37/21. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4082 — Defending Wealth After Repeated Warning
What Should a Man Do if Someone Comes to Take His Wealth?
Hadith About Defending Property After Repeated Warnings
Sunan an-Nasai : 4082
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4082
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنِ ابْنِ الْهَادِ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ قُهَيْدٍ الْغِفَارِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ عُدِيَ عَلَى مَالِي قَالَ " فَانْشُدْ بِاللَّهِ " . قَالَ فَإِنْ أَبَوْا عَلَىَّ . قَالَ " فَانْشُدْ بِاللَّهِ " . قَالَ فَإِنْ أَبَوْا عَلَىَّ . قَالَ " فَانْشُدْ بِاللَّهِ " . قَالَ فَإِنْ أَبَوْا عَلَىَّ قَالَ " فَقَاتِلْ فَإِنْ قُتِلْتَ فَفِي الْجَنَّةِ وَإِنْ قَتَلْتَ فَفِي النَّارِ " .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
A man came to the Messenger of Allah [SAW] and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what do you think if someone comes to steal my wealth?' He said: 'Urge him by Allah.' He said: 'What if he persists?' He said: 'Urge him by Allah.' He said: 'What if he persists?' He said: 'Urge him by Allah.' He said: 'What if he persists?' He said: 'Then fight. If you are killed you will be in Paradise, and if you kill him, he will be in the Fire.'
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4082In-book reference : Book 37, Hadith 117English translation : Vol. 5, Book 37, Hadith 4087
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4082
This hadith about defending property shows that warning comes before fighting. A man asked what to do if someone came to steal his wealth. The Prophet [SAW] told him to urge the attacker by Allah. When the man asked what to do if the attacker still persisted, the same instruction was repeated three times. Only after continued refusal did the Prophet [SAW] tell him to fight. The hadith then states the two possible outcomes in that encounter: if the owner is killed, he will be in Paradise; if the owner kills the aggressor, the aggressor will be in the Fire. The sequence is important because the text does not begin with force; it begins with repeated moral warning.
What we learn from this hadith
- Warn the person seeking your wealth by reminding him of Allah.
- Repeat the warning rather than rushing straight into a fight.
- Resistance is mentioned only after the aggressor continues despite repeated appeals.
- The hadith distinguishes between the defending owner and the persistent aggressor.
