Chapter

The Book of Cutting off the Hand of the Thief

كتاب قطع السارق

Arabic Text

أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ مُوسَى، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ امْرَأَةً، سَرَقَتْ فَأُتِيَ بِهَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالُوا مَنْ يَجْتَرِئُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ أُسَامَةَ فَكَلَّمُوا أُسَامَةَ فَكَلَّمَهُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ يَا أُسَامَةُ إِنَّمَا هَلَكَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ حِينَ كَانُوا إِذَا أَصَابَ الشَّرِيفُ فِيهِمُ الْحَدَّ تَرَكُوهُ وَلَمْ يُقِيمُوا عَلَيْهِ وَإِذَا أَصَابَ الْوَضِيعُ أَقَامُوا عَلَيْهِ لَوْ كَانَتْ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتَ مُحَمَّدٍ لَقَطَعْتُهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

English Translation

It was narrated from `A'ishah that:

A woman stole (something) and she was brought to the Prophet. They said: "Who would dare to speak to the Messenger of Allah except Usamah." So they spoke to Usamah and he spoke to (the Prophet). The Prophet said: "O Usamah, the Children of Israel were destroyed because whenever a noble person among them committed a crime, for which a Hadd punishment was deserved, they would let him go. But if a low-class person among them committed such a crime, they would carry out the punishment on him. If Fatimah bint Muhammad were to steal, I would cut off her hand."