How does / can Islam justify stoning women to death for adultry under mainstream Shariah law?

Question

For the record; I am an athiest with an interest in religion and I have read the Qu'ran several times. Within Sharia law, there are a group of "Hadd" offenses such as pre-marital sexual intercourse, sex by divorced persons, post-marital sex, adultery, false accusation of unlawful intercourse, drinking alcohol, theft, and highway robbery. Hadd sexual offenses carry a sentence of stoning to death or severe flogging. Chapter 24 of the Qur'an, explicitly instructs believers to whip those found guilty of adultery. It's not contemporary or even based on real world science, EXAMPLE; under an obscure tenet of Islamic law an embryo can 'sleep' for years before swelling a woman's belly thus it is believed that an interval of up to 7 years can pass between conception and birth. This means that a woman who is pregnant and has been divorced for fewer than seven years can theoretically claim the father of the fetus is her former husband. Is that the acceptable face of Islam?

People have asked where the 7 years bit came from. It's available from a lot of sources but check www.religioustolerance.org/isl_adul2.htm

Also, while I appreciate men can be stoned as well as women and that you have to have several witnesses, that's all a kop out really. What your argument says is that as long as it cant be proven then it doesn't count. Not exactly fair on the cases where it is proven.

What I will say is I'm actually in favour of capital punishment for rapists, murderers, child molestors etc. I don't however think that adultry, divorce etc could ever be considered a crime punishable by any form of violence or even threat of violence. I also know that strict Shariah law is not practised everywhere, mainly the likes of Sudan, Nigeria, Saudi etc but it concerns me that muslims typically argue for it to be more commonplace including in the UK. I know it's not true but these type of facts dovetailed with extremism unfairly paint Islam as a sinister religion.

Answer 1

Jesus said 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone!'
I feel this statement crosses ALL religious divides.
PS
It is not surprising to find so many 'knowledgeable' responses to this question. No matter what these people have to say, killing is wrong.
It seems to form the core of islamic thought!
I'm surprised to learn so many of these people have such a strong and intimate knowledge of the mind of God.

Answer 2

Don't.
Leave her to Allah
Let Allah judge her, not you. Stay patient and you could always advice her, remind her of Allah.
I think it is best to help her, not hurt her!
Allah knows best!

These nonMuslims don't even know Islam, they have wrong information and think in Islam women are weaker than men which is false. its a bad idea about Islam made by those who hate Islam and some Muslims who had mixed their old bad cultures with Islam orders. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
"Assuredly, women are the twin halves of men."
in İslam which one is the closest to God ,is stronger, man or woman

So in İslam everybody equal ... free your mind,Research İslam , read (Quran) and decide yourself :)

Answer 3

You study religion yet cannot tell the difference between a religious law set by Islam and a law set by a country, I think the 7 year rule applies in Iran.

Just to correct you a women has 3 months not 7 years in order to see if she has been impregnated by the husband be it divorce, death, etc.

As for the stoning maybe you should research that further too, if someone is accused of adultery the person who accuses this person must provide 4 reliable witnesses who actually witnessed the act not the accused holding hands, them actually being inthe process of intercourse, and most people will probably agree with me that this is quite hard do.

In addition to this not only does the woman get punished the man would too.

Another way for the accused to get capital punishment would be for them to confess to the act, however you must take into mind that the Almighty is merciful so repentance is usually the option advised by the judge him/herself to the confessor, there have been cases of them asking up to 3 times.

So I don't think that the law is harsh considering:
1 - it usully deters people from actually causing the crime and,
2 - it usually is not carried out as people advise repentance most of the time.

Only one case of the sentence was actually carried out during the prophet's lifetime and this was only because the couple had continuously asked for capital punishment.

So maybe "research" a bit more and become a bit more open-minded considering the time that this was revealed.

