The Book of Legal Punishments

كتاب الحدود

Chapter 2: Cutting off the hand of a thief from the nobility and others; the prohibition of interceding with regard to Hudud punishments

'A'isha reported that the Quraish had been anxious about the Makhzumi woman who had committed theft, and said

Who will speak to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about her? They said: Who dare it, but Usama, the loved one of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)? So Usama spoke to him. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Do you intercede regarding one of the punishments prescribed by Allah? He then stood up and addressed (people) saying: O people, those who have gone before you were destroyed, because if any one of high rank committed theft amongst them, they spared him; and it anyone of low rank committed theft, they inflicted the prescribed punishment upon him. By Allah, if Fatima, daughter of Muhammad, were to steal, I would have her hand cut off. In the hadith transmitted on the authority of Ibn Rumh (the words are):" Verily those before you perished."

`A'isha, the wife of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), reported that the Quraish were concerned about the woman who had committed theft during the lifetime of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), in the expedition of Victory (of Mecca). They said

Who would speak to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about her? They (again) said: Who can dare do this but Usama b. Zaid, the loved one of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)? She was brought to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and Usama b. Zaid spoke about her to him (interceded on her behalf). The color of the face of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) changed, and he said: Do you intercede in one of the prescribed punishments of Allah? He (Usama) said: 'Messenger of Allah, seek forgiveness for me.' When it was dusk. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stood up and gave an address. He (first) glorified Allah as He deserves, and then said: Now to our topic. This (injustice) destroyed those before you that when any one of (high) rank committed theft among them, they spared him, and when any weak one among them committed theft, they inflicted the prescribed punishment upon him. By Him in Whose Hand is my life, even if Fatima daughter of Muhammad were to commit theft, I would have cut off her hand. He (the Holy Prophet) then commanded about that woman who had committed theft, and her hand was cut off. `A'isha (further) said: Hers was a good repentance, and she later on married and used to come to me after that, and I conveyed her needs (and problems) to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ).

Chapter 5: One who confesses to Zina

Jabir b. Samura reported that there was brought to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) a short-statured person with thick uncombed hair, muscular body, having a mantle around him and he had committed adultery. He turned him away twice and then made pronouncement about him and he was stoned. Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said

We set out for Jihad in the cause of Allah and one of you lagged behind and shrieked like the bleating of a male goat and one of then (goats' gave a small quantity of milk. In case Allah gives me power over one of them, I will punish him (in such a way that it may have a deterrent effect upon others). In another narration transmitted on the authority of Sa'id b Jubair (the words are), that He (the Holy Prophet) turned him away four times."

Dawud narrated the hadith with the same chain of transmitters (and the words are)

Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) stood tip (to address the audience) in the evening and praised Allah, glorified Him and then said: What about the people, that as we set out on an expedition, one of you remained behind us and he shrieked like the bleating of a male goat? But he did not mention (these words): People connected with us."

Imran b. Husain reported that a woman from Juhaina came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and she had become pregnant because of adultery. She said

Allah's Apostle, I have done something for which (prescribed punishment) must be imposed upon me, so impose that. Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) called her master and said: Treat her well, and when she delivers bring her to me. He did accordingly. Then Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) pronounced judgment about her and her clothes were tied around her and then he commanded and she was stoned to death. He then prayed over her (dead body). Thereupon Umar said to him: Allah's Apostle, you offer prayer for her, whereas she had committed adultery! Thereupon he said: She has made such a repentance that if it were to be divided among seventy men of Medina, it would be enough. Have you found any repentance better than this that she sacr ficed her life for Allah, the Majestic?

