The Goat, the Bed, and the Missing Verse: Why is Adultery Punished by Stoning?

Episode Summary: If you open a modern Quran, Surah 24:2 clearly states that the punishment for adultery is 100 lashes. Yet, throughout Islamic history and in many Sharia-based legal systems today, the prescribed punishment is death by stoning. Where did this practice come from if it isn't in the book?

In this episode, we investigate one of the most bizarre and challenging chapters in the history of the Quranic text. We explore the "Lost Verse of Stoning" and the testimony of the second Caliph, Umar, who feared that future Muslims would forget this divine command because it was no longer in the written Mushaf. We also examine the famous report from Aisha, the Prophet’s wife, who claimed that the written record of this verse  ...