Did Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) order killing of the person who was accused of having relations with Prophet's slave girl?

Question

There is one trashy Islamophobe who cites the following Hadith:-

Anas reported that a person was charged with fornication with the slavegirl of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to 'Ali:

Go and strike his neck. 'Ali came to him and he found him in a well making his body cool. 'Ali said to him: Come out, and as he took hold of his hand and brought him out, he found that his sexual organ had been cut. Hadrat 'Ali refrained from striking his neck. He came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and said: Allah's Messenger, he has not even the sexual organ with him. (Sahih Muslim 2771)

The enemy of Islam has raised many objections against Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu'alayhiwassalam). Some objections are as under:-

1. Nauzubillah! He is claiming that Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu'alayhiwassalam) became "jealous" and he ordered the killing of that man.

2. It was a mere accusation that was proven false but still Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu'alayhiwassalam) ordered Ali (May Allah Grant Peace To Ali) to kill that man without even investigating the incident.

3. That atheist has objected that according to Islam, four witnessess should be present in order to testify that adultery or fornication has taken place, yet we see that Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu'alayhiwassalam) ordered the killing of that man without any witness ever testifying that fornication or adultery ever took place. According to that Atheist, why did not Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu'alayhiwassalam) asked for four witness if he himself followed the Quran?

4. He is also claiming that this allegation against that man was raised by Prophet Muhammad (Salllallahu'alayhiwassalam) himslef!

Dear Brothers in Islam, please answer my question, as I am asking this question to defend the honor of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu'alayhiwassalam).

May Allah protect us all from such Fitna. Ameen.

Answer 1

The actual wording of the hadith says أم ولد which means that it refers to Mariyah al-Qibtiyyah, the mother of the Prophet's son Ibrahim. The accused was a person who had accompanied her from Egypt, sometimes claimed to be her cousin. He would visit her too often and people speculated that he was attracted to her and had relations with her. It is inferable that he persisted even though he knew of the rumors about him and had previously been warned about his inappropriate behavior.

Responses to the objections in order:

1. Jealousy in the sense of envy is not applicable when someone wrongs you by violating your rights. If a burglar robs someone of their property then do you say to the victim that they are being jealous of the robber's prosperity? This wasn't two men competing in courting an unmarried woman that one would become jealous of the success of another.

   On the other hand, having غيرة regarding one's rights is actually a positive thing and called for in Islam.

   قال سعد بن عبادة: لو رأيت رجلا مع امرأتي لضربته بالسيف غير مصفح، فبلغ ذلك النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال:أتعجبون من غيرة سعد، لأنا أغير منه، والله أغير مني

   Sa`d bin Ubada said, "If I found a man with my wife, I would kill him with the sharp side of my sword."

   When the Prophet (ﷺ) heard that he said, "Do you wonder at Sa'd's sense of ghira (self-respect)? Verily, I have more sense of ghira than Sa'd, and Allah has more sense of ghira than me."

   ^{— Bukhari}

   And being devoid of it is condemned and disgraceful:

   ثلاثة لا ينظر الله عز وجل إليهم يوم القيامة: ... والديوث

   There are three at whom Allah will not look on the Day of Resurrection: ... and the cuckold.

   ^{— Sunan an-Nasai}

2. Entering in the private chamber of the Prophet's Umm al-Walad and being alone with her repeatedly would be basis enough for a Ta'zir punishment and that much would have been proven through the reports of witnesses who had informed the Prophet in the first place.

   Investigating further was not required. Even so in some more elaborate versions of the hadith (such as in Musnad al-Bazaar) it is implied that Ali was instructed to pass the judgement based on what he observed. A translation of the conversation between the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and Ali ibn Abi Talib at this occasion is present in Musnad Ahmad:

   عن علي، رضي الله عنه قال قلت يا رسول الله إذا بعثتني أكون كالسكة المحماة أم الشاهد يرى ما لا يرى الغائب قال الشاهد يرى ما لا يرى الغائب

   Ali (رضي الله عنه) said: I said: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), when you send me on a mission, should I go and do what you tell me to do (with no delay) or witness and find out what someone who is not there cannot find out?

   He said: 'Witness and find out what someone who is not there cannot find out.'

   ^{— Musnad Ahmad}

   It is also possible that the Prophet knew the truth and the outcome of Ali's visit and that he had sent him so that the truth would be known and would exonerate the parties. It is similar to the judgement of Solomon (see in Bukhari), where he commanded for a child to be cut in half, his intent was not to really divide the child rather he knew that giving that impression will resolve the matter in some other way.

3. This objection is like the above. It isn't a case of fornication alone, but there are other crimes that have been committed. One of them is committing an insult to the Prophet:

   وما كان لكم أن تؤذوا رسول الله ولا أن تنكحوا أزواجه من بعده أبدا إن ذلكم كان عند الله عظيما

   And it is not [conceivable or lawful] for you to harm the Messenger of Allah or to marry his wives after him, ever. Indeed, that would be in the sight of Allah an enormity.

   ^{— Quran 33:53}

   Insult to the prophet is punishable by death and Ibn Taymiyyah has cited this incident in his book al-Sarim al-Maslul 'ala Shatim al-Rasul. The evidence criterion for Insult and Ta'zir is different from that of fornication. If the Prophet had charged him for fornication then the punishment for that would have been public lashing \ stoning not beheading like this, and it is only for the punishment of fornication that four witnesses would have been required to have seen the actual act of intercourse.

4. I am not sure what this objection means and why it is an objection. Maybe his concern is addressed in the previous points. Otherwise if he is claiming something then he should first provide citation for his claim and then elaborate what is wrong with it.