The Book of Legal Punishments hadith

‘A’isha reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) cut off the hand of a thief for a quarter of a dinar rid upwards.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Zuhri.

The hand of a thief should not be cut off but for a quarter of a dinar and upwards.

I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: The hand (of a thief) should not be cut off but for a quarter of a dinar and what is above that.

The hand of the thief may not be cut off but for a quarter of a dinar and upwards.

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of Yazid b. ‘Abdullah b. al-Had with the same chain of transmitters.

‘A’isha reported that during the lifetime of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) the hand of the thief was not cut off for less than the price of a shield, iron coat or armour and both of them are valuable.

” That (the shield) was valuable those days.”

Ibn ‘Umar reported that Allah’s Messenger (may peace upon him) cut off the hand of a thief (in case of the theft) of a shield the price of which was three dirhams.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar through some other chains of transmitters but with a slight variation of words.

Let there be the curse of Allah upon the thief who steals an egg and his hand is cut off, and steals a rope and his hand is cut off.

This hadith is narrated on the authority of A’mash with the same chain of transmitters with a slight variation of words.

Who will speak to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) about her? They said: Who dare it, but Usama, the loved one of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)? So Usama spoke to him. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: Do you intercede regarding one of the punishments prescribed by Allah? He then stood up and addressed (people) saying: O people, those who have gone before you were destroyed, because if any one of high rank committed theft amongst them, they spared him; and it anyone of low rank committed theft, they inflicted the prescribed punishment upon him. By Allah, if Fatima, daughter of Muhammad, were to steal, I would have her hand cut off. In the hadith transmitted on the authority of Ibn Rumh (the words are):” Verily those before you perished.”

Who would speak to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) about her? They (again) said: Who can dare do this but Usama b Zaid, the loved one of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)? She was brought to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and Usama b. Zaid spoke about her to him (interceded on her behalf). The colour of the face of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) changed, and he said: Do you intercede in one of the prescribed punishments of Allah? He (Usama) said: ‘Messenger of Allah, seek forgiveness for me. When it was dusk. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) stood up and gave an address. He (first) glorified Allah as He deserves, and then said: Now to our topic. This (injustice) destroyed those before you that when any one of (high) rank committed theft among them, they spared him, and when any weak one among them committed theft, they inflicted the prescribed punishment upon him. By Him in Whose Hand is my life, even if Fatima daughter of Muhammad were to commit theft, I would have cut off her hand. He (the Holy Prophet) then commanded about that woman who had committed theft, and her hand was cut off. ‘A’isha (further) said: Hers was a good respentance, and she later on married and used to come to me after that, and I conveyed her needs (and problems) to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ).

‘A’isha reported that a woman from the tribe of Makhzum used to borrow things (from people) and then denied (having taken them). Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) commanded her hand to be cut off. Her relatives came to Usama b. Zaid and spoke to him (requesting him to intercede on her behalf). He spoke to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) about her. The rest of the hadith is the same.

By Allah, even if she were Fatima, I would have her hand cut off. And thus her hand was cut off.

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Receive (teaching) from me, receive (teaching) from me. Allah has ordained a way for those (women). When an unmarried male commits adultery with an unmarried female (they should receive) one hundred lashes and banishment for one year. And in case of married male committing adultery with a married female, they shall receive one hundred lashes and be stoned to death.

The above hadith is likewise narrated through another chain of transmitters.

Take from me. Verily Allah has ordained a way for them (the women who commit fornication),: (When) a married man (commits adultery) with a married woman, and an unmarried male with an unmarried woman, then in case of married (persons) there is (a punishment) of one hundred lashes and then stoning (to death). And in case of unmarried persons, (the punishment) is one hundred lashes and exile for one year.

This hadith has been reported on the authority of Qatada with the same chain of transmitters except with this variation that the unmarried is to be lashed and exiled, and the married one is to be lashed and stoned. There is neither any mention of one year nor that of one hundred.

Verily Allah sent Muhammad (ﷺ) with truth and He sent down the Book upon him, and the verse of stoning was included in what was sent down to him. We recited it, retained it in our memory and understood it. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) awarded the punishment of stoning to death (to the married adulterer and adulteress) and, after him, we also awarded the punishment of stoning, I am afraid that with the lapse of time, the people (may forget it) and may say: We do not find the punishment of stoning in the Book of Allah, and thus go astray by abandoning this duty prescribed by Allah. Stoning is a duty laid down in Allah’s Book for married men and women who commit adultery when proof is established, or it there is pregnancy, or a confession.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters.

Allah’s Messenger. I have committed adultery. He (the Holy Prophet) turned away from him, He (again) came round facing him and said to him: Allah’s Messenger, I have committed adultery. He (the Holy Prophet) turned away until he did that four times, and as he testified four times against his own self, Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) called him and said: Are you mad? He said: No. He (again) said: Are you married? He said: Yes. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: Take him and stone him.

One who had heard Jabir b. ‘Abdullah saying this informed me thus: I was one of those who stoned him. We stoned him at the place of prayer (either that of ‘Id or a funeral). When the stones hurt him, he ran away. We caught him in the Harra and stoned him (to death).

This hadith has been narrated through another chain of transmitters.