46/5. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4882 — Before Bringing the Case
Stealing Something that Is Kept In A Protected Place
Hadith About Bringing a Theft Case to Authority
Sunan an-Nasai : 4882
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4882
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ أَبِي خِيَرَةَ - قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْفَضْلُ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ الْعَلاَءِ الْكُوفِيَّ - قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَشْعَثُ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ كَانَ صَفْوَانُ نَائِمًا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَرِدَاؤُهُ تَحْتَهُ فَسُرِقَ فَقَامَ وَقَدْ ذَهَبَ الرَّجُلُ فَأَدْرَكَهُ فَأَخَذَهُ فَجَاءَ بِهِ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَمَرَ بِقَطْعِهِ قَالَ صَفْوَانُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا بَلَغَ رِدَائِي أَنْ يُقْطَعَ فِيهِ رَجُلٌ . قَالَ " هَلاَّ كَانَ هَذَا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَأْتِيَنَا بِهِ " . قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَشْعَثُ ضَعِيفٌ .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
Safwina was sleeping in the Masjid with his Rida' beneath him, and it was stolen. He got up, and the man had gone, but he caught up with him, and took him to the prophet, who ordered that his hand be cut off. Safwan said; 'O Messenger of Allah, my Rida 'is not worth cutting off a man's hand for. 'He said 'Why did you not say that before you brought him to me
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4882In-book reference : Book 46, Hadith 13English translation : Vol. 5, Book 46, Hadith 4886
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4882
This narration again speaks about Safwan's Rida being stolen while he slept in the masjid. He caught the man and brought him to the Prophet, who ordered that the man's hand be cut off. Safwan then said that his Rida was not worth cutting off a man's hand for. The Prophet replied that this should have been said before Safwan brought the man to him. The hadith about theft in Islam here is not about making light of the stolen item. It is about the moment when a personal claim becomes a formal legal case. The text teaches that if someone wants to forgive or settle, that should happen before presenting the accused for judgment.
What we learn from this hadith
- A person should decide whether to forgive before escalating a case.
- The value of an item was mentioned only after the legal order, and that timing mattered.
- Taking someone to authority is a serious step.
- The narration connects justice with careful action before a case is submitted.
