Sunan Abu Dawud #4396
Prescribed Punishments (Kitab Al-Hudud)
The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ فَارِسٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ حَمَّادِ بْنِ طَلْحَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَسْبَاطٌ، عَنْ سِمَاكِ بْنِ حَرْبٍ، عَنْ حُمَيْدِ ابْنِ أُخْتِ، صَفْوَانَ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ، قَالَ كُنْتُ نَائِمًا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ عَلَى خَمِيصَةٍ لِي ثَمَنُ ثَلاَثِينَ دِرْهَمًا فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ فَاخْتَلَسَهَا مِنِّي فَأُخِذَ الرَّجُلُ فَأُتِيَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَمَرَ بِهِ لِيُقْطَعَ . قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ أَنَقْطَعُهُ مِنْ أَجْلِ ثَلاَثِينَ دِرْهَمًا أَنَا أَبِيعُهُ وَأُنْسِئُهُ ثَمَنَهَا قَالَ
" فَهَلاَّ كَانَ هَذَا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَأْتِيَنِي بِهِ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَرَوَاهُ زَائِدَةُ عَنْ سِمَاكٍ عَنْ جُعَيْدِ بْنِ جُحَيْرٍ قَالَ نَامَ صَفْوَانُ . وَرَوَاهُ مُجَاهِدٌ وَطَاوُسٌ أَنَّهُ كَانَ نَائِمًا فَجَاءَ سَارِقٌ فَسَرَقَ خَمِيصَةً مِنْ تَحْتِ رَأْسِهِ . وَرَوَاهُ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ فَاسْتَلَّهُ مِنْ تَحْتِ رَأْسِهِ فَاسْتَيْقَظَ فَصَاحَ بِهِ فَأُخِذَ . وَرَوَاهُ الزُّهْرِيُّ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ فَنَامَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَتَوَسَّدَ رِدَاءَهُ فَجَاءَهُ سَارِقٌ فَأَخَذَ رِدَاءَهُ فَأُخِذَ السَّارِقُ فَجِيءَ بِهِ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم .
I was sleeping in the mosque on a cloak mine whose price was thirty dirhams. A man came and pinched it away from me. The man was seized and brought to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He ordered that his hand should be cut off. I came to him and said: Do you cut off only for thirty dirhams ? I sell it to him and make the payment of its price a loan ? He said: Why did you not do so before bringing him to me ?
Abu Dawud said: Za'idah has also transmitted it from Simak from Ju'ayd ibn Hujayr. He said: Safwan slept. Mujahid and Tawus said: While he was sleeping a thief came and stole the cloak from beneath his head. The version of AbuSalamah ibn AbdurRahman has: He snatched it away from beneath his head and he awoke. He cried and he (the thief) was seized. Az-Zuhri narrated from Safwan ibn Abdullah. His version has: He slept in the mosque and used his cloak as pillow. A thief came and took his cloak. The thief was seized and brought to the Prophet (ﷺ).
Narrated by Narrated Safwan bin Umayyah:
Context
In this hadith, Safwan bin Umayyah recounts an incident where a thief stole his cloak while he was sleeping in the mosque. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was approached regarding the punishment for the thief, leading to a discussion about justice and mercy. This situation reflects the balance between upholding justice and considering circumstances before making decisions.
Modern Application
Today, this principle can be applied in legal and interpersonal matters where understanding the context of actions is essential. It encourages individuals to consider compassion and fairness when addressing wrongdoing, fostering a more just society.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Divine Legislation and Punishments (Hudud) because it addresses the legal implications of theft and the Prophet's (ﷺ) response to the situation.
Related Ayahs
سُورَةُ يُوسُفَ
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بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
2 ayahs
فَلَمَّا جَهَّزَهُم بِجَهَازِهِمْ جَعَلَ ٱلسِّقَايَةَ فِى رَحْلِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ أَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ أَيَّتُهَا ٱلْعِيرُ إِنَّكُمْ لَسَٰرِقُونَ
So when he had furnished them with their supplies, he put the [gold measuring] bowl into the bag of his brother. Then an announcer called out, "O caravan, indeed you are thieves."
وَشَرَوْهُ بِثَمَنٍۭ بَخْسٍۢ دَرَٰهِمَ مَعْدُودَةٍۢ وَكَانُوا۟ فِيهِ مِنَ ٱلزَّٰهِدِينَ
And they sold him for a reduced price - a few dirhams - and they were, concerning him, of those content with little.
سُورَةُ المَائـِدَةِ
Al-Maaida (The Table)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
وَٱلسَّارِقُ وَٱلسَّارِقَةُ فَٱقْطَعُوٓا۟ أَيْدِيَهُمَا جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَسَبَا نَكَٰلًۭا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌۭ
[As for] the thief, the male and the female, amputate their hands in recompense for what they committed as a deterrent [punishment] from Allah. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.
سُورَةُ المُجَادلَةِ
Al-Mujaadila (The Pleading Woman)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يَتَمَآسَّا ۖ فَمَن لَّمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَإِطْعَامُ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًۭا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِتُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ۚ وَتِلْكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَلِلْكَٰفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
And he who does not find [a slave] - then a fast for two months consecutively before they touch one another; and he who is unable - then the feeding of sixty poor persons. That is for you to believe [completely] in Allah and His Messenger; and those are the limits [set by] Allah. And for the disbelievers is a painful punishment.
سُورَةُ آلِ عِمۡرَانَ
Aal-i-Imraan (The Family of Imraan)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
وَمَا كَانَ لِنَبِىٍّ أَن يَغُلَّ ۚ وَمَن يَغْلُلْ يَأْتِ بِمَا غَلَّ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ۚ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
It is not [attributable] to any prophet that he would act unfaithfully [in regard to war booty]. And whoever betrays, [taking unlawfully], will come with what he took on the Day of Resurrection. Then will every soul be [fully] compensated for what it earned, and they will not be wronged.
Common Words
84 total76 unique7 repeated
من3x
ثم2x
بما2x
ٱلله2x
فمن2x
لم2x
أن2x
فلما1x
جهزهم1x
بجهازهم1x
جعل1x
ٱلسقاية1x
فى1x
رحل1x
أخيه1x
أذن1x
مؤذن1x
أيتها1x
ٱلعير1x
إنكم1x
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About Sunan Abu Dawud
This hadith is #4396 from Sunan Abu Dawud, in the Book of Prescribed Punishments (Kitab Al-Hudud). It is graded Sahih and narrated by Narrated Safwan bin Umayyah:.