Story No. 245 – Judgement of Imam Ali, Abu Turab (as) according to Noble Qur’an (Six Months Pregnancy)
After the death of Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw), the Justice of Imam Ali, Abu Turab (as) was very popular. Even the first three Caliphs resorted to him in numerous cases.
Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: The foremost judge amongst you is Ali.
During the days of second Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab, a woman was arrested and presented before him.
People said, “O Khalifa! This woman has committed adultery. She has delivered a child after only a period of six months pregnancy”.
Umar ibn al-Khattab ordered the woman to be stoned to death.
As people were taking her towards the location for punishment, she kept on pleading that she was innocent but no one would listen to her.
Finally someone informed Imam Ali, Abu Turab (as) about the situation and he (as) came to Umar ibn al-Khattab and asked, “Why have you ordered this woman to be stoned to death?”
Umar ibn al-Khattab replied, “For adultery! She has given birth to a child after a period of six month’s pregnancy and we all know the pregnancy period is of nine months”.
Imam Ali, Abu Turab (as) said, “This is not true! It is possible for a woman to give birth after six months pregnancy. This child belongs to her husband”.
When asked for Quranic evidence, Imam Ali, Abu Turab (as) said, Allah (SWT) says at one place: “And the mothers should suckle their children for two years” (2:233) and in another place Allah (SWT) says: “And the bearing of him and the weaning of him is thirty months” (46:15) If the period of weaning which is two years (24 months) is subtracted from thirty months (which is overall period of bearing & weaning), there remains only six months. This proves that pregnancy period can be of six months.
So Umar ibn al-Khattab set the woman free and said, “If Ali had not been there, Umar would have perished.”