Answer 4

The punishment is not just prescribed for women, but also men.
Like all other punishment in Islam, and in all other religions and in secular democratic law (religion itself), the punishment is to deter and prevent people from committing these acts and to be an example for people who may reflect on committing these acts. Also, deceases do not become wide spread, abortion -killing of lives does not take place and babies without fathers and even without mothers in some cases do not occur. Stoning the adulteror (one who is already married) and flogging/whipping the fornicator (one who is not married but has sex outside marriage) has been prescribed by the Creator, the Law-Giver, the Legislator. All major religion had/has this (Christianity/Jewdism). It is from the All-Wise from His Wisdom. Those countries that apply it, they see the benefit.

EXAMPLE; under an obscure tenet of Islamic law an embryo can 'sleep' for years before swelling a woman's belly thus it is believed that an interval of up to 7 years can pass between conception and birth. This means that a woman who is pregnant and has been divorced for fewer than seven years can theoretically claim the father of the fetus is her former husband. Is that the acceptable face of Islam? THIS HAS NO BASIS IN THE RELIGION OF ISLAM, WHERE DID YOU GET THIS FROM? WHERE IS THE REFERENCE. PEOPLE CAN SAY ANYTHING, BUT BRING THE PROOF. WHEN A WOMAN MENSTRUATES THIS IS THE SIGN THAT SHE WILL NOT OR IS NOT PREGNANT FROM THE PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIP. THAT IS WHY WHEN A MUSLIM MAN DIVORCES HIS WIFE, HE/SHE HAVE TO WAIT 40 DAYS UNTIL AFTER MENSTRUATION.

Answer 5

Good to know that you have read the Qur'an. Yes, chapter 24 does delineate such laws. The important thing to note however is that:

The punishment for pre-marital sex is 100 lashes whereas the punishment for fornication after marraige is stoning to death, BUT there was a very important pre-requisite before that can be done. There should be four (4) witnesses before the punishment for stoning to death can be implemented.

Now consider this, if a man and a woman commited fornication with each others consent then its almost impossible to produce four witnesses.

Where would four witnesses help then? Obviously in case of a rape. So, the punishment of stoning to death essentially applies to a rapist when four witnesses have testified. Don't you think this is the right punishment to thwart or put an end to rapes, considering that it has become a big and annoying problem, especially in western countries. If there is such a punishment, do you think the rate of rapes would increase or decrease?

The divorce is of three kinds. Most laudable, where the husband repudiates his wife by making one pronouncement within the term of Tahr (purity, when the woman is not passing through the period of menses). Second type is laudable, where the husband repudiates his wife by pronouncing three sentence in three Tuhrs (plural for Tahr). Third is when a husband repudiates his wife by three sentences at once. Though the third type of divorce hold for good but it is not considered good (hasty decision, chances of regretting later) and the husband is considered to be an offender.

After the husband pronounces the divorce, there is a period called 'Idda. In this period, the woman should stay at her husband's house, and the husband has been commanded to provide for her. The period of 'Idda lasts three months and serves two purposes. First, a chance of reconciliation between the two, and second, to ensure that the woman doesn't get pregnant. After the Idda, a woman can marry again (ofcourse not the husband who divorced her).

Here is what the Qur'an says:

"Divorced women shall wait concerning themselves for three monthly periods. Nor is it lawful for them to hide what Allah Hath created in their wombs, if they have faith in Allah and the Last Day. And their husbands have the better right to take them back in that period, if they wish for reconciliation. And women shall have rights similar to the rights against them, according to what is equitable; but men have a degree (of advantage) over them. And Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise. " (Chapter 2, Verse 228)

I hope its clarified now.

Answer 6

Thanks for your question. Just to add, the adultry hadd is for both men and women.
To be honest with you, I am not sure I understand the part concerning the embryo and the 7 years nor heard of it. But Islam is not some cut in stone rules mentioned in Quran that has nothing to do with modern science.

For example, in a recent case in my country between a couple when the woman claimed the man to be the father and he denied (she says it was Orfi marriage and he says an affair), DNA was used to determine that the man is the father and it was proved they were married and there is now a divorce case.