Chapter 6: Stoning Jews and Ahl Adh-Dhimmah for Zina

Abdullah b. 'Umar reported that a Jew and a Jewess were brought to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who had committed adultery. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to the Jews and said

What do you find in Torah for one who commits adultery? They said: We darken their faces and make them ride on the donkey with their faces turned to the opposite direction (and their backs touching each other), and then they are taken round (the city). He said: Bring Torah if you are truthful. They brought it and recited it until when they came to the verse pertaining to stoning, the person who was reading placed his hand on the verse pertaining to stoning, and read (only that which was) between his hands and what was subsequent to that. Abdullah b. Salim who was at that time with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Command him (the reciter) to lift his hand. He lifted it and there was, underneath that, the verse pertaining to stoning. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) pronounced judgment about both of them and they were stoned. Abdullah b. 'Umar said: I was one of those who stoned them, and I saw him (the Jew) protecting her (the Jewess) with his body.

Ibn Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stoned to death the Jews, both male and female, who had committed adultery. The Jews brought them to Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him). The rest of the hadith is the same.

Abu Ishaq Shaibani said

I asked 'Abdullah b. Abu Aufi if Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) awarded (the punishment) of stoning (to death). He said: Yes. I said: After Sura al-Nur was revealed or before that? He said: I do not know.

Abu Huraira reported that he heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

When the slave-woman of any of you commits adultery and this (offence of hers) becomes clear, she should be flogged (as the prescribed) punishment, but hurl no reproach at her. If she commits adultery again, she should (again be punished) by flogging, but hurl no reproach upon her. If she commits fornication for the third time and it becomes clear, then he should sell her, even if only for a rope of hair.

Chapter 7: Delaying the Hadd punishment in the case of women who have just given birth

Abd al-Rahman reported that 'Ali, while delivering the address said

O people, impose the prescribed punishment upon your slaves, those who are married and those not married, for a slave-woman belonging to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had committed adultery, and he committed me to flog her. But she had recently given birth to a child and I was afraid that if I flogged her I might kill her. So I mentioned that to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and he said: You have done well.

Chapter 8: Hadd punishment for drinking alcohol

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Hisham with the same chain of transmitters.

Hudain b. al-Mundhir Abu Sasan reported

I saw that Walid was brought to Uthmin b. 'Affan as he had prayed two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer, and then he said: I make an increase for you. And two men bore witness against him. One of them was Humran who said that he had drunk wine. The second one gave witness that he had seen him vomiting. Uthman said: He would not have vomited (wine) unless he had drunk it. He said: 'Ali, stand up and lash him. 'Ali said: Hasan, stand up and lash him. Thereupon Hasan said: Let him suffer the heat (of Caliphate) who has enjoyed its coolness. ('Ali felt annoyed at this remark) and he said: 'Abdullah b. Ja'far, stand up and flog him, and he began to flog him and 'Ali counted the stripes until these were forty. He (Hadrat 'Ali) said: Stop now, and then said: Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) gave forty stripes, and Abu Bakr also gave forty stripes, and Umar gave eighty stripes, and all these fall under the category of the Sunnab, but this one (forty stripes) is dearer to me.

This hadith is narrated on the authority of Sufyan.

Chapter 9: Number of lashes in the case of ta'zeer

Abu Barda Ansari reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

None should be given more than ten lashes, but in case of any Hadd out of the Huded of Allah.

Chapter 11: There is no Diyah for injuries caused by animals or by falling into a mine or well

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

The wound caused (by falling) in the well, in the mine, and caused bv the animal has no requital for it; and there is one-fifth (for the government) in the buried treasure.

Chapter 1: The Hadd for stealing and the minimum threshold

'A'isha reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) cut off the hand of a thief for a quarter of a dinar rid upwards.

'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

The hand of a thief should not be cut off but for a quarter of a dinar and upwards.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Hisham through another chain of transmitters, and in the hadith narrated by 'Abd al-Rahim and Abu Usama (the words are)

" That (the shield) was valuable those days."

Ibn 'Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace upon him) cut off the hand of a thief (in case of the theft) of a shield the price of which was three dirhams.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Umar through some other chains of transmitters but with a slight variation of words.