Intercession regarding Prescribed Punishments - Section 1

‘A'isha said Quraish were anxious about the Makhzumi woman who had committed theft and asked, “Who will speak to God’s Messenger about her?” Then they said, “Who will be bold enough for it but Usama b. Zaid, God’s Messenger’s friend?” So Usama spoke to him and God’s Messenger said, “Are you interceding regarding one of the punishments prescribed by God?” He then got up and gave an address, saying, “What destroyed your predecessors was just that when a person of rank among them committed a theft they left him alone, but when a weak one of their number committed a theft they inflicted the prescribed punishment on him. I swear by God that if Fatima daughter of Muhammad should steal I would have her hand cut off.” (Bukhari and Muslim). In a version by Muslim she said that a Makhzumi woman used to borrow goods and deny having received them, so the Prophet (ﷺ) gave orders that her hand should be cut off. Her family went and spoke to Usama and he spoke about her to God's Messenger. Then he mentioned the tradition in similar form to what has preceded.

عَن عائشةَ رَضِي الله عَنْهَا أَنَّ قُرَيْشًا أَهَمَّهُمْ شَأْنُ الْمَرْأَةِ الْمَخْزُومِيَّةِ الَّتِي سَرَقَتْ فَقَالُوا: مَنْ يُكَلِّمُ فِيهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟ فَقَالُوا: وَمَنْ يَجْتَرِئُ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ حِبُّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَكَلَّمَهُ أُسَامَةُ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَتَشْفَعُ فِي حَدٍّ مِنْ حُدُودِ اللَّهِ؟» ثُمَّ قَامَ فَاخْتَطَبَ ثُمَّ قَالَ: «إِنَّمَا أَهْلَكَ الَّذِينَ قَبْلَكُمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا إِذَا سَرَقَ فِيهِمُ الشَّرِيفُ تَرَكُوهُ وَإِذَا سَرَقَ فِيهِمُ الضَّعِيفُ أَقَامُوا عَلَيْهِ الْحَدَّ وَايْمُ اللَّهِ لَوْ أَنَّ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتَ مُحَمَّدٍ سَرَقَتْ لَقَطَعْتُ يَدَهَا» . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ. وَفِي روايةٍ لمسلمٍ: قالتْ: كانتِ امرأةٌ مخزوميَّةٌ تَسْتَعِيرُ الْمَتَاعَ وَتَجْحَدُهُ فَأَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِقَطْعِ يَدِهَا فَأَتَى أَهْلُهَا أُسَامَةَ فَكَلَّمُوهُ فَكَلَّمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِقَطْعِ يَدِهَا فَأَتَى أَهْلُهَا أُسَامَةَ فَكَلَّمُوهُ فَكَلَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِيهَا ثمَّ ذكرَ الحديثَ بنحوِ مَا تقدَّمَ

‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar told that he heard God’s Messenger say, “If anyone’s intercession intervenes as an obstacle to one of the punishments prescribed