Zina Punishment (Adultery/Fornication)
The verse of the Quran is very explicit and there doesn’t seem any room differentiating the punishment solely on the basis of being married and unmarried. Marital status will be considered while deciding the severity of the crime and circumstances of the perpetrator, among other things, and it may or may not become a reason for relaxation in the punishment while announcing the final verdict. However, when the punishment is executed, the person is a convict in the eyes of the law, irrespective of the person’s marital status, the restriction for marriage of a convicted adulterer/fornicator applies equally to the convict in his/her status as a convict and not as a married or an unmarried convict.