Musnad Ahmad 25:293

Yazid narrated to us, Abbad bin Mansur informed us, from Ikrimah, from Ibn Abbas, who said: When the verse was revealed: "And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses, lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept their testimony ever" [An-Nur: 4], Sa’d bin Ubadah, who was the leader of the Ansar, said: "Is this how it was revealed, O Messenger of Allah?" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "O assembly of Ansar, do you not hear what your leader says?" They said: "O Messenger of Allah, do not blame him, for he is a jealous man. By Allah, he has never married a woman except a virgin, and he has never divorced a woman of his, such that a man among us would dare to marry her due to the intensity of his jealousy." Sa’d said: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I know that it is the truth and that it is from Allah, but I was astonished that if I were to find a scoundrel with his thighs between a man’s legs, I would not have the right to disturb him or move him until I brought four witnesses. By Allah, I would not bring them until he had finished his need." He said: They had not waited long when Hilal bin Umayyah, who was one of the three whose repentance was accepted, came from his land in the evening. He found a man with his wife, and he saw with his own eyes and heard with his own ears, but he did not disturb him until morning came. He went early to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I came to my wife in the evening and found a man with her. I saw with my eyes and heard with my ears." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) disliked what he had brought and it was severe upon him. The Ansar gathered and said: "We have been afflicted by what Sa’d bin Ubadah said. Now the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) will lash Hilal bin Umayyah and invalidate his testimony among the Muslims." Hilal said: "By Allah, I hope that Allah will make a way out for me from this." Hilal said: "O Messenger of Allah, I see how severe what I have brought is upon you, and Allah knows that I am truthful." By Allah, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was about to order his lashing when the revelation descended upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). When the revelation descended upon him, they would recognize that by the darkening of his skin. So they refrained from him until he finished the revelation. Then it was revealed: "And those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves, then the testimony of one of them..." [An-Nur: 6] until the end of the verse. The distress was lifted from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and he said: "Rejoice, O Hilal, for Allah has made a relief and a way out for you." Hilal said: "I was hoping for that from my Lord, the Mighty and Majestic." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Send for her." They sent for her, and she came. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited it to both of them, reminded them, and informed them that the punishment of the Hereafter is more severe than the punishment of the world. Hilal said: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I have spoken the truth against her." She said: "He lied." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Perform the *li’an* (oath of condemnation) between them." It was said to Hilal: "Testify." He testified four times by Allah that he was among the truthful. When it came to the fifth, it was said: "O Hilal, fear Allah, for the punishment of the world is easier than the punishment of the Hereafter, and this is the *mujibah* (the oath) that brings the punishment upon you." He said: "No, by Allah, Allah will not punish me for it, just as He did not lash me for it." So he testified in the fifth: "That the curse of Allah be upon him if he is among the liars." Then it was said to her: "Testify four times by Allah that he is among the liars." When it came to the fifth, it was said to her: "Fear Allah, for the punishment of the world is easier than the punishment of the Hereafter, and this is the *mujibah* that brings the punishment upon you." She hesitated for a moment, then said: "By Allah, I will not disgrace my people." So she testified in the fifth: "That the wrath of Allah be upon her if he is among the truthful." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) separated them and ruled that her child should not be attributed to a father, nor should she be accused because of him, nor should her child be accused. Whoever accuses her or accuses her child, the prescribed punishment (*hadd*) is upon him. He ruled that she has no housing from him, nor maintenance, because they are separated without divorce, nor is she a widow. He said: "If she brings him reddish-brown, thin-haired, with thin shanks, then he is for Hilal. And if she brings him dark-complexioned, curly-haired, handsome, with thick shanks and full buttocks, then he is for the one she was accused with." She brought him dark-complexioned, curly-haired, handsome, with thick shanks and full buttocks. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Were it not for the oaths, I would have had a matter with her." Ikrimah said: "After that, he became a governor in Egypt, and he was attributed to his mother and not attributed to a father."