What is Sunan an-Nasa'i 4921 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 Anas bin Malik that:, states: "the Messenger of Allah cut off (a thief's hand) for a shield. (Sahih) Abu 'Abdur-Rahman (An-Nasai) said: This is a mistake."

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 4921 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.

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Sunan an-Nasa'i #4921

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 عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْحَنَفِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَطَعَ فِي مِجَنٍّ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ هَذَا خَطَأٌ ‏.‏

the Messenger of Allah cut off (a thief's hand) for a shield. (Sahih) Abu 'Abdur-Rahman (An-Nasai) said: This is a mistake.

Narrated by It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that:

Context

This hadith recounts an incident where the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ cut off the hand of a thief for stealing a shield. It highlights the seriousness of theft and the consequences that follow. However, the narration also notes that this specific account was considered a mistake, indicating the complexity of applying such punishments.

Modern Application

In contemporary discussions, this hadith prompts reflection on the balance between justice and mercy in legal systems. It encourages a nuanced understanding of punishment and the importance of context in legal matters.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Punishments (Hudud) because it discusses the application of a specific punishment for theft, emphasizing the seriousness of the offense.

Punishments (Hudud)

Related Ayahs

سُورَةُ المَائـِدَةِ

Al-Maaida (The Table)

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

2 ayahs

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.

إِنَّمَا جَزَٰٓؤُا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحَارِبُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَسَادًا أَن يُقَتَّلُوٓا۟ أَوْ يُصَلَّبُوٓا۟ أَوْ تُقَطَّعَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُم مِّنْ خِلَٰفٍ أَوْ يُنفَوْا۟ مِنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لَهُمْ خِزْىٌۭ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment,

سُورَةُ الفُرۡقَانِ

Al-Furqaan (The Criterion)

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

1 ayah

وَيَوْمَ يَعَضُّ ٱلظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيْهِ يَقُولُ يَٰلَيْتَنِى ٱتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ ٱلرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًۭا

And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands [in regret] he will say, "Oh, I wish I had taken with the Messenger a way.

سُورَةُ الشُّعَرَاءِ

Ash-Shu'araa (The Poets)

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

1 ayah

تَٱللَّهِ إِن كُنَّا لَفِى ضَلَٰلٍۢ مُّبِينٍ

"By Allah, we were indeed in manifest error

سُورَةُ الشَّمۡسِ

Ash-Shams (The Sun)

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

1 ayah

فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقْيَٰهَا

And the messenger of Allah [Salih] said to them, "[Do not harm] the she-camel of Allah or [prevent her from] her drink."

Common Words

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ٱلله4x

من3x

فى3x

أو3x

ٱلأرض2x

لهم2x

وٱلسارق1x

وٱلسارقة1x

فٱقطعوا1x

أيديهما1x

جزاء1x

بما1x

كسبا1x

نكلا1x

وٱلله1x

عزيز1x

حكيم1x

إنما1x

جزؤا1x

ٱلذين1x

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About Sunan an-Nasa'i

This hadith is #4921 from Sunan an-Nasa'i, in the Book of The Book of Cutting off the Hand of the Thief. It is graded Sahih and narrated by It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that:.

Browse all Sunan an-Nasa'i All Hadith Collections

Sunan an-Nasa'i #4921

Context

Modern Application

Topics

Related Ayahs

Common Words

Related Hadiths

About Sunan an-Nasa'i

About This Hadith