Law and Punishments in Islam
Total Hadiths 59
Hadiths on Law, Justice, and Punishments in Islam
These authentic narrations explain the fundamental concepts of Islamic law, legal punishments, and spiritual justice. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) outlined the gravest major sins in Islam, which include associating partners with Allah, infanticide, theft, false slander, and adultery. According to Islamic scholars, establishing justice is paramount, as a just ruler is among the seven types of people who will receive Allah's special shade on the Day of Resurrection. The texts clarify that if an individual commits a legal crime and receives their designated worldly punishment, that penalty serves as a spiritual expiation and purification for them. Furthermore, the principles of the law of retaliation ensure fair retribution, as demonstrated when the Prophet ordered an equal penalty for a murderer. Ultimately, these traditions emphasize accountability, the paths toward genuine repentance, and the supreme mercy of Allah in judging human actions.
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رُمْحٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْخَيْرِ، عَنِ الصُّنَابِحِيِّ، عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِنِّي لَمِنَ النُّقَبَاءِ الَّذِينَ بَايَعُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَقَالَ بَايَعْنَاهُ عَلَى أَنْ لاَ نُشْرِكَ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَلاَ نَزْنِيَ وَلاَ نَسْرِقَ وَلاَ نَقْتُلَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ وَلاَ نَنْتَهِبَ وَلاَ نَعْصِيَ فَالْجَنَّةُ إِنْ فَعَلْنَا ذَلِكَ فَإِنْ غَشِينَا مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا كَانَ قَضَاءُ ذَلِكَ إِلَى اللَّهِ . وَقَالَ ابْنُ رُمْحٍ كَانَ قَضَاؤُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ .
Ubida b. as-Samit repnrted: I was one of those headmen who swore allegiance to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) that we will not associate anything with Allah, and will not commit adultery, and will not steal, and will not kill any soul which Allah has forbidden, but with justice nor plunder, nor disobey (Allah and His Apostle), then Paradise (will be the reward) in case we do these (acts) ; and if we commit any outrage (and that goes unpunished in the world), it is Allah Who would decide about it. Ibn Rumh said: Its judgment lies with Allah.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1709dIn-book reference : Book 29, Hadith 67USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 17, Hadith 4238
وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ وَعَبْدُ الأَعْلَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ كُلُّهُمْ عَنِ ابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ عِيسَى - حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، بِإِسْنَادِ اللَّيْثِ . مِثْلَ حَدِيثِهِ .
A hadith like this has been transmitted on the authority of Zuhri.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1710bIn-book reference : Book 29, Hadith 69USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 17, Hadith 4240
وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ، وَحَرْمَلَةُ، قَالاَ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ، شِهَابٍ عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، وَعُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمِثْلِهِ .
A hadith like this has been transmitted on the authority of Abu Huraira.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1710cIn-book reference : Book 29, Hadith 70USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 17, Hadith 4241
وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ سَلاَّمٍ الْجُمَحِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الرَّبِيعُ يَعْنِي ابْنَ مُسْلِمٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي ح، وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمِثْلِهِ .
A hadith like this has been transmitted on the authority of Abu Huraira.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1710eIn-book reference : Book 29, Hadith 72USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 17, Hadith 4243
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي إِدْرِيسَ الْخَوْلاَنِيِّ، عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ، قَالَ كُنَّا عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي مَجْلِسٍ فَقَالَ " تُبَايِعُونِي عَلَى أَنْ لاَ تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَلاَ تَسْرِقُوا وَلاَ تَزْنُوا قَرَأَ عَلَيْهِمُ الآيَةَ فَمَنْ وَفَى مِنْكُمْ فَأَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَمَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا فَعُوقِبَ عَلَيْهِ فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٌ لَهُ وَمَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا فَسَتَرَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ فَهُوَ إِلَى اللَّهِ إِنْ شَاءَ عَذَّبَهُ وَإِنْ شَاءَ غَفَرَ لَهُ " . قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ وَجَرِيرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَخُزَيْمَةَ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَقَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ لَمْ أَسْمَعْ فِي هَذَا الْبَابِ أَنَّ الْحُدُودَ تَكُونُ كَفَّارَةً لأَهْلِهَا شَيْئًا أَحْسَنَ مِنْ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ . قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ وَأُحِبُّ لِمَنْ أَصَابَ ذَنْبًا فَسَتَرَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَسْتُرَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ وَيَتُوبَ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ رَبِّهِ . وَكَذَلِكَ رُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ أَنَّهُمَا أَمَرَا رَجُلاً أَنْ يَسْتُرَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ .
