صحیح مسلم · Hadith 4412

`A'isha, the wife of Allah's Apostle ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ), reported that the Quraish were concerned about the woman who had committed theft during the lifetime of Allah's Apostle ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ), in the expedition of Victory (of Mecca). They said: Who would speak to Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) about her? They (again) said: Who can dare do this but Usama b. Zaid, the loved one of Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ )? She was brought to Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) and Usama b. Zaid spoke about her to him (interceded on her behalf). The color of the face of Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) 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 ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) 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 repentance, and she later on married and used to come to me after that, and I conveyed her needs (and problems) to Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ).

Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020