Malik related to me from Zayd ibn Aslam that a man confessed to fornication in the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ called for a whip, and he was brought a broken whip. He said, "Above this," and he was brought a new whip whose knots had not been cut yet. He said, "Below this," and he was brought a whip which had been used and made flexible. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave the order and he was flogged. Then he said, "People! The time has come for you to observe the limits of Allah. Whoever has had any of these ugly things befall him should cover them up with the veil of Allah. Whoever reveals to us his wrong action, we perform what is in the Book of Allah against him."

أَنَّ رَجُلاً اعْتَرَفَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بِالزِّنَا عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَدَعَا لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِسَوْطٍ فَأُتِيَ بِسَوْطٍ مَكْسُورٍ فَقَالَ فَوْقَ هَذَا فَأُتِيَ بِسَوْطٍ جَدِيدٍ لَمْ تُقْطَعْ ثَمَرَتُهُ فَقَالَ دُونَ هَذَا فَأُتِيَ بِسَوْطٍ قَدْ رُكِبَ بِهِ وَلاَنَ فَأَمَرَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَجُلِدَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ آنَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تَنْتَهُوا عَنْ حُدُودِ اللَّهِ مَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْقَاذُورَاتِ شَيْئًا فَلْيَسْتَتِرْ بِسِتْرِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ يُبْدِي لَنَا صَفْحَتَهُ نُقِمْ عَلَيْهِ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ

[AI] A man confessed to himself for committing adultery, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called for a whip. A broken whip was brought, so he said, "Bring a new whip that has not been used yet." Then he said, "Bring a whip that has been ridden by Fulan." So it was brought, and he ordered for the man to be whipped. Then he said, "O people, it is time for you to refrain from the prohibitions of Allah. Whoever among you is affected by this impurity, let him cover himself with Allah's covering. For whoever exposes his sin to us, we will impose upon him the punishment prescribed by Allah's Book." Al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said, "This is a disconnected hadith, it is not one of the proofs. However, I have seen scholars among us who know it and speak of it, and we also speak of it."

أَنَّ رَجُلًا اعْتَرَفَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بِالزِّنَا فَدَعَا لَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بِسَوْطٍ فَأُتِيَ بِسَوْطٍ مَكْسُورٍ فَقَالَ فَوْقَ هَذَا فَأُتِيَ بِسَوْطٍ جَدِيدٍ لَمْ تُقْطَعْ ثَمَرَتُهُ فَقَالَ بَيْنَ هَذَيْنِ فَأُتِيَ بِسَوْطٍ قَدْ رُكِّبَ بِهِ فُلَانٌ فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَجُلِدَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ آنَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تَنْتَهُوَا عَنْ مَحَارِمِ اللهِ فَمَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْكُمْ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْقَاذُورَةِ شَيْئًا فَلْيَسْتَتِرْ بِسِتْرِ اللهِ فَإِنَّه مَنْ يُبْدِ لَنَا صَفْحَتَهُ نُقِمْ عَلَيْهِ كِتَابَ اللهِ ﷻ قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ مُنْقَطِعٌ لَيْسَ مِمَّا يَثْبُتُ بِهِ هُوَ نَفْسُهُ حُجَّةٌ وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ عِنْدَنَا مَنْ يَعْرِفُهُ وَيَقُولُ بِهِ فَنَحْنُ نَقُولُ بِهِ