46/6. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4897 — Noble and Lowly
Mentioning the Different Wordings Reported by Az-Zuhri about the Makhzumi Woman who Stole
Hadith About Noble and Weak People in Theft Law
Sunan an-Nasai : 4897
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4897
أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ سَعِيدِ بْنِ مَسْرُوقٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ زَكَرِيَّا بْنِ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ امْرَأَةً، سَرَقَتْ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالُوا مَا نُكَلِّمُهُ فِيهَا مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ يُكَلِّمُهُ إِلاَّ حِبُّهُ أُسَامَةُ . فَكَلَّمَهُ فَقَالَ " يَا أُسَامَةُ إِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ هَلَكُوا بِمِثْلِ هَذَا كَانَ إِذَا سَرَقَ فِيهِمُ الشَّرِيفُ تَرَكُوهُ وَإِنْ سَرَقَ فِيهِمُ الدُّونُ قَطَعُوهُ وَإِنَّهَا لَوْ كَانَتْ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتَ مُحَمَّدٍ لَقَطَعْتُهَا " .
A'isha Narrated from:
A woman stole at the time of Messenger of Allah and they said: "We cannot speak to him concerning her; there is no one who can speak to him except his beloved, Usamah." So he spoke to him, and he said "O Usamah, the Children of Israel were destroyed for such a thing. Whenever a noble person among them stole, they would let him go, but if a low-class person among them stole, they would cut off his hand. If it were Fatimah bint Muhammad (who stole), I would cut off her hand."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4897In-book reference : Book 46, Hadith 28English translation : Vol. 5, Book 46, Hadith 4901
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4897
This hadith about theft and justice reports that a woman stole during the time of the Messenger of Allah. People said no one could speak to him about her except his beloved, Usamah. When Usamah spoke, the Prophet said that the Children of Israel were destroyed for this kind of behavior: when a noble person stole, they left him; when a lower-status person stole, they cut off his hand. Then he said that if Fatimah bint Muhammad stole, he would cut off her hand. The message is clear: selective justice harms a community. The narration warns against making rank, closeness, or public image a shield from accountability.
What we learn from this hadith
- A person's rank should not decide whether justice is applied.
- Using a beloved person to intercede did not change the Prophet's response.
- The narration warns that selective justice caused destruction for earlier people.
- The Prophet's statement about Fatimah makes the rule personal and clear.
