Explanation of the athar of Shubayl ibn 'Awf: "It was said: Whoever hears of a heinous act and spreads it, he is like the one who committed it," and the athar of 'Ata'

The Shaykh : Then he narrated it with his authentic chain of narration.
From Shubayl ibn 'Awf, who said: "It was said: Whoever hears of a heinous act and spreads it, he is like the one who committed it." The same meaning is reported from 'Ata'—who is one of the great Tabi'un, and he is Ibn Abi Rabah, and he narrated it with his authentic chain of narration—that he held that punishment should be inflicted, which is the penalty.
On whoever spreads zina, saying: he spread the heinous act.
The one who spreads zina here, whom 'Ata' ibn Abi Rabah held should be punished, is not the one who accuses chaste women, such as believing women and men... and it is not about them. Rather, it is the one who hears this speech and then broadcasts it and spreads it; this person deserves punishment from the Muslim ruler.