Ibn Abbas said: A lunatic woman who had committed adultery was brought to Umar. He consulted the people and ordered that she should be stoned. Ali ibn AbuTalib passed by and said: What is the matter with this (woman)? They said: This is a lunatic woman belonging to a certain family. She has committed adultery. Umar has given orders that she should be stoned. He said: Take her back. He then came to him and said: Commander of the Faithful, do you not know that there are three people whose actions are not recorded: a lunatic till he is restored to reason, a sleeper till he awakes, and a boy till he reaches puberty? He said: Yes. He then asked: Why is it that this woman is being stoned? He said: There is nothing. He then said: Let her go. He (Umar) let her go and began to utter: Allah is most great.  

أُتِيَ عُمَرُ بِمَجْنُونَةٍ قَدْ زَنَتْ فَاسْتَشَارَ فِيهَا أُنَاسًا فَأَمَرَ بِهَا عُمَرُ أَنْ تُرْجَمَ فَمُرَّ بِهَا عَلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ رِضْوَانُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ مَا شَأْنُ هَذِهِ قَالُوا مَجْنُونَةُ بَنِي فُلاَنٍ زَنَتْ فَأَمَرَ بِهَا عُمَرُ أَنْ تُرْجَمَ قَالَ فَقَالَ ارْجِعُوا بِهَا ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَمَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ الْقَلَمَ قَدْ رُفِعَ عَنْ ثَلاَثَةٍ عَنِ الْمَجْنُونِ حَتَّى يَبْرَأَ وَعَنِ النَّائِمِ حَتَّى يَسْتَيْقِظَ وَعَنِ الصَّبِيِّ حَتَّى يَعْقِلَ قَالَ بَلَى قَالَ فَمَا بَالُ هَذِهِ تُرْجَمُ قَالَ لاَ شَىْءَ قَالَ فَأَرْسِلْهَا قَالَ فَأَرْسَلَهَا قَالَ فَجَعَلَ يُكَبِّرُ  

What is this? They said: She committed zina, and ʿUmar ordered that she be stoned, ‘Ali took her from them and sent them back. They went back to ʿUmar ؓ who said: Why have you come back? They said: ʿAli ؓ sent us back. He said: ʿAli has only done this because of something he knows. So he sent for ʿAli who was somewhat angry. He said: Why did you send these people back? He said: Didnʿt you hear the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “The Pen has been lifted from three: from the sleeper until he wakes up, from the minor until he grows up and from the insane until he comes to his senses.” ‘Umar said: Yes I did. ʿAli ؓ said:This is the insane woman of the tribe of Banu so and so, Perhaps he came to her when she was in that state. ʻUmar ؓ said: I do not know. He [‘Ali] said: And I do not know. And he did not stone her.  

عَنْ أَبِي ظَبْيَانَ الْجَنْبِيِّ أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ أُتِيَ بِامْرَأَةٍ قَدْ زَنَتْ فَأَمَرَ بِرَجْمِهَا فَذَهَبُوا بِهَا لِيَرْجُمُوهَا فَلَقِيَهُمْ عَلِيٌّ فَقَالَ مَا هَذِهِ؟ قَالُوا زَنَتْ فَأَمَرَ عُمَرُ بِرَجْمِهَا فَانْتَزَعَهَا عَلِيٌّ مِنْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَرَدَّهُمْ فَرَجَعُوا إِلَى عُمَرَ فَقَالَ مَا رَدَّكُمْ؟ قَالُوا رَدَّنَا عَلِيٌّ قَالَ مَا فَعَلَ هَذَا عَلِيٌّ إِلا لِشَيْءٍ قَدْ عَلِمَهُفَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ فَجَاءَ وَهُوَ شِبْهُ الْمُغْضَبِ فَقَالَ مَا لَكَ رَدَدْتَ هَؤُلاءِ؟ قَالَ أَمَا سَمِعْتَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ رُفِعَ الْقَلَمُ عَنْ ثَلاثَةٍ عَنِ النَّائِمِ حَتَّى يَسْتَيْقِظَ وَعَنِ الصَّغِيرِ حَتَّى يَكْبَرَ وَعَنِ الْمُبْتَلَى حَتَّى يَعْقِلَ قَالَ بَلَى قَالَ عَلِيٌّ فَإِنَّ هَذِهِ مُبْتَلاةُ بَنِي فُلانٍ فَلَعَلَّهُ أَتَاهَا وَهُوَ بِهَا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ لَا أَدْرِي قَالَ وَأَنَا لَا أَدْرِي فَلَمْ يَرْجُمْهَا  

AbuZubyan said: A woman who had committed adultery was brought to Umar. He gave orders that she should be stoned. Ali passed by just then. He seized her and let her go. Umar was informed of it. He said: Ask Ali to come to me. Ali came to him and said: Commander of the Faithful, you know that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: There are three (people) whose actions are not recorded: A boy till he reaches puberty, a sleeper till he awakes, a lunatic till he is restored to reason. This is an idiot (mad) woman belonging to the family of so and so. Someone might have done this action with her when she suffered the fit of lunacy. Umar said: I do not know. Ali said: I do not know. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4402)   

أُتِيَ عُمَرُ ؓ بِامْرَأَةٍ قَدْ فَجَرَتْ فَأَمَرَ بِرَجْمِهَا فَمُرَّ بِهَا عَلَى عَلِيٍّ ؓ وَقَدِ انْطُلِقَ بِهَا لِتُرْجَمَ فَأَخَذَهَا مِنْهُمْ فَخَلَّى سَبِيلَهَا فَأَتَى عُمَرُ ؓ فَأُخْبِرَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا ؓ خَلَّى سَبِيلَهَا فَقَالَ ادْعُوهُ لِي فَجَاءَ عَلِيٌّ ؓ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَاللهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ رُفِعَ الْقَلَمُ عَنْ ثَلَاثَةٍ عَنِ الْغُلَامِ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ وَعَنِ النَّائِمِ حَتَّى يَسْتَيْقِظَ وَعَنِ الْمَعْتُوهِ حَتَّى يَبْرَأَ وَإِنَّ هَذِهِ مَعْتُوهَةُ بَنِي فُلَانٍ لَعَلَّ الَّذِي أَتَاهَا أَتَاهَا وَهِيَ فِي بَلَائِهَا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ لَا أَدْرِي فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ وَأَنَا لَا أَدْرِي