Are the prescribed penalties (hudud) averted by doubts, and is there a sound hadith to that effect, and what is the meaning of averting the prescribed penalty by doubt, given that doubt is a relative matter?

Although achieving consensus is difficult, the statement that hudud punishments are averted by doubts has been transmitted by consensus, and many muhaddithun have dedicated chapters to it. Hadith and narrations from the Salaf have been transmitted concerning it, and no one from the early Salaf is known to have disagreed with it. The meaning of it being averted by doubt is that the ruler and judge should act upon it if a plausible doubt exists, which suggests the hadd is not established or affects the condition of the one against whom the sin has been proven. This is because a ruler's error in forgiveness is better than his error in punishment. As for the relativity of doubt, a judge who sees no doubt in a matter must act upon what is established with him, while a judge who does see a doubt is the one to whom the statement about averting it applies. The servant should frequently supplicate and strive to establish Allah's hudud, for establishing a hadd is better for the inhabitants of the earth than rain. Before and after all of this, the faith of the servants should be strengthened to deter them from falling into that which necessitates hudud.