46/16. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4980 — Handling Theft Responsibly
Cutting (The thief's hand off) while traveling
Hadith About Theft and Responsible Action
Sunan an-Nasai : 4980
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4980
أَخْبَرَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُدْرِكٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ عُمَرَ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ - عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِذَا سَرَقَ الْعَبْدُ فَبِعْهُ وَلَوْ بِنَشٍّ " . قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عُمَرُ بْنُ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ لَيْسَ بِالْقَوِيِّ فِي الْحَدِيثِ .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Prophet said: "If a slave steals, then sell him, even for half price." (Hasan) Abu 'Abdur-Rahman (An-Nasai) said: 'Umar bin Abi Salamah is not strong in Hadith.
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4980In-book reference : Book 46, Hadith 110English translation : Vol. 5, Book 46, Hadith 4983
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4980
This hadith about theft gives a short ruling-style statement: if a slave steals, he should be sold, even for half price. The core point in the wording is that stealing was treated as a serious harm that required action. The narration also includes an important hadith grading note from Abu Abdur-Rahman An-Nasai, who says that Umar bin Abi Salamah is not strong in Hadith, while the report is marked Hasan in the provided text. So the explanation should stay close to the wording and not turn it into a broad ruling for every case. For readers searching for Islamic teaching on theft, this hadith shows that dishonesty affects trust, ownership, and social order.
What we learn from this hadith
- Theft is treated as a serious matter in the wording of the report.
- The text links wrongdoing with practical action, not mere words.
- The narrator note reminds readers to pay attention to hadith reliability.
