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

Jaibir reported that a woman from the tribe of Makhzum committed theft. She was brought to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and she sought refuge (intercession) from Umm Salama, the wife of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ). Thereupon Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said

By Allah, even if she were Fatima, I would have her hand cut off. And thus her hand was cut off.

Chapter 3: The Hadd punishment for Zina (fornication, adultery)

'Ubada b. as-Samit reported that whenever Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) received revelation, he felt its rigour and the complexion of his face changed. One day revelation descended upon him, he felt the same rigour. When it was over and he felt relief, he said

Take from me. Verily Allah has ordained a way for them (the women who commit fornication),: (When) a married man (commits adultery) with a married woman, and an unmarried male with an unmarried woman, then in case of married (persons) there is (a punishment) of one hundred lashes and then stoning (to death). And in case of unmarried persons, (the punishment) is one hundred lashes and exile for one year.

Chapter 4: Stoning of a married person for Zina

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

Chapter 5: One who confesses to Zina

'Abdullah b. Buraida reported on the authority of his father that Ma'iz b. Malik al-Aslami came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said

Allah's Messenger, I have wronged myself; I have committed adultery and I earnestly desire that you should purify me. He turned him away. On the following day, he (Ma'iz) again came to him and said: Allah's Messenger, I have committed adultery. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) turned him away for the second time, and sent him to his people saying: Do you know if there is anything wrong with his mind. They denied of any such thing in him and said: We do not know him but as a wise good man among us, so far as we can judge. He (Ma'iz) came for the third time, and he (the Holy Prophet) sent him as he had done before. He asked about him and they informed him that there was nothing wrong with him or with his mind. When it was the fourth time, a ditch was dug for him and he (the Holy Prophet) pronounced judg- ment about him and he wis stoned. He (the narrator) said: There came to him (the Holy Prophet) a woman from Ghamid and said: Allah's Messenger, I have committed adultery, so purify me. He (the Holy Prophet) turned her away. On the following day she said: Allah's Messenger, Why do you turn me away? Perhaps, you turn me away as you turned away Ma'iz. By Allah, I have become pregnant. He said: Well, if you insist upon it, then go away until you give birth to (the child). When she was delivered she came with the child (wrapped) in a rag and said: Here is the child whom I have given birth to. He said: Go away and suckle him until you wean him. When she had weaned him, she came to him (the Holy Prophet) with the child who was holding a piece of bread in his hand. She said: Allah's Apostle, here is he as I have weaned him and he eats food. He (the Holy Prophet) entrusted the child to one of the Muslims and then pronounced punishment. And she was put in a ditch up to her chest and he commanded people and they stoned her. Khalid b Walid came forward with a stone which he flung at her head and there spurted blood on the face of Khalid and so he abused her. Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) heard his (Khalid's) curse that he had huried upon her. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Khalid, be gentle. By Him in Whose Hand is my life, she has made such a repentance that even if a wrongful tax-collector were to repent, he would have been forgiven. Then giving command regarding her, he prayed over her and she was buried.

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

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

Al-Bara' b. 'Azib reported

There happened to pass by Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) a Jew blackened and lashed. Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) called them (the Jews) and said: Is this the punishment that you find in your Book (Torah) as a prescribed punishment for adultery? They said: Yes. He (the Holy Prophet) called one of the scholars amongst them and said: I ask you in the name of Allah Who sent down the Torah on Moses if that is the prescribed punishment for adultery that you find in your Book. He said: No. Had you not asked me in the name of Allah, I would not have given you this information. We find stoning to death (as punishment prescribed in the Torah). But this (crime) became quite common amongst our aristocratic class. So when we caught hold of any rich person (indulging in this offence) we spared him, but when we caught hold of a helpless person we imposed the prescribed punishment upon him. We then said: Let us argree (on a punishment) which we can inflict both upon the rich and the poor. So We decided to blacken the face with coal and flog as a substitute punishment for stoning. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: O Allah, I am the first to revive Thy command when they had made it dead. He then commanded and he (the offender) was stoned to death. Allah, the Majestic and Glorious, sent down (this verse):" O Messenger, (the behaviour of) those who vie with one another in denying the truth should not grieve you..." up to" is vouchsafed unto you, accept it" (v. 41) 2176 It was said (by the Jews): Go to Muhammad; it he commands you to blacken the face and award flogging (as punishment for adultery), then accept it, but it he gives verdict for stoning, then avoid it. It was (then) that Allah, the Majestic and Great, sent down (these verses):" And they who do not judge in accordance with what Allah has revealed are, indeed, deniers of the truth" (v. 44) ;" And they who do not judge in accordance with what Allah has revealed-they, they indeed are the wrongdoers" (v. 45) ;" And they who do not judge in accordance with what God has revealed-they are the iniquitous (v. 47). (All these verses) were revealed in connection with the non-believers.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Juraij with a slight variation of words.

Chapter 10: The Hadd punishments are an expiation for those on whom they are carried out

'Ubida b. as-Samit reported

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) took (a pledge) from us as he took from the women that we will not associate anything with Allah and we will not steal, and we will not commit adultery, and we will not kill our children, and we will not bring calumny upon one another. And he who amongst you fulfils (this pledge), his reward rests with Allah, and he upon whom amongst you is imposed the prescribed punishment and that is carried out, that is his expiation (for that sin), and he whose (sins) were covered by Allah, his matter rests with Allah. He may punish him if He likes or may forgive him if He so likes.

Ubida b. as-Samit repnrted

I was one of those headmen who swore allegiance to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) that we will not associate anything with Allah, and will not commit adultery, and will not steal, and will not kill any soul which Allah has forbidden, but with justice nor plunder, nor disobey (Allah and His Apostle), then Paradise (will be the reward) in case we do these (acts) ; and if we commit any outrage (and that goes unpunished in the world), it is Allah Who would decide about it. Ibn Rumh said: Its judgment lies with Allah.

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

A hadith like this has been transmitted on the authority of Abu Huraira.

Chapter 0

Chapter 1: The Hadd for stealing and the minimum threshold

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Zuhri.

'A'isha reported that during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) the hand of the thief was not cut off for less than the price of a shield, iron coat or armour and both of them are valuable.

Chapter 3: The Hadd punishment for Zina (fornication, adultery)

'Ubada b. as-Samit reported

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Receive (teaching) from me, receive (teaching) from me. Allah has ordained a way for those (women). When an unmarried male commits adultery with an unmarried female (they should receive) one hundred lashes and banishment for one year. And in case of married male committing adultery with a married female, they shall receive one hundred lashes and be stoned to death.

The above hadith is likewise narrated through another chain of transmitters.

This hadith has been reported on the authority of Qatada with the same chain of transmitters except with this variation that the unmarried is to be lashed and exiled, and the married one is to be lashed and stoned. There is neither any mention of one year nor that of one hundred.

Chapter 5: One who confesses to Zina

Abu Huraira reported that a person from amongst the Muslims came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) while he was in the mosque. He called him saying

Allah's Messenger. I have committed adultery. He (the Holy Prophet) turned away from him, He (again) came round facing him and said to him: Allah's Messenger, I have committed adultery. He (the Holy Prophet) turned away until he did that four times, and as he testified four times against his own self, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) called him and said: Are you mad? He said: No. He (again) said: Are you married? He said: Yes. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Take him and stone him.

This hadith has been narrated through another chain of transmitters.

Jabir b. Samura reported

As he was being brought to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) I saw Ma'iz b. Malik-a short-statured person with strong sinews, having no cloak around him. He bore witness against his own self four times that he had committed adultery, whereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Perhaps (you kissed her or embraced her). He said: No. by God, one deviating (from the path of virtue) has committed adultery. He then got him stoned (to death), and then delivered the address: Behold, as we set out for Jihad in the cause of Allah, one of you lagged behind and shrieked like the bleating of a male goat, and gave a small quantity of milk. By Allah, in case I get hold of him, I shall certainly punish him.

Ibn Abbas reported that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said to Ma'iz b. Malik

Is it true what has reached me about you? He said: What has reached you about me? He said: It has reached me that you have committed (adultery) with the slave-girl of so and so? He said: Yes. He (the narrator) said: He testified four times. He (the Holy Prophet) then made pronouncement about him and he was stoned (to death).