Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ حَدَّثَنَا بَشِيرُ بْنُ الْمُهَاجِرِ حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بُرَيْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ كُنْتُ جَالِسًا عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذْ جَاءَهُ رَجُلٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ مَاعِزُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ فَقَالَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنِّي قَدْ زَنَيْتُ وَأَنَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ تُطَهِّرَنِي فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ارْجِعْ فَلَمَّا كَانَ مِنْ الْغَدِ أَتَاهُ أَيْضًا فَاعْتَرَفَ عِنْدَهُ بِالزِّنَا فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ارْجِعْ ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى قَوْمِهِ فَسَأَلَهُمْ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ مَا تَعْلَمُونَ مِنْ مَاعِزِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ الْأَسْلَمِيِّ هَلْ تَرَوْنَ بِهِ بَأْسًا أَوْ تُنْكِرُونَ مِنْ عَقْلِهِ شَيْئَا قَالُوا يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ مَا نَرَى بِهِ بَأْسًا وَمَا نُنْكِرُ مِنْ عَقْلِهِ شَيْئًا ثُمَّ عَادَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الثَّالِثَةَ فَاعْتَرَفَ عِنْدَهُ بِالزِّنَا أَيْضًا فَقَالَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ طَهِّرْنِي فَأَرْسَلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى قَوْمِهِ أَيْضًا فَسَأَلَهُمْ عَنْهُ فَقَالُوا لَهُ كَمَا قَالُوا لَهُ الْمَرَّةَ الْأُولَى مَا نَرَى بِهِ بَأْسًا وَمَا نُنْكِرُ مِنْ عَقْلِهِ شَيْئًا ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الرَّابِعَةَ أَيْضًا فَاعْتَرَفَ عِنْدَهُ بِالزِّنَا فَأَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَحَفَرْنَا لَهُ حُفْرَةً فَجُعِلَ فِيهَا إِلَى صَدْرِهِ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ النَّاسَ أَنْ يَرْجُمُوهُ وَقَالَ بُرَيْدَةُ كُنَّا نَتَحَدَّثُ أَصْحَابَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَيْنَنَا أَنَّ مَاعِزَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ لَوْ جَلَسَ فِي رَحْلِهِ بَعْدَ اعْتِرَافِهِ ثَلَاثَ مِرَارٍ لَمْ يَطْلُبْهُ وَإِنَّمَا رَجَمَهُ عِنْدَ الرَّابِعَةِ.
English Translation
Abu Nu'aym narrated to us: Bashir ibn al-Muhajir narrated to me: 'Abdullah ibn Buraydah narrated to me from his father, who said: I was sitting with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, when a man called Ma'iz ibn Malik came to him and said: "O Prophet of Allah, I have committed fornication, and I want you to purify me." The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him: "Go back." When the next day came, he came to him again and confessed the fornication before him, so the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him: "Go back." Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent to his people and asked them about him, saying to them: "What do you know of Ma'iz ibn Malik al-Aslami? Do you see any harm in him, or do you find fault with his intellect in any way?" They said: "O Prophet of Allah, we see no harm in him, and we find no fault with his intellect in any way." Then he came back to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, a third time and confessed the fornication before him again, saying: "O Prophet of Allah, purify me." The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent to his people again and asked them about him, and they said to him as they had said the first time: "We see no harm in him, and we find no fault with his intellect in any way." Then he returned to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, a fourth time also, and confessed the fornication before him, so the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, gave the order, and we dug a pit for him, and he was placed in it up to his chest, then he ordered the people to stone him. Buraydah said: We, the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say among ourselves that if Ma'iz ibn Malik had stayed in his dwelling after his confession three times, he would not have been pursued, and he was only stoned upon the fourth (confession).