Had they been proven not married and it was an affair (adultry), unforunately Sharia Hadd (which ranges from keeping them inside their homes till they repent or die - stoning) was not to take lace becaue my country, unfortunately, has civil law that is partially taken from sharia and elsewhere.

Does this make any sense?

Answer 7

I think you are obsessed with this matter, so much that you are ignoring the contradictions inherent in other religions. I suppose that you are also racist or bigotted, and are desperately seeking some way to attack Islam, Arabs, Persians, and others who follow or study Islalm.

Many religions have divides between scripture, theory, and practice. Islam isn't the only one. In a world where Moslem can kill Moslem, using heresy or anything else as an excuse, where Protestant people throw rocks and bottles at children going to school in Portadown or Ulster, this should be obvious.

Answer 8

Which society has the highest rape figures, teenage pregnancy, single mothers, and homeless? The concept of family is diminishing y? These are exactly the kind of things that Islamic rules would help avoid. Under the Islamic shariah, a man convicted of having raped a woman, is given capital punishment. Many are astonished at this ‘harsh’ sentence. Some even say that Islam is a ruthless, barbaric religion! I have asked a simple question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose, God forbid, someone rapes your wife, your mother or your sister. You are made the judge and the rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would you give him? All of them said they would put him to death. Some went to the extent of saying they would torture him to death. To them I ask, if someone rapes your wife or your mother you want to put him to death. But if the same crime is committed on somebody else’s wife or daughter you say capital punishment is barbaric. Why should there be double standards?

Western society falsely claims to have uplifted women

Western talk of women’s liberalization is nothing but a disguised form of exploitation of her body, degradation of her soul, and deprivation of her honour. Western society claims to have ‘uplifted’ women. On the contrary it has actually degraded them to the status of concubines, mistresses and society butterflies who are mere tools in the hands of pleasure seekers and sex marketeers, hidden behind the colourful screen of ‘art’ and ‘culture’.

USA has one of the highest rates of rape

United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries of the world. It also has one of the highest rates of rape in any country in the world. According to a FBI report, in the year 1990, every day on an average 1756 cases of rape were committed in U.S.A alone. Later another report said that on an average everyday 1900 cases of rapes are committed in USA. The year was not mentioned. May be it was 1992 or 1993. May be the Americans got ‘bolder’ in the following years.

Consider a scenario where the Islamic hijaab is followed in America. Whenever a man looks at a woman and any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic hijaab, that is the complete body is covered except the face and the hands upto the wrist. After this if any man commits rape he is given capital punishment. I ask you, in such a scenario, will the rate of rape in America increase, will it remain the same, or will it decrease?

Your answer is plain and simple if you just do a little research.

I challenge u to compere Americas crime rates with Saudi Arabia(Runs under Sharia Law) and tell me who has the highest figures.

Be A little realistic OK.

Answer 9

1st this punishment is for men and woman, not only women as people claim. for married couples who condemn sex with a partner than their husband or wife.

2nd no one would like the punishment of stoning to death, but it's not up to Muhammad to decide yes or no. it's whatever God command shall be. there is a story of which a woman want to repent her adultery to Muhammad, and Muhammad was trying to push her away, but after she clearly admit it, then Muhammad had no choice than to obey God command.

3rd. there is very hard restriction on this. it's very hard to get caught. there must be 4 trusted witness who have witness the sex. which is very hard. 1, 2 or 3 are not enough. There MUST BE 4 Trusted Witnesses, plus the woman or the man has to confess their adultery. and if anyone said false thing about a believer woman he gets 80 slashes as a punishment. stoning to death is not an easy thing to do, it's very difficult to get caught.

Answer 10

They cant, they would need 4 seperate male witnesses to testify against her, in practise this in not usually feasable.

Keep reading the Koran and the read the bible you will see the difference and maybe you wont be an aithiest
God Bless you