Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sunan Abu Dawud, which contains 5,276 hadiths across 43 books. It is hadith number 4390 in the Book of Prescribed Punishments (Kitab Al-Hudud).

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#4389

#4390

Sunan Abu Dawud

#4391

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Sunan Abu Dawud #4390

Q: What is Sunan Abu Dawud 4390 about?

This hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud (Book of Prescribed Punishments (Kitab Al-Hudud)), narrated by Narrated Rafi' ibn Khadij:, states: "Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Hibban said: A slave stole a plant of a palm-tree from the orchard of a man and planted it in the orchard of his master. The owner of the plant went out in search of the plant a…"

Prescribed Punishments (Kitab Al-Hudud)

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى بْنِ حَبَّانَ، أَنَّ عَبْدًا، سَرَقَ وَدِيًّا مِنْ حَائِطِ رَجُلٍ فَغَرَسَهُ فِي حَائِطِ سَيِّدِهِ فَخَرَجَ صَاحِبُ الْوَدِيِّ يَلْتَمِسُ وَدِيَّهُ فَوَجَدَهُ فَاسْتَعْدَى عَلَى الْعَبْدِ مَرْوَانَ بْنَ الْحَكَمِ وَهُوَ أَمِيرُ الْمَدِينَةِ يَوْمَئِذٍ فَسَجَنَ مَرْوَانُ الْعَبْدَ وَأَرَادَ قَطْعَ يَدِهِ فَانْطَلَقَ سَيِّدُ الْعَبْدِ إِلَى رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَأَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏"‏ لاَ قَطْعَ فِي ثَمَرٍ وَلاَ كَثَرٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ إِنَّ مَرْوَانَ أَخَذَ غُلاَمِي وَهُوَ يُرِيدُ قَطْعَ يَدِهِ وَأَنَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ تَمْشِيَ مَعِي إِلَيْهِ فَتُخْبِرَهُ بِالَّذِي سَمِعْتَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَمَشَى مَعَهُ رَافِعُ بْنُ خَدِيجٍ حَتَّى أَتَى مَرْوَانَ بْنَ الْحَكَمِ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَافِعٌ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏"‏ لاَ قَطْعَ فِي ثَمَرٍ وَلاَ كَثَرٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَأَمَرَ مَرْوَانُ بِالْعَبْدِ فَأُرْسِلَ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ الْكَثَرُ الْجُمَّارُ ‏.‏

Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Hibban said: A slave stole a plant of a palm-tree from the orchard of a man and planted it in the orchard of his master. The owner of the plant went out in search of the plant and he found it. He solicited help against the slave from Marwan ibn al-Hakam who was the Governor of Medina at that time. Marwan confined the slave and intended to cut off his hand. The slave's master went to Rafi' ibn Khadij and asked him about it. He told him that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: The hand is not to be cut off for taking fruit or the pith of the palm-tree. The man then said: Marwan has seized my slave and wants to cut off his hand. I wish you to go with me to him and tell him that which you have heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). So Rafi' ibn Khadij went with him and came to Marwan ibn al-Hakam. Rafi' said to him: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: The hand is not to be cut off for taking fruit or the pith of the palm-tree. So Marwan gave orders to release the slave and then he was released. Abu Dawud said: Kathar means pith of the palm-tree.

Narrated by Narrated Rafi' ibn Khadij:

Context

In this hadith, a slave stole a palm tree plant and planted it in his master's orchard. When the owner of the plant discovered the theft, he sought the help of Marwan ibn al-Hakam, the governor of Medina, who intended to punish the slave by cutting off his hand. However, Rafi' ibn Khadij informed Marwan that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) had stated that such a punishment was not applicable in this case, leading to the slave's release.

Modern Application

This hadith highlights the importance of understanding the context and severity of actions before imposing punishments. In today's world, it serves as a reminder to consider the circumstances surrounding a situation, ensuring that justice is served fairly and compassionately.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Wages and Labor and Punishments (Hudud) because it discusses the consequences of theft in a labor context and the appropriate response to such actions as guided by the Prophet's teachings.

Wages and Labor Punishments (Hudud)