46/13. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4971 — No Cutting for Traitor and Pilferer
Things for which the hand may not be cut off
Hadith About Pilferer Not Cut: Theft Penalty Exceptions
Sunan an-Nasai : 4971
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4971
أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الصَّمَدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ، عَنْ مَخْلَدٍ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لَيْسَ عَلَى خَائِنٍ وَلاَ مُنْتَهِبٍ وَلاَ مُخْتَلِسٍ قَطْعٌ " . لَمْ يَسْمَعْهُ سُفْيَانُ مِنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ .
Jabir Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah robber and pilferer is not to be cut off." (Sahih) Sufyan did not hear it from Abu Az-Zubair.
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4971In-book reference : Book 46, Hadith 101English translation : Vol. 5, Book 46, Hadith 4974
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4971
This hadith about the pilferer not being cut off reports a short legal statement from Jabir. The wording names three cases: the traitor, the robber, and the pilferer. It says there is no cutting off for them. The narration also includes a note that Sufyan did not hear it from Abu Az-Zubair, so the text itself carries both the reported wording and a chain comment. The safest explanation is to stay with both. The hadith does not describe every theft case. It points to named categories where this penalty is not applied. For readers, the key phrase is hadith on theft penalty exceptions.
What we learn from this hadith
- The narration names the traitor, robber, and pilferer as cases where cutting off is not applied.
- The text separates these acts from the penalty mentioned in the report.
- The report calls for careful wording when speaking about legal punishments.
