17/13. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 1441 — Legal Punishment with Care
What Has Been Related About Establishing Legal Punishments Upon The Slave Girl
Hadith About Legal Punishment with Mercy and Care
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 1441
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 1441
حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْخَلاَّلُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ الطَّيَالِسِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا زَائِدَةُ بْنُ قُدَامَةَ، عَنِ السُّدِّيِّ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السُّلَمِيِّ، قَالَ خَطَبَ عَلِيٌّ فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَقِيمُوا الْحُدُودَ عَلَى أَرِقَّائِكُمْ مَنْ أَحْصَنَ مِنْهُمْ وَمَنْ لَمْ يُحْصِنْ وَإِنَّ أَمَةً لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم زَنَتْ فَأَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَجْلِدَهَا فَإِذَا هِيَ حَدِيثَةُ عَهْدٍ بِنِفَاسٍ فَخَشِيتُ إِنْ أَنَا جَلَدْتُهَا أَنْ أَقْتُلَهَا - أَوْ قَالَ تَمُوتَ - فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ " أَحْسَنْتَ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَالسُّدِّيُّ اسْمُهُ إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ وَهُوَ مِنَ التَّابِعِينَ قَدْ سَمِعَ مِنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ وَرَأَى حُسَيْنَ بْنَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ رضى الله عنه .
Abu 'Abdur-Rahman As-Sulami Narrated from:
Ali Gave A Khutbah, And Said: 'O People, Establish The Penalties Upon Your Slaves, Those Married From Them And Those Unmarried. A Slave Girl Of The Prophet (ﷺ) Committed Illegal Sexual Intercourse So He Ordered Me To Whip Her. I Went To Her And She Was Just Experiencing Her Post-Natal Bleeding, So I Feared That If I Were To Whip Her I Would Kill Her' - Or He Said: 'She Would Die' - 'So I Went To The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) And I Told That To Him. So He Said: 'You Did Well.'
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1441In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 24English translation : Vol. 3, Book 15, Hadith 1441
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 1441
This hadith about legal punishment shows a careful balance between carrying out the law and avoiding harm. Ali gave a khutbah and told people to establish the penalties upon their slaves, whether married or unmarried. Then he mentioned a slave girl of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم who had committed illegal sexual intercourse. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ordered Ali to whip her, but Ali found that she had just gone through post-natal bleeding. He feared that whipping her at that time could kill her. Instead of acting in haste, he returned to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم and explained the situation. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم replied, “You did well.” The main lesson is clear: legal punishment is not to be applied blindly when there is a real fear of death or serious harm.
What we learn from this hadith
- Legal rulings should be applied with care, not with haste.
- Ali paused when he feared the woman might die from the punishment.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم approved delaying action when harm was feared.
- A difficult legal matter should be taken back to proper authority.
