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 an-Nasa'i, which contains 5,768 hadiths across 52 books. It is hadith number 4905 in the Book of The Book of Cutting off the Hand of the Thief.

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

‹

#4904

#4905

Sunan an-Nasa'i

#4906

›

Sunan an-Nasa'i #4905

Q: What is Sunan an-Nasa'i 4905 about?

This hadith from Sunan an-Nasa'i (Book of The Book of Cutting off the Hand of the Thief), narrated by It was narrated from `A'ishah that:, states: "A woman stole (something) and she was brought to the Prophet. They said: "Who would dare to speak to the Messenger of Allah except Usamah." So they spoke to Usamah and he spoke to (the Prophet). The P…"

The Book of Cutting off the Hand of the Thief

Sahih

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

أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ مُوسَى، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ امْرَأَةً، سَرَقَتْ فَأُتِيَ بِهَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالُوا مَنْ يَجْتَرِئُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ أُسَامَةَ فَكَلَّمُوا أُسَامَةَ فَكَلَّمَهُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ يَا أُسَامَةُ إِنَّمَا هَلَكَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ حِينَ كَانُوا إِذَا أَصَابَ الشَّرِيفُ فِيهِمُ الْحَدَّ تَرَكُوهُ وَلَمْ يُقِيمُوا عَلَيْهِ وَإِذَا أَصَابَ الْوَضِيعُ أَقَامُوا عَلَيْهِ لَوْ كَانَتْ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتَ مُحَمَّدٍ لَقَطَعْتُهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

A woman stole (something) and she was brought to the Prophet. They said: "Who would dare to speak to the Messenger of Allah except Usamah." So they spoke to Usamah and he spoke to (the Prophet). The Prophet said: "O Usamah, the Children of Israel were destroyed because whenever a noble person among them committed a crime, for which a Hadd punishment was deserved, they would let him go. But if a low-class person among them committed such a crime, they would carry out the punishment on him. If Fatimah bint Muhammad were to steal, I would cut off her hand."

Narrated by It was narrated from `A'ishah that:

Context

In this hadith, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ addresses the issue of justice and accountability when a woman is brought before him for theft. He criticizes the double standards of the Children of Israel, who would let the noble escape punishment while punishing the lowly. The Prophet emphasizes that justice must be applied equally, regardless of social status, highlighting the importance of fairness in society.

Modern Application

This principle of justice is crucial today, as it encourages individuals and institutions to treat everyone equally under the law. In everyday situations, it reminds us to advocate for fairness and to challenge biases that lead to unequal treatment.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Justice and Punishments (Hudud) because it underscores the necessity of equitable justice and the seriousness of applying legal consequences fairly.

Justice Punishments (Hudud)