17/13. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 1440 — Slave Girl and Repeated Offense
What Has Been Related About Establishing Legal Punishments Upon The Slave Girl
Hadith About a Slave Girl and Repeated Offense
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 1440
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 1440
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الأَشَجُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ الأَحْمَرُ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِذَا زَنَتْ أَمَةُ أَحَدِكُمْ فَلْيَجْلِدْهَا ثَلاَثًا بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ عَادَتْ فَلْيَبِعْهَا وَلَوْ بِحَبْلٍ مِنْ شَعَرٍ " . قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَزَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ وَشِبْلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ الأَوْسِيِّ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ وَجْهٍ . وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا عِنْدَ بَعْضِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَغَيْرِهِمْ رَأَوْا أَنْ يُقِيمَ الرَّجُلُ الْحَدَّ عَلَى مَمْلُوكِهِ دُونَ السُّلْطَانِ وَهُوَ قَوْلُ أَحْمَدَ وَإِسْحَاقَ . وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ يُرْفَعُ إِلَى السُّلْطَانِ وَلاَ يُقِيمُ الْحَدَّ هُوَ بِنَفْسِهِ . وَالْقَوْلُ الأَوَّلُ أَصَحُّ .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Said: "If One Of Your Slave Girl Commits Illegal Sexual Intercourse, Then Whip Her Three Times According To The Book Of Allah, And If She Does It Again Then Sell Her, Even If It Is For A Rope Made Of Hair."
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1440In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 23English translation : Vol. 3, Book 15, Hadith 1440
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 1440
This hadith discusses a slave girl in the setting named by the text. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said that if one of your slave girls commits illegal sexual intercourse, then whip her three times according to the Book of Allah. If she does it again, then sell her, even if it is for a rope made of hair. The report is about a specific legal and social setting involving slavery, so it should be explained with care and not turned into a general modern instruction outside the wording. The focus of the hadith is repeated wrongdoing, legal response, and separation through sale after repetition.
What we learn from this hadith
- The hadith speaks about a slave girl in the setting mentioned by the text.
- Repeated illegal sexual intercourse is addressed with a stated legal response.
- After repetition, the hadith orders selling her even for a low price.
- The explanation should remain limited to the specific wording of the report.
