْتَارُ ۗ مَا كَانَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخِيَرَةُ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ وَتَعَـٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ (٦٨)
“And your Lord creates and chooses whom He pleases; to
choose is not theirs; glory be to Allah, and exalted be He above
what they associate (with Him).”10
وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ أَجْمَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَمْكُرُونَ (١٠٢)
“And you were not with them when they resolved upon their
affair, and they were devising plans.”11
فَذَاقُوا۟ وَبَالَ أَمْرِهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ (٥)
“Then tasted the evil result of their conduct, and they had a
painful punishment?”12