The Stoning Verse: Why It Was Abrogated from Recitation

Critics claim that abrogation was innovated by Muslims to get out of the predicament of contradictions in the verses, and that the stoning verse is “missing” because the Quran has been tampered with or is incomplete.

Abrogation was practiced in the time of the Prophet ﷺ and was not innovated after him. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would not permit anyone to issue a fatwa until they learned the abrogating and abrogated verses. Furthermore, abrogation exists in all divine laws, some verses themselves indicate abrogation without any external intervention, and the ruling on a verse as abrogated has strict conditions that prevent arbitrary tampering with the text.

وَمِن ثَمَرَٰتِ ٱلنَّخِيلِ وَٱلْأَعْنَـٰبِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِنْهُ سَكَرًۭا وَرِزْقًا حَسَنًا ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةًۭ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَعْقِلُونَAnd from the fruits of the palm trees and grapevines you take intoxicant and good provision. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who reason.

يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلْخَمْرِ وَٱلْمَيْسِرِ ۖ قُلْ فِيهِمَآ إِثْمٌۭ كَبِيرٌۭ وَمَنَـٰفِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثْمُهُمَآ أَكْبَرُ مِن نَّفْعِهِمَا ۖ وَيَسْـَٔلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَ قُلِ ٱلْعَفْوَ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَThey ask you about wine and gambling. Say, “In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit.” And they ask you what they should spend. Say, “The excess.” Thus Allah makes clear to you the verses [of revelation] that you might give thought.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنتُمْ سُكَـٰرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَعْلَمُوا۟ مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلَا جُنُبًا إِلَّا عَابِرِى سَبِيلٍ حَتَّىٰ تَغْتَسِلُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌۭ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَـٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءًۭ فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًۭا طَيِّبًۭا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًاO you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying or in a state of janabah, except those passing through [a place of prayer], until you have washed [your whole body]. And if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and find no water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and your hands. Indeed, Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا ٱلْخَمْرُ وَٱلْمَيْسِرُ وَٱلْأَنصَابُ وَٱلْأَزْلَـٰمُ رِجْسٌۭ مِّنْ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ فَٱجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَO you who have believed, indeed, wine, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful.

On the authority of Umar bin Al-Khattab, he said: “O Allah, explain to us the cure for wine.” So the verse in Al-Baqarah was revealed:They ask you about wine and gambling… Umar was called and it was read to him. He said: “O Allah, explain to us the cure for wine.” So the verse in An-Nisa was revealed: O you who believe, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated. Umar was called and it was read to him. Then he said: “O Allah, explain to us the cure for wine.” So the verse in Al-Ma’idah was revealed: Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through wine and gambling… until His saying: Will you not desist? Umar was called and it was read to him. He said: “We have desisted, we have desisted.”
Grade: Sahih · Al-Bukhari

Critics argue that because the stoning verse does not appear in the present-day written Quran, it must have been lost or removed, and that Muslims are covering up this gap with the excuse of “abrogation.”

The stoning verse was abrogated in recitation while its ruling remained operative. This is a recognized category of naskh (abrogation) called “abrogation of the wording, preservation of the ruling” (naskh al-tilawa duna al-hukm). It was established during the Prophet’s lifetime, narrated by multiple Companions with sound chains, and its ruling is enforced by consensus (ijma) of the jurists.

“How many Surahs do you count?” I said, “Seventy-three.” He said, “It was equivalent to Surah Al-Baqarah, and we used to recite in it the verse of stoning: ‘The old man and the old woman, if they commit adultery, stone them both. It is a punishment from Allah. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.’”Narrator: Ibn Jarir al-Tabari — Source: Musnad Umar, 2/873. Chain: Sound.

The Jews came to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and mentioned to him that a man and a woman among them had committed adultery, so the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to them: “What do you find in the Torah regarding stoning?” They said: “We will disgrace them and flog them.” Abdullah bin Salam said: “You have lied, it contains stoning.” So they brought the Torah and spread it out. One of them put his hand on the verse of stoning and read what came before it and what came after it. Abdullah bin Salam said to him: “Raise your hand.” So he raised his hand and there was the verse of stoning in it. They said: “He is right, O Muhammad, it contains the verse of stoning.” So the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, ordered them to be stoned. Abdullah said: “I saw the man attacking the woman to protect her from the stones.”Grade: Sahih · Al-Bukhari

“I have read it: ‘If an old man and an old woman commit adultery, stone them both.’ The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, stoned, and we stoned after him.”Narrator: Al-Albani — Source: Sahih Ibn Majah. Chain: Sahih.

“God sent Muhammad with the truth and revealed the Book to him, and among what God revealed was the verse of stoning, so we read it, understood it, and memorized it. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, stoned, and we stoned after him. I fear that if time passes for the people, someone will say: ‘By God, we do not find the verse of stoning in the Book of God,’ and they will go astray by abandoning an obligation that God revealed. Stoning in the Book of God is a right upon those who commit adultery if they are married, whether men or women, if evidence is established, or pregnancy occurs, or a confession occurs.”Narrator: Al-Baghawi — Source: Sharh al-Sunnah, 5/460. Chain: Authentic.

