46/13. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4966 — Produce Theft Ruling
Things for which the hand may not be cut off
Hadith About Hand Not Cut for Fruit
Sunan an-Nasai : 4966
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4966
أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، - هُوَ ابْنُ أَبِي رَجَاءٍ - قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى بْنِ حَبَّانَ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ، وَاسِعٍ، عَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لاَ قَطْعَ فِي ثَمَرٍ وَلاَ كَثَرٍ " .
Rafi' bin Khadij Narrated from:
I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'The hand is not to be cut off for (stealing) produce or the spadix of palm trees.'
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4966In-book reference : Book 46, Hadith 96English translation : Vol. 5, Book 46, Hadith 4969
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4966
Here Rafi bin Khadij reports the Prophet's statement that the hand is not to be cut off for produce or the spadix of palm trees. This hadith about hand not cut for fruit is often searched because people want to understand how theft rulings can have limits. The text itself is short and does not give a long explanation. It simply tells us that this punishment is not applied for those named items. The narration should not be used to speak about every theft case. Its value is in its clear boundary: produce and palm-tree spadix are mentioned, and the ruling is attached to them.
What we learn from this hadith
- The narration states that hand cutting does not apply to produce mentioned in the hadith.
- The text names two items clearly: produce and the spadix of palm trees.
- The report teaches care in applying legal penalties only where the text allows it.
