Ayesha and her paramour were, of course, acquitted, and the
witnesses, being less than four, received the same punishment which
would have been inflicted upon the criminals had the fact been proved
by the direct testimony of the prescribed number--that is, eighty
stripes of the 'kora', almost equal to a sentence of death. (See
Koran, chap. 24, and chap. 4.)[7] This became the law among all
Muhammadans. Ayesha's father succeeded Muhammad, and Omar succeeded
Abu Bakr.[8] Soon after his accession to the throne, Omar had to sit
in judgement upon Mughira, a companion of the prophet, the governor
of Basrah,[9] who had been accidentally seen in an awkward position
with a lady of rank by four men while they sat in an adjoining
apartment. The door or window which concealed the criminal parties
was flung open by the wind, at the time when they wished it most to
remain closed. Three of the four men swore directly to the point.
Mughira was Omar's favourite, and had been appointed to the
government by him, Zaid, the brother of one of the three who had
sworn to the fact, hesitated to swear to the entire fact.
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