Okay guys so "don't listen to me" but here's my take on why stoning to death as a form of punishment is barbaric and wholly unsupported from an Islamic perspective.

I will try to keep technical to a minimum but I think this needs to be addressed.

Thank @Gum6324 for this one https://twitter.com/fe_akin/status/1248932083671670784

The first thing we need to discuss is that it is literally *entirely absent* from the Quran. Not a single verse alludes to the punishment in any way, for any offense.

This is convincing enough for some, while others ask "what about the hadith"?

We'll take a look, but before...

I want to be very clear that from an Usul al Fiqh analysis, there are differing opinions on if a hadith can over rule the Quran, but I would argue that even using the traditionalist criteria, it is impossible to ascertain the same level of epistemological value to a hadith.

Remember, most hadith are ahad (have a single sole narrator) or just a handful. Compared to the scripture, which is mutawatir (so well known by a countless number of people). If you want to believe a statement that one person heard over thousands of thousands, be my guest.

One of the hadith that points to stoning, Ibn Majah B9, H2020:
"The Verse of stoning & of breastfeeding an adult 10 times was revealed, & the paper was with me under my pillow. When the Messenger of Allah died, we were preoccupied with his death, & a sheep came in and ate it.”...

Bruh...

1. Dont get me started on "the breast feeding an adult"

2. "A sheep came in and ate it"...

I swear i'm trying to stay composed here but if you actually take this hadith (which even the muhaditheen graded as weak/okay) seriously, I think we have bigger problems.

There is another narration in Musnad Ahmad, but they are both heavily criticized. There are a couple of others in Bukhari/Muslim about Umar allegedly saying that people will be weary because they do not find it in the Quran, but lets take a look at another hadith...

'When this (verse) was revealed I came to Prophet and asked if I could write it, he (the Prophet) disliked it.' (Mustadrik Al-Hakim, H8184)

You want to believe that God allegedly revealed a verse of the Quran, and the prophet was like "naw fam im good"?

Another hadith...

Bukhari B72, H5
" ...Do not throw stones, for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has forbidden throwing stones, or he used to dislike it." `Abdullah added: Throwing stones will neither hunt the game, nor kill (or hurt) an enemy, but it may break a tooth or gouge out an eye."

Stay with me.

If the prophet forbade throwing stones at an animal or even *enemy* because it will seriously hurt them as opposed to being lethal, you think this is something that is prescribed to "believers"?

So many hadith contradict this very idea, but classical commentators were stubborn.

Finally, I want to loop back to the scripture.

Quran 4:25 (regarding the right-hand)

"...But once they are sheltered in marriage, if they should commit adultery, then for them is half the punishment for free women (or man) ..."

Let's do some simple math here...

If the punishment for adultery (even assuming they are married, which is never explicitly stated) is DEATH, and the alternative for a member of society who is a right-hand is *half*, what is half of death? Someone please let me know because your boy needs help. Anyone?

You have two options:

1. You know its nonsensical, because it's absent from the scripture and the hadith are conflicting, weak, and don't make sense.

OR

2. Have figured out how to divide death in half.

But hey don't listen to me, I'm not a sheikh.

Water is better at room temperature.