Hadith.5017 - Sa'd ibn Tarif narrated from Al-Asbagh ibn Nubata who said:
A man came to Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام and said: "O' Commander of the Faithful, I have committed adultery, so purify me."
Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام turned his face away from him and then said to him: "Sit down." Then Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام turned to the people and said: "Is it beyond any of you, if he commits such a sin, to conceal it upon himself as Allah سبحانه وتعالى has concealed it for him?"
The man stood up again and said: "O' Commander of the Faithful, I have committed adultery, so purify me."
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام asked him: "What led you to say what you have said?"
He replied: "The desire for purification."
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام said: "And what purification is better than repentance?"
Then Imam عليه السلام turned back to his companions, engaging them in conversation.
Yet again, the man stood up and said: "O' Commander of the Faithful, I have committed adultery, so purify me."
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام asked him: "Do you recite anything from the Qur'an?"
He replied: "Yes."
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام said: "Recite."
So the man recited and did so correctly.
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام asked him: "Do you know what obligations are upon you from the rights of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Exalted, in your prayers and zakat?"
The man answered: "Yes."
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام questioned him and the man answered correctly.
Then Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام asked: "Do you suffer from any illness, or do you feel pain in your head, or any ailment in your body, or any distress in your chest?"
The man replied: "O' Commander of the Faithful, no (I am not ill or distressed)."
Imam Ali عليه السلام said: "Woe to you! Go until we inquire about you privately as we questioned you publicly. If you do not return to us, we will not pursue you."
It is narrated that Imam Ali عليه السلام inquired about the man and was informed that he was in sound condition and that there was nothing about him that raised suspicion.
However, the man returned and said: "O' Commander of the Faithful, I have committed adultery, so purify me."
Imam Ali عليه السلام responded, "Had you not come to us, we would not have sought you out. But now, we cannot abandon you as Allah's سبحانه وتعالى ruling upon you has become binding."
Then Imam عليه السلام addressed the people, saying: "O' people, it is sufficient for those present among you to carry out the stoning on behalf of those who are absent. I urge anyone among you who will be present tomorrow to cover his face with his turban so that none of you recognize the others. Come to me before dawn so that none of you look at one another, for we do not wish to look into the face of a man while we are stoning him with stones."
The people came as instructed before the break of dawn.
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام addressed them again, saying: "I urge anyone among you, for the sake of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, who has a right like this upon himself to carry it out for Allah سبحانه وتعالى. For no one truly upholds Allah's سبحانه وتعالى right except that Allah سبحانه وتعالى will hold him accountable with the same."
After that, some people departed, and by Allah سبحانه وتعالى, no one knew who they were until that moment. Then Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام himself threw four stones at the man, and the people followed by stoning him.
