8/23. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1497 — Avoid Lightening the Wrongdoer
Regarding Supplication (Ad-Du'a)
Hadith About Cursing a Thief and Restraining the Tongue
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1497
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1497
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ غِيَاثٍ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ حَبِيبِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ سُرِقَتْ مِلْحَفَةٌ لَهَا فَجَعَلَتْ تَدْعُو عَلَى مَنْ سَرَقَهَا فَجَعَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " لاَ تُسَبِّخِي عَنْهُ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ لاَ تُسَبِّخِي أَىْ لاَ تُخَفِّفِي عَنْهُ .
A'isha Narrated from:
Ata' said: The quilt of Aisha was stolen. She began to curse the person who had stolen it. The Prophet (ﷺ) began to tell her: Do not lighten him. Abu Dawud said: The meaning of the Arabic words la tasbikhi 'anhu means "do not lessen him or lighten him".
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1497In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 82English translation : Book 8, Hadith 1492
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1497
This hadith tells that Aishah’s quilt was stolen, and she began to curse the person who had stolen it. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) then told her, “Do not lighten him.” Abu Dawud explains that the phrase means “do not lessen him or lighten him.” The narration is brief and should be handled carefully. It does not give a long ruling about every case of theft or every kind of speech. It simply records this incident and the Prophet’s instruction to Aishah in that moment. The core topic is restraint in speech when wronged. It is useful for searches such as hadith about cursing, stolen property hadith, and controlling the tongue in Islam.
What we learn from this hadith
- A person may feel upset when wronged, but speech still matters.
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) corrected Aishah when she cursed the thief.
- Abu Dawud explains the wording as not lessening or lightening him.
- The narration teaches care with words after being harmed.
