What is the ruling on one who slandered Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) and accused the Messenger of disbelief, then repented after years, and must he go to a judge for the Hadd punishment to be carried out on him?

It is an act of disbelief (kufr) for someone to accuse the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, of disbelief, or to accuse Aisha of adultery. The repentance of an apostate is by uttering the two testimonies of faith (Shahadatayn) and repenting from that which caused his apostasy. His repentance is accepted by Allah if its conditions are met before the sun rises from the west or before the death rattle (ghargara). As for this worldly life, scholars have differed regarding the acceptance of repentance from one who reviled the Prophet—meaning, whether the death penalty is lifted from him—but it benefits him in what is between him and Allah. An apostate is not obliged to go to a judge for the punishment to be carried out on him. It is more proper for him to conceal himself, whether his apostasy was known or not, due to the Prophet’s saying, peace and blessings be upon him: "Whoever commits any of these abominations, let him conceal himself with the concealment of Allah."