Islam accepted excuses from women who got raped

Below are two incidents wherein the women excused themselves with a reason which in all honesty today would be mocked upon by the courts and no one would believe them, but when it comes to the honour of a Muslim woman, Islam and those who adhere to its law properly are very cautious. 


28501 - حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ، عَنِ النَّزَّالِ بْنِ سَبْرَةَ، قَالَ: بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ بِمِنًى مَعَ عُمَرَ إِذَا امْرَأَةٌ ضَخْمَةٌ عَلَى حِمَارَةٍ تَبْكِي قَدْ كَادَ النَّاسُ أَنْ يَقْتُلُوهَا مِنَ الزِّحَامِ يَقُولُونَ: زَنَيَتْ. فَلَمَّا انْتَهَتْ إِلَى عُمَرَ، قَالَ: «مَا يُبْكِيكَ؟ إِنَّ امْرَأَةً رُبَّمَا اسْتُكْرِهَتْ»، فَقَالَتْ: كُنْتُ امْرَأَةً ثَقِيلَةَ الرَّأْسِ، وَكَانَ اللَّهُ يَرْزُقُنِي مِنْ صَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ، فَصَلَّيْتُ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ نِمْتُ، فَوَاللَّهِ مَا أَيْقَظَنِي إِلَّا الرَّجُلُ قَدْ رَكِبَنِي، فَرَأَيْتُ إِلَيْهِ مُقْفِيًا مَا أَدْرِي مَنْ هُوَ مِنْ خَلْقِ اللَّهِ، فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: «لَوْ قُتِلَتْ هَذِهِ خَشِيتُ عَلَى الْأَخْشَبَيْنِ النَّارَ» ثُمَّ كَتَبَ إِلَى الْأَمْصَارِ أَلَّا تُقْتَلَ نَفْسٌ دُونَهُ


Nazzal ibn Sabra said : While we were at Mina with `Umar (r.a) [there appeared] a large woman on a donkey, crying and nearly being crushed to death by the throng of people around her, who were saying: “ You have committed zinah “ When she came at last to `Umar , he asked “What makes you weep?, Has the woman, perhaps been coerced (astukrihat)? She said “I have always been a very deep sleeper and Allah has made it easy for me to pray at night. While I was praying one night, I fell asleep.  By Allah I did not awaken but that a man had mounted me!. I saw him from behind, but did not know who he was among the creation of Allah.

`Umar said : Had I executed her, I would have feared hell-fire breaking out upon the two sacred mountains of Makkah” 

[Ref: Musannaf ibn Abi Shaibah (5/512; 28501 shamela)]

28495 - حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنْ طَارِقِ بْنِ شِهَابٍ: أَنَّ امْرَأَةً زَنَتْ، فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: «أَرَاهَا كَانَتْ تُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَخَشَعَتْ فَرَكَعَتْ فَسَجَدَتْ، فَأَتَاهَا غَاوٍ مِنَ الْغُوَاةِ فَتَحَتَّمَهَا»، فَأَرْسَلَ عُمَرُ إِلَيْهَا فَقَالَتْ كَمَا، قَالَ عُمَرُ: فَخَلَّى سَبِيلَهَا "


Tariq ibn Shihab said : A woman had committed zinah (and this news reached `Umar so) `Umar said : I think that she was praying in the (darkness of the) night and she overcame herself (i.e. humbled herself ) while she was in rukoo` and sujood so a trespasser fixed his intention (to rape) her so `Umar sent for her and she said likewise so `Umar let her go and didn’t inflict any hadd. 


[Ref: Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaibah 28495 shamela] 

There are more incidents where other senior scholars from the golden age of Islamic era have executed similar verdicts . This shows that on one hand where the punishment of Allah is very strict, on the other there are many rules, obstruction and caution to be taken into consideration before executing these punishment upon anyone. In All honesty, no one would have believed these excuses today but centuries ago, during the age of camels and donkeys, the companions of prophet Muhammad believed the women's testimony