Messenger of Allah, I sported with a woman in the outskirts of Medina, and I have committed an offence short of fornication. Here I am (before you), kindly deliver verdict about me which you deem fit. Unar said: Allah concealed your fault. You had better conceal it yourself also. Allah's Apostle ﷺ, however, gave no reply to him. The man stood up and went away and Allah's Apostle ﷺ sent a person after him to call him and be recited this verse:" And observe prayer at the ends of the day and in the first hours of the night. Surely, good deeds take away evil deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful" (xi. 115). A person amongst the people said: Allah's Apostle, does it concern this marn only? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: No, but the people at large.  

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي عَالَجْتُ امْرَأَةً فِي أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَةِ وَإِنِّي أَصَبْتُ مِنْهَا مَا دُونَ أَنْ أَمَسَّهَا فَأَنَا هَذَا فَاقْضِ فِيَّ مَا شِئْتَ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ لَقَدْ سَتَرَكَ اللَّهُ لَوْ سَتَرْتَ نَفْسَكَ قَالَ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ شَيْئًا فَقَامَ الرَّجُلُ فَانْطَلَقَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ رَجُلاً دَعَاهُ وَتَلاَ عَلَيْهِ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ { أَقِمِ الصَّلاَةَ طَرَفَىِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ ذَلِكَ ذِكْرَى لِلذَّاكِرِينَ} فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ هَذَا لَهُ خَاصَّةً قَالَ بَلْ لِلنَّاسِ كَافَّةً  

A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: I contacted directly a women at the furthest part of the city (i.e., Medina), and I did with her everything except sexual intercourse. So here I am; inflict any punishment you wish. Thereupon ‘Umar said: Allah has concealed your fault; it would have been better if you also had concealed it yourself. The Prophet ﷺ sent a men after him. (When he came) he recited the verse: “And establish regular prayers at the two ends of the day and at the approaches of the night. . .” up to the end of the verse. A man from the people got up and asked: Is it particular to him, Messenger of Allah, or for the people in general? He replied: It is all the people.  

عَبْدُ اللَّهِ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ إِنِّي عَالَجْتُ امْرَأَةً مِنْ أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَأَصَبْتُ مِنْهَا مَا دُونَ أَنْ أَمَسَّهَا فَأَنَا هَذَا فَأَقِمْ عَلَىَّ مَا شِئْتَ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ قَدْ سَتَرَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ لَوْ سَتَرْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ شَيْئًا فَانْطَلَقَ الرَّجُلُ فَأَتْبَعَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ رَجُلاً فَدَعَاهُ فَتَلاَ عَلَيْهِ { وَأَقِمِ الصَّلاَةَ طَرَفَىِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ } إِلَى آخِرِ الآيَةِ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَلَهُ خَاصَّةً أَمْ لِلنَّاسِ كَافَّةً فَقَالَ بَلْ لِلنَّاسِ كَافَّةً  

A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: "I fondled a woman who lives on the outskirts of Madinah, and I did with her what is less than intercourse, and here I am, so judge in my case as you will." So ʿUmar said to him: "Allah covered ˹your sins˺, so you should have ˹kept them˺ covered yourself." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not give him any reply.

The man left but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent a man after him to call him back. He recited to him: "And perform Salāh, at the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night. Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful (Hūd 11:114)" until the end of the āyah. A man among the people said: "Is this specific for him?" He ﷺ said: 'No. Rather for all of the people."  

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ: إِنِّي عَالَجْتُ امْرَأَةً فِي أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَةِ، وَإِنِّي أَصَبْتُ مِنْهَا مَا دُونَ أَنْ أَمَسَّهَا وَأَنَا هَذَا، فَاقْضِ فِيَّ مَا شِئْتَ۔ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ: لَقَدْ سَتَرَكَ اللَّهُ لَوْ سَتَرْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ۔ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ شَيْئًا۔

فَانْطَلَقَ الرَّجُلُ فَأَتْبَعَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَجُلاً فَدَعَاهُ فَتَلاَ عَلَيْهِِمِ {أَقِمِ الصَّلاَةَ طَرَفَيِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ ذَلِكَ ذِكْرَى لِلذَّاكِرِينَ} إِلَى آخِرِ الآيَةِ۔ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ: هَذَا لَهُ خَاصَّةً؟ قَالَ: «لاَ، بَلْ لِلنَّاسِ كَافَّةً۔»  

A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: I contacted directly a women at the furthest part of the city (i.e., Medina), and I did with her everything except sexual intercourse. So here I am; inflict any punishment you wish. Thereupon ‘Umar said: Allah has concealed your fault; it would have been better if you also had concealed it yourself. The Prophet ﷺ sent a men after him. (When he came) he recited the verse: “And establish regular prayers at the two ends of the day and at the approaches of the night. . .” up to the end of the verse. A man from the people got up and asked: Is it particular to him, Messenger of Allah, or for the people in general? He replied: It is all the people. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4468)   

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي عَالَجْتُ امْرَأَةً فِي أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَةِ وَإِنِّي أَصَبْتُ مِنْهَا مَا دُونَ أَنْ أَمَسَّهَا فَأَنَا هَذَا فَاقْضِ فِيَّ مَا شِئْتَ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ ؓ لَقَدْ سَتَرَكَ اللهُ لَوْ سَتَرْتَ نَفْسَكَ قَالَ وَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ شَيْئًا فَقَامَ الرَّجُلُ فَانْطَلَقَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ رَجُلًا دَعَاهُ فَتَلَا عَلَيْهِ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ {أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ طَرَفَيِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ ذَلِكَ ذِكْرَى لِلذَّاكِرِينَ} [هود 114] فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ هَذَا لَهُ خَاصَّةً؟ قَالَ بَلْ لِلنَّاسِ كَافَّةً