On the authority of the Mother of the Believers: “The old man and the old woman, if they commit adultery, stone them both.” It was equivalent to Surah Al-Baqarah in length.Grade: Sahih · Al-Bukhari

Al-Hakim narrated on the authority of Katheer bin Al-Salt who said: Zaid bin Thabit and Saeed bin Al-Aas were writing in the Mushaf and they came across this verse. Zaid said: “I heard the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, say: ‘The old man and the old woman, stone them both.’” Umar said: “When it was revealed, I went to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and said: ‘Write it down.’ It seemed that he disliked that.” Umar said: “Don’t you see that if an old man commits adultery and is not married, he is flogged, and if a young man commits adultery and is married, he is stoned.”Narrator: Ibn Hajar — Source: Fath al-Bari, 12/143.

[!scholar] Ibn Hajar — Fath al-Bari (9/65)
“This is supported by what was proven from a group of the Companions who mentioned things that were revealed from the Quran, then their recitation was abrogated, but their ruling remained or did not remain, such as the hadith of Umar: ‘If an old man and an old woman commit adultery, stone them both.’ And the hadith of Anas in the story of the readers who were killed in the well of Ma’unah, he said: So Allah revealed about them a Quran, ‘Convey from us to our people, We have indeed met our Lord.’ And the hadith of Ubayy ibn Ka’b, ‘The confederates were the size of the cow.’ And the hadith of Hudhayfah, ‘They did not recite a quarter of it,’ meaning Bara’ah. And all of them are authentic hadiths.”

There is no disagreement among the jurists regarding the obligation of stoning the married adulterer, whether male or female. Stoning is established by the text, consensus, and reason. See Ibn Abidin 3/145–146, Al-Kasani Al-Bada’i’ 7/39 and following, Al-Zarqani Sharh al-Zarqani 8/82, Al-Nawawi Rawdat al-Talibin 10/86, Ibn Qudamah Al-Mughni 8/161.

[!scholar] Ibn Hazm — Al-Muhalla (11/234)
“On the authority of Abu Dharr, he said: The two old men are to be flogged and stoned, the previously married men are to be stoned, and the two virgins are to be flogged and banished. And on the authority of Ubayy ibn Ka’b, he said: They are to be flogged and stoned, they are to be flogged but not stoned. Qatada explained it and said: The married old man is to be flogged and stoned if he commits adultery, and the married young man is to be stoned if he commits adultery, and the young man who is not married commits adultery. And on the authority of Masruq, he said: The two virgins are to be flogged and banished, the previously married men are to be stoned but not flogged, and the two old men are to be flogged and stoned.”

“His saying (the old man and the old woman) means the previously married man and woman.”

“I feared that a long time would pass until people would say, ‘I do not find stoning in the Book of God,’ and they would go astray by abandoning one of God’s obligations. Stoning is a right if a man is married and there is evidence, or there is pregnancy or confession.”

“If it were not for it to be said: ‘Umar added to the Quran,’ I would have written the verse of stoning.”Grade: Sahih · Al-Bukhari

“Stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to lead you astray from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the yoke of slavery.”

“Then bring out that man or that woman, who committed that sin, outside the city, and stone him with stones that he die.”

“But if the accusation is proven true, and the girl is not a virgin, then the girl shall be brought to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones to death, because she has committed an abomination in Israel, and has committed adultery in her father’s house. Thus you will root out evil from among you. And if a man meets a girl… and if a woman be betrothed to another man in the city, and he lie with her, then bring them both out into the open square of the gate of that city, and stone them with stones to death…”

“And Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. And it came to pass, that at daybreak he returned to the temple, and the multitude of the people gathered about him, and he sat down and taught them. And the teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought to him a woman who had been caught in adultery, and they set her in the midst. And they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. And Moses in the law commanded us to stone such people to death. What do you say?’ They asked him this, trying to find something to accuse him of. But he bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But because they pressed him with his questions, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Then he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard this, they all went away, one by one, beginning with the elders. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman stood still. So he sat up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has none of them condemned you?’ She answered, ‘No one, Lord.’ And he said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.’”

In language: throwing stones. It is used in other meanings, including killing; slander based on absence or suspicion; and cursing, expulsion, insults, and desertion. In Islamic terminology, it is the stoning of the married adulterer with stones to death.

[!scholar] Ibn Qudamah — Al-Mughni (8/161)
“There is no disagreement among the jurists regarding the obligation of stoning the married adulterer, whether male or female.”

The stoning verse was not “lost” or “removed” from the Quran; it was abrogated in recitation by divine instruction during the Prophet’s lifetime while its ruling remained binding through the Sunnah and ijma. This is not a gap in the Quran but a recognized category of abrogation — one of the beauties of Quranic legislation, not a defect. The same penalty exists in the Torah, was applied by the Prophet ﷺ, and is enforced by the unanimous agreement of the Muslim jurists.