Narrated 'Ubadah bin As-Samit: "We Were With The Prophet (ﷺ) [In A Gathering] And He Said: 'Pledge To Me That You Will Not Associate [Anything As] Partners With Allah, And That You Will Not Steal Nor Commit Adultery.' He Recited To Them The Ayah. (And He Said:)'Whoever Among You Dies, Then This Reward Is With Allah, And Whoever Among You Does Some Of This And Then He Is Punished, It Is Atonement For Him. And Whoever Does Some Of This And Allah Covers It For Him, Then It Is Up To Allah; If He Wills, He Will Punish Them, And If He Wills, He Will Forgive Him.'"
[1] This refers to Sūrat Al-Mumtahinah (60:12). See Tuhfat Al-Ahwadhi .Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1439In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 22English translation : Vol. 3, Book 15, Hadith 1439
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلاَمٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنْ خُبَيْبِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ حَفْصِ بْنِ عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " سَبْعَةٌ يُظِلُّهُمُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِي ظِلِّهِ، يَوْمَ لاَ ظِلَّ إِلاَّ ظِلُّهُ إِمَامٌ عَادِلٌ، وَشَابٌّ نَشَأَ فِي عِبَادَةِ اللَّهِ، وَرَجُلٌ ذَكَرَ اللَّهَ فِي خَلاَءٍ فَفَاضَتْ عَيْنَاهُ، وَرَجُلٌ قَلْبُهُ مُعَلَّقٌ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، وَرَجُلاَنِ تَحَابَّا فِي اللَّهِ، وَرَجُلٌ دَعَتْهُ امْرَأَةٌ ذَاتُ مَنْصِبٍ وَجَمَالٍ إِلَى نَفْسِهَا قَالَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ. وَرَجُلٌ تَصَدَّقَ بِصَدَقَةٍ فَأَخْفَاهَا، حَتَّى لاَ تَعْلَمَ شِمَالُهُ مَا صَنَعَتْ يَمِينُهُ ".
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Seven (people) will be shaded by Allah by His Shade on the Day of Resurrection when there will be no shade except His Shade. (They will be), a just ruler, a young man who has been brought up in the worship of Allah, a man who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes are then flooded with tears, a man whose heart is attached to mosques (offers his compulsory congregational prayers in the mosque), two men who love each other for Allah's Sake, a man who is called by a charming lady of noble birth to commit illegal sexual intercourse with her, and he says, 'I am afraid of Allah,' and (finally), a man who gives in charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6806In-book reference : Book 86, Hadith 35USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 82, Hadith 798
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ، عَنْ ثَوْرِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْغَيْثِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " اجْتَنِبُوا السَّبْعَ الْمُوبِقَاتِ ". قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا هُنَّ قَالَ " الشِّرْكُ بِاللَّهِ، وَالسِّحْرُ، وَقَتْلُ النَّفْسِ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ، وَأَكْلُ الرِّبَا، وَأَكْلُ مَالِ الْيَتِيمِ، وَالتَّوَلِّي يَوْمَ الزَّحْفِ، وَقَذْفُ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ الْغَافِلاَتِ ".
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Avoid the seven great destructive sins." They (the people!) asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What are they?" He said, "To join partners in worship with Allah; to practice sorcery; to kill the life which Allah has forbidden except for a just cause (according to Islamic law); to eat up usury (Riba), to eat up the property of an orphan; to give one's back to the enemy and fleeing from the battle-field at the time of fighting and to accuse chaste women who never even think of anything touching chastity and are good believers."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6857In-book reference : Book 86, Hadith 79USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 82, Hadith 840
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ رَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، أَنْبَأَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ يَزِيدَ، أَظُنُّهُ عَنْ جَرِيرِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ جَرِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " حَدٌّ يُعْمَلُ بِهِ فِي الأَرْضِ خَيْرٌ لأَهْلِ الأَرْضِ مِنْ أَنْ يُمْطَرُوا أَرْبَعِينَ صَبَاحًا " .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “A legal punishment that is carried out in the land is better for the people of that land than if it were to rain for forty days.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2538In-book reference : Book 20, Hadith 6English translation : Vol. 3, Book 20, Hadith 2538
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ الْفَضْلِ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " ادْفَعُوا الْحُدُودَ مَا وَجَدْتُمْ لَهُ مَدْفَعًا " .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Ward off the legal punishments as much as you can.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2545In-book reference : Book 20, Hadith 13English translation : Vol. 3, Book 20, Hadith 2545
حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ كَاسِبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ سُهَيْلِ بْنِ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنَا الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنَا أَنَسُ بْنُ عِيَاضٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مَعْشَرٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، وَمُوسَى بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَنْ حَمَلَ عَلَيْنَا السِّلاَحَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا " .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever bears weapons against us is not one of us.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2575In-book reference : Book 20, Hadith 43English translation : Vol. 3, Book 20, Hadith 2575
