Sunan an-Nasa'i #4968
The Book of Cutting off the Hand of the Thief
The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
قَالَ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ مِسْكِينٍ قِرَاءَةً عَلَيْهِ وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُ، عَنِ ابْنِ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، وَهِشَامُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، مِنْ مُزَيْنَةَ أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ تَرَى فِي حَرِيسَةِ الْجَبَلِ فَقَالَ " هِيَ وَمِثْلُهَا وَالنَّكَالُ وَلَيْسَ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنَ الْمَاشِيَةِ قَطْعٌ إِلاَّ فِيمَا آوَاهُ الْمُرَاحُ فَبَلَغَ ثَمَنَ الْمِجَنِّ فَفِيهِ قَطْعُ الْيَدِ وَمَا لَمْ يَبْلُغْ ثَمَنَ الْمِجَنِّ فَفِيهِ غَرَامَةُ مِثْلَيْهِ وَجَلَدَاتُ نَكَالٍ " . قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ تَرَى فِي الثَّمَرِ الْمُعَلَّقِ قَالَ " هُوَ وَمِثْلُهُ مَعَهُ وَالنَّكَالُ وَلَيْسَ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنَ الثَّمَرِ الْمُعَلَّقِ قَطْعٌ إِلاَّ فِيمَا آوَاهُ الْجَرِينُ فَمَا أُخِذَ مِنَ الْجَرِينِ فَبَلَغَ ثَمَنَ الْمِجَنِّ فَفِيهِ الْقَطْعُ وَمَا لَمْ يَبْلُغْ ثَمَنَ الْمِجَنِّ فَفِيهِ غَرَامَةُ مِثْلَيْهِ وَجَلَدَاتُ نَكَالٍ " .
'O Messenger of Allah, what do you think about a sheep stolen from the pasture?" He said: "(The thief must pay) double and be punished. There is no cutting off of the hand for (stealing) livestock, except what which has been put in the pen, if its value is equal to that of a shield, in which case the (thief's) hand is to be cut off. If its value is not equal to that of a shield, then he should pay a penalty of twice its value and be flogged as a punishment." He said: "O Messenger of Allah! What do you think about fruit on the tree?" He said: "(The thief must pay) double and be punished. There is no cutting off of the hand for (stealing) fruit on the tree, except for that which has been stored properly if its value is equal to that of a shield, in which case the (thief's) hand is not equal to that of a shield, then he should pay a penalty of twice its value and be flogged as a punishment."
Narrated by It was narrated from 'Amr bin Shuaib, from his father, that his grandfather 'Abdullah bin 'Amr, that a man from Muzainah came to the Messenger of Allah and said:
Context
In this hadith, a man from Muzainah approached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to inquire about the punishment for theft, specifically regarding livestock and fruit. The Prophet ﷺ clarified that the punishment for stealing livestock or fruit is conditional upon their value, emphasizing that severe punishments apply only to certain circumstances. This illustrates the principle of proportionality in justice, where the punishment corresponds to the severity of the crime.
Modern Application
Today, this principle of proportionality can be seen in legal systems that aim to ensure that punishments are fair and just based on the nature and severity of the offense. It encourages a balanced approach to justice, where the consequences of actions are carefully considered.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Divine Justice and Punishments (Hudud) because it addresses the appropriate responses to theft, highlighting the importance of fairness and proportionality in administering justice.
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سُورَةُ المَائـِدَةِ
Al-Maaida (The Table)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
4 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.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَقْتُلُوا۟ ٱلصَّيْدَ وَأَنتُمْ حُرُمٌۭ ۚ وَمَن قَتَلَهُۥ مِنكُم مُّتَعَمِّدًۭا فَجَزَآءٌۭ مِّثْلُ مَا قَتَلَ مِنَ ٱلنَّعَمِ يَحْكُمُ بِهِۦ ذَوَا عَدْلٍۢ مِّنكُمْ هَدْيًۢا بَٰلِغَ ٱلْكَعْبَةِ أَوْ كَفَّٰرَةٌۭ طَعَامُ مَسَٰكِينَ أَوْ عَدْلُ ذَٰلِكَ صِيَامًۭا لِّيَذُوقَ وَبَالَ أَمْرِهِۦ ۗ عَفَا ٱللَّهُ عَمَّا سَلَفَ ۚ وَمَنْ عَادَ فَيَنتَقِمُ ٱللَّهُ مِنْهُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌۭ ذُو ٱنتِقَامٍ
O you who have believed, do not kill game while you are in the state of ihram. And whoever of you kills it intentionally - the penalty is an equivalent from sacrificial animals to what he killed, as judged by two just men among you as an offering [to Allah] delivered to the Ka'bah, or an expiation: the feeding of needy people or the equivalent of that in fasting, that he may taste the consequence of his deed. Allah has pardoned what is past; but whoever returns [to violation], then Allah will take retribution from him. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Owner of Retribution.
وَكَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ فِيهَآ أَنَّ ٱلنَّفْسَ بِٱلنَّفْسِ وَٱلْعَيْنَ بِٱلْعَيْنِ وَٱلْأَنفَ بِٱلْأَنفِ وَٱلْأُذُنَ بِٱلْأُذُنِ وَٱلسِّنَّ بِٱلسِّنِّ وَٱلْجُرُوحَ قِصَاصٌۭ ۚ فَمَن تَصَدَّقَ بِهِۦ فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٌۭ لَّهُۥ ۚ وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ
And We ordained for them therein a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds is legal retribution. But whoever gives [up his right as] charity, it is an expiation for him. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed - then it is those who are the wrongdoers.
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 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
149 total118 unique18 repeated
ٱلله5x
أو5x
من4x
ومن4x
بما3x
أن3x
فى3x
وٱلله2x
عزيز2x
ٱلذين2x
لا2x
منكم2x
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يحكم2x
به2x
عدل2x
ذلك2x
ٱلأرض2x
وٱلسارق1x
وٱلسارقة1x
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About Sunan an-Nasa'i
This hadith is #4968 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 'Amr bin Shuaib, from his father, that his grandfather 'Abdullah bin 'Amr, that a man from Muzainah came to the Messenger of Allah and said:.