It is narrated from Hazrat Buraidah (may Allah be pleased with him) that once I was present in the service of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when a man named Ma'iz bin Malik came and said, "O Messenger of Allah! I have committed the sin of adultery. I wish that you purify me." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Go back." The next day he came again and confessed to adultery again. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent him back again. Then he sent a man to his tribe and asked them, "What do you know about Ma'iz bin Malik Aslami? Do you see anything inappropriate in him or do you notice any defect in his intellect?" They replied, "O Messenger of Allah! We do not see anything inappropriate in him, nor do we notice any defect in his intellect." Then for the third time, he came to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and again confessed to adultery and said, "O Messenger of Allah! Purify me." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) again sent a man to his tribe with the same question, and they repeated the same answer as before. Then, when he confessed for the fourth time, the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that a pit be dug for him, and he was lowered into that pit up to his chest. Then the people were ordered to stone him. Hazrat Buraidah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that we, the companions (may Allah be pleased with them), used to discuss among ourselves that if Ma'iz had sat in his house after confessing three times, the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would not have searched for him. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) only ordered him to be stoned after the fourth confession.