- published: 17 Nov 2015
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Rajm is an Arabic word that means "stoning". It is commonly used to refer to the Hudud punishment wherein an organized group throws stones at a convicted individual until that person dies. Traditionally it is called for in cases of adultery where the criteria for conviction are met. The appropriate punishment for adultery committed by a married man or married woman with someone who is not legal to him/her and there is a confession from either the adulterer/adulteress or the confession of testimony of four witnesses (as prescribed by the Quran in Surah an-Nur verse 4). Other Muslims disagree entirely regarding its legality, arguing that it cannot be found in the Qur'an. However Surah an-Nur deals with adultery in regard to unmarried men and women (regarded as fornication as the Arabic word Zina, describes both fornication and adultery) and does not prescribe the punishment towards those who commit adultery whilst married.
In some schools of Islamic law the punishment of stoning has been prescribed as punishment for married men or women who have committed adultery, following a confession or the testimony of four eye-witnesses. It has no basis in the Qur'an however it is found in Hadith (e.g. Sahih Muslim 17:4191 - 4209 and 17:4916 & 17:4194) . Persons who accuse a woman of adultery but are not able to bring four witnesses are liable to a punishment of 80 lashes and to be unacceptable as witnesses unless they repent and reform. The testimony of those who accuse their own spouse without any other witnesses may be accepted if they swear by God four times that they are telling the truth with a fifth oath to incur God's condemnation if they be lying. The accused shall be considered innocent if they swear by God four times that the spouse is a liar, again with the fifth oath inviting God's wrath if the spouse be telling the truth.