Chapter

The Book of Cutting off the Hand of the Thief

كتاب قطع السارق

Arabic Text

أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْجَوَّابِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَمَّارُ بْنُ رُزَيْقٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ سَرَقَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ مِنْ بَنِي مَخْزُومٍ فَأُتِيَ بِهَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالُوا مَنْ يُكَلِّمُهُ فِيهَا قَالُوا أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ ‏.‏ فَأَتَاهُ فَكَلَّمَهُ فَزَبَرَهُ وَقَالَ ‏ "‏ إِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانُوا إِذَا سَرَقَ فِيهِمُ الشَّرِيفُ تَرَكُوهُ وَإِذَا سَرَقَ الْوَضِيعُ قَطَعُوهُ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ أَنَّ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتَ مُحَمَّدٍ سَرَقَتْ لَقَطَعْتُهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

English Translation

It was narrated that 'Aishah said:

"A woman of Quraish, from banu Makhzum, stole, and she was brought to the Prophet. They said: 'Who will speak to him concerning her?' They said: 'Usamah bin Zaid.' So he came to the Prophet and spoke to him. But he rebuked him, and he said; 'Among the Children of Israel, if a noble person stole, they would let him go. But if a low-class person stole, they would cut off his hand. By the One in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, if Fatimah bint Muhammad were to steal, I would cut off her hand.""