65/3.6. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4556 — Torah, Truth and Judgment
"Say (O Muḥammad pbuh): Bring here the Taurāt (Torah) and recite it, if you are truthful." (V.3:93)
Hadith About Truthful Judgment and the Hidden Verse in the Torah
Sahih Bukhari : 4556
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4556
حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو ضَمْرَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ الْيَهُودَ، جَاءُوا إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِرَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ وَامْرَأَةٍ قَدْ زَنَيَا، فَقَالَ لَهُمْ " كَيْفَ تَفْعَلُونَ بِمَنْ زَنَى مِنْكُمْ ". قَالُوا نُحَمِّمُهُمَا وَنَضْرِبُهُمَا. فَقَالَ " لاَ تَجِدُونَ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ الرَّجْمَ ". فَقَالُوا لاَ نَجِدُ فِيهَا شَيْئًا. فَقَالَ لَهُمْ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَلاَمٍ كَذَبْتُمْ {فَأْتُوا بِالتَّوْرَاةِ فَاتْلُوهَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ} فَوَضَعَ مِدْرَاسُهَا الَّذِي يُدَرِّسُهَا مِنْهُمْ كَفَّهُ عَلَى آيَةِ الرَّجْمِ، فَطَفِقَ يَقْرَأُ مَا دُونَ يَدِهِ وَمَا وَرَاءَهَا، وَلاَ يَقْرَأُ آيَةَ الرَّجْمِ، فَنَزَعَ يَدَهُ عَنْ آيَةِ الرَّجْمِ فَقَالَ مَا هَذِهِ فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا ذَلِكَ قَالُوا هِيَ آيَةُ الرَّجْمِ. فَأَمَرَ بِهِمَا فَرُجِمَا قَرِيبًا مِنْ حَيْثُ مَوْضِعُ الْجَنَائِزِ عِنْدَ الْمَسْجِدِ، فَرَأَيْتُ صَاحِبَهَا يَجْنَأُ عَلَيْهَا يَقِيهَا الْحِجَارَةَ.
`Abdullah bin `Umar Narrated from:
The Jews brought to the Prophet (ﷺ) a man and a woman from among them who had committed illegal sexual intercourse. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to them, "How do you usually punish the one amongst you who has committed illegal sexual intercourse?" They replied, "We blacken their faces with coal and beat them," He said, "Don't you find the order of Ar-Rajm (i.e. stoning to death) in the Torah?" They replied, "We do not find anything in it."`Abdullah bin Salam (after hearing this conversation) said to them. "You have told a lie! Bring here the Torah and recite it if you are truthful." (So the Jews brought the Torah). And the religious teacher who was teaching it to them, put his hand over the Verse of Ar- Rajm and started reading what was written above and below the place hidden with his hand, but he did not read the Verse of Ar-Rajm.`Abdullah bin Salam removed his (i.e. the teacher's) hand from the Verse of Ar-Rajm and said, "What is this?" So when the Jews saw that Verse, they said, "This is the Verse of Ar-Rajm." So the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered the two adulterers to be stoned to death, and they were stoned to death near the place where biers used to be placed near the Mosque. I saw her companion (i.e. the adulterer) bowing over her so as to protect her from the stones.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4556In-book reference : Book 65, Hadith 78USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 79
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4556
This Hadith is about justice, truth, and not hiding a ruling. The Jews brought a man and woman who had committed illegal sexual intercourse to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. He asked them how they punished such a person, and they answered that they blackened faces and beat them. When he asked about Rajm in the Torah, they denied finding anything. Abdullah bin Salam رضي الله عنه told them to bring the Torah and recite it if truthful. Their teacher covered the verse of Rajm while reading around it. When his hand was removed, the verse was found, and they admitted it. The Hadith shows that judgment should be based on truth, not hidden evidence or selective reading.
What we learn from this hadith
- A ruling must not be hidden when truth is being sought.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked them to state what their scripture contained.
- Abdullah bin Salam رضي الله عنه challenged the concealment.
- Selective reading can lead to injustice.
