46/6. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4903 — Justice and Sincere Repentance
Mentioning the Different Wordings Reported by Az-Zuhri about the Makhzumi Woman who Stole
Makhzumi Woman Hadith: Justice and Repentance
Sunan an-Nasai : 4903
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4903
أَخْبَرَنَا سُوَيْدٌ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّ امْرَأَةً، سَرَقَتْ فِي عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي غَزْوَةِ الْفَتْحِ - مُرْسَلٌ - فَفَزِعَ قَوْمُهَا إِلَى أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ يَسْتَشْفِعُونَهُ - قَالَ عُرْوَةُ - فَلَمَّا كَلَّمَهُ أُسَامَةُ فِيهَا تَلَوَّنَ وَجْهُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " أَتُكَلِّمُنِي فِي حَدٍّ مِنْ حُدُودِ اللَّهِ " . قَالَ أُسَامَةُ اسْتَغْفِرْ لِي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْعَشِيُّ قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَطِيبًا فَأَثْنَى عَلَى اللَّهِ بِمَا هُوَ أَهْلُهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ " أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّمَا هَلَكَ النَّاسُ قَبْلَكُمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا إِذَا سَرَقَ فِيهِمُ الشَّرِيفُ تَرَكُوهُ وَإِذَا سَرَقَ فِيهِمُ الضَّعِيفُ أَقَامُوا عَلَيْهِ الْحَدَّ وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَوْ أَنَّ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتَ مُحَمَّدٍ سَرَقَتْ لَقَطَعْتُ يَدَهَا " . ثُمَّ أَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِيَدِ تِلْكَ الْمَرْأَةِ فَقُطِعَتْ فَحَسُنَتْ تَوْبَتُهَا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ . قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ رضى الله عنها وَكَانَتْ تَأْتِينِي بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأَرْفَعُ حَاجَتَهَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم .
Az-Zuhri Narrated from:
Urwah bin Az-Zubair told me that a woman stole at the time of the Messenger of Allah, during the Conquest. Her people went to Uswamah bin Zaid, to ask him to intercede." 'Urwah said: "When Usamah spoke to him concerning her, the face of the Messenger of Allah changed color and he said: 'Are you speaking to me concerning one of the Hadd punishments of Allah?" Usamah said: 'Pray to Allah for forgiveness for me, O Messenger of Allah.'When evening came, the Messenger of Allah stood up to deliver a speech. He praised Allah as He deserves, then he said: 'The people who came before you were destroyed because, whenever a noble person among them stole, they would carry out the Hadd punishment on him. By the One in whose hand is my soul, if Fatimah bint Muhammad were to steal, I would cut off her hand.' Then the Messenger of Allah ordered that the hand of that woman be cut off. After that she repented sincerely, and 'Aishah said: 'She used to come to me after that, and I would convey her needs to the Messenger of Allah."'
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4903In-book reference : Book 46, Hadith 34English translation : Vol. 5, Book 46, Hadith 4907
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4903
This report brings together the Makhzumi woman hadith, equal justice, and sincere repentance. The woman stole during the Conquest, and her people went to Usamah bin Zaid to ask him to intercede. When Usamah spoke, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم objected to speaking about one of Allah’s Hadd punishments. In his speech, he warned that earlier people were destroyed when the noble were left alone and the weak were punished. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم then ordered the punishment in that case. The narration also says that the woman repented sincerely afterward and used to come to Aishah, who would convey her needs to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. The hadith therefore keeps both ideas clear: justice was carried out, and sincere repentance after sin was still mentioned with care.
What we learn from this hadith
- The text does not allow social pressure to cancel justice.
- A person’s repentance after wrongdoing is still noted with respect.
- Aishah’s later help shows that the woman was not erased from the community.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم taught the danger of protecting the noble while punishing the weak.
