Zirr bin Hubaysh narrates that Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) asked me: How many verses of Surah al-Ahzab do you recite, or how many of its verses do you count? I said: Seventy-three (73) verses. He said: Only that many? I replied: Yes, only that many. He said: I have seen this surah when it was equal to Surah al-Baqarah, and we used to recite this verse in it as well: "The old man and the old woman, when they commit adultery, stone them both without fail (rajm); it is an exemplary punishment from Allah, and Allah is Almighty, All-Wise." This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain of narration, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: Whoever denies stoning (rajm, the punishment of stoning to death) has denied the Qur'an from where he does not even suspect. (Then he recited this verse): "O People of the Book, Our Messenger has come to you, making clear to you much of what you used to conceal of the Book." [Surah al-Ma'idah: 15] So stoning was among the things that they had concealed. This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain of narration, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.

It is narrated from Abu Umamah bin Sahl bin Hunayf that his maternal aunt told him that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us to recite this verse of stoning: "The old man and the old woman, stone them both without fail for the pleasure they have taken." This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain of narration, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it with this wording.

It is narrated from Kathir bin al-Salt that Ibn al-As and Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) were writing the copies of the Qur'an (masahif). When they reached this verse, Zayd said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The old man and the old woman, stone them both without fail." At this Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When it was revealed, I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: Shall I write it down (in the Qur'an)? And he (peace and blessings be upon him) disliked that. Then Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said (explaining): Do you not see that when an old man commits adultery while he is muhsan (married), he is flogged and also stoned, and if he is not muhsan he is flogged; and likewise, when a married person commits adultery while being married, he is stoned? This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain of narration, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The old man and the old woman (when they commit adultery), stone them both without fail."