What is Sunan an-Nasa'i 4971 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 that Rafi bin Khadij said:, states: ""I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'The hand is not to be cut off for (stealing) produce or the spadix of palm trees."'"

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 4971 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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#4970

#4971

Sunan an-Nasa'i

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Sunan an-Nasa'i #4971

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.

أَخْبَرَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ حَبِيبِ بْنِ عَرَبِيٍّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى بْنِ حَبَّانَ، عَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ لاَ قَطْعَ فِي ثَمَرٍ وَلاَ كَثَرٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

"I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'The hand is not to be cut off for (stealing) produce or the spadix of palm trees."'

Narrated by It was narrated that Rafi bin Khadij said:

Context

In this narration, Rafi bin Khadij reports that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stated that a hand should not be cut off for stealing produce or the spadix of palm trees. This highlights a more lenient approach to certain types of theft, reflecting the importance of context and the value of human need in Islamic law.

Modern Application

This principle serves as a reminder to consider the circumstances surrounding theft, particularly in cases of necessity. It encourages compassion and understanding in dealing with issues of poverty and desperation.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Divine Justice and Punishments (Hudud) because it delineates the boundaries of punishment for theft, emphasizing the need for context in legal judgments.

Divine Justice Punishments (Hudud)