Mishkat al-Masabih #3426
Prescribed Punishments
The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
وَعَنْهَا قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسلم: «ادرؤا الْحُدُودَ عَنِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ فَإِنْ كَانَ لَهُ مَخْرَجٌ فَخَلُّوا سَبِيلَهُ فَإِنَّ الْإِمَامَ أَنْ يُخْطِئَ فِي الْعَفْوِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ يُخْطِئَ فِي الْعُقُوبَةِ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ: قَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْهَا وَلم يرفع وَهُوَ أصح
She reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Avert the infliction of prescribed penalties on Muslims as much as you can, and if there is any way out let a man go, for it is better for a leader to make a mistake in forgiving than to make a mistake in punishing.”
Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying it has been transmitted from her without tracing it to the Prophet, and that is sounder.
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About Mishkat al-Masabih
This hadith is #3426 from Mishkat al-Masabih, in the Book of Prescribed Punishments.