Sunan an-Nasa'i 3490

Amr ibn Ali informed us; he said: Yahya narrated to us, from al-Ajlaha, from al-Sha'bi, from Abd Allah ibn Abi al-Khalil, from Zayd ibn Arqam, who said: I was with the Prophet while Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was in Yemen. A man came to him and said, ‘I witnessed Ali being brought three men who claimed the child of a woman. Ali said to one of them, “Will you leave him to this man?” He refused. He said to the next, “Will you leave him to this man?” He refused. He said to the third, “Will you leave him to this man?” He refused.’ Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said, ‘You are contentious partners. I will cast lots among you; whichever of you wins the lot, the child is his, and he must pay two-thirds of the blood money.’ The Messenger of Allah laughed until his back teeth showed.