47/22. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 3165 — Justice in Punishment and Accountability
Regarding Surat Al-Anbiya'
Hadith About Justice and the Balances on Judgment Day
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 3165
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 3165
حَدَّثَنَا مُجَاهِدُ بْنُ مُوسَى، - بَغْدَادِيٌّ - وَالْفَضْلُ بْنُ سَهْلٍ الأَعْرَجُ بَغْدَادِيٌّ وَغَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ غَزْوَانَ أَبُو نُوحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، قَعَدَ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ لِي مَمْلُوكَيْنِ يُكْذِبُونَنِي وَيَخُونُونَنِي وَيَعْصُونَنِي وَأَشْتُمُهُمْ وَأَضْرِبُهُمْ فَكَيْفَ أَنَا مِنْهُمْ قَالَ " يُحْسَبُ مَا خَانُوكَ وَعَصَوْكَ وَكَذَبُوكَ وَعِقَابُكَ إِيَّاهُمْ فَإِنْ كَانَ عِقَابُكَ إِيَّاهُمْ بِقَدْرِ ذُنُوبِهِمْ كَانَ كَفَافًا لاَ لَكَ وَلاَ عَلَيْكَ وَإِنْ كَانَ عِقَابُكَ إِيَّاهُمْ دُونَ ذُنُوبِهِمْ كَانَ فَضْلاً لَكَ وَإِنْ كَانَ عِقَابُكَ إِيَّاهُمْ فَوْقَ ذُنُوبِهِمُ اقْتُصَّ لَهُمْ مِنْكَ الْفَضْلُ " . قَالَ فَتَنَحَّى الرَّجُلُ فَجَعَلَ يَبْكِي وَيَهْتِفُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَمَا تَقْرَأُ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ : ( ونَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلاَ تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا وَإِنْ كَانَ مِثْقَالَ ) الآيَةَ . فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا أَجِدُ لِي وَلِهَؤُلاَءِ شَيْئًا خَيْرًا مِنْ مُفَارَقَتِهِمْ أُشْهِدُكُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَارٌ كُلَّهُمْ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ غَزْوَانَ وَقَدْ رَوَى أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ غَزْوَانَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ .
A'isha Narrated from:
A Man Came And Sat In Front Of The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) And Said: "O Messenger Of Allah! I Have Two Slaves Who Lie To Me, Deceive Me, And Disobey Me, And I Scold Them And Hit Them. So What Is My Case Because Of Them?" He Said: "The Extent To Which They Betrayed You, Disobeyed You And Lied To You Will Be Measured Against How Much You Punish Them. If Your Punishing Them Is Equal To Their Sins, Then The Two Will Be The Same, Nothing For You And Nothing Against You. If Your Punishing Them Is Above Their Sin, Some Of Your Rewards Will Be Taken From You And Given To Them." So The Man Left, And Began Weeping And Crying Aloud.The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Said: "You Should Read What Allah Said In His Book: 'And We Shall Set Up The Balances Of Justice On The Day Of Resurrection, Then None Will Be Dealt With Unjustly In Anything...' To The Rest Of The Ayah (21:47).So The Man Said: "By Allah, O Messenger Of Allah! I See Nothing Better For Myself, Than Me Parting With Them. Bear Witness That They Are All Free."
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3165In-book reference : Book 47, Hadith 217English translation : Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 3165
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 3165
This hadith about justice shows how carefully actions will be weighed on the Day of Resurrection. A man said that his slaves lied to him, deceived him, and disobeyed him, and that he scolded and hit them. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) explained that their wrongs and his punishment would be measured against each other. If his punishment equaled their sins, then there would be nothing for him and nothing against him. If he punished them more than their wrongs, some of his rewards would be taken and given to them. The Prophet then reminded him of the balances of justice. The man was so moved that he freed them. This hadith teaches careful restraint when dealing with people under one's authority.
What we learn from this hadith
- Punishment and wrongdoing will be measured with justice.
- Going beyond the wrong done by others can harm a person in the Hereafter.
- The balances of justice mean no soul will be treated unfairly.
- The man chose freedom for his slaves after understanding the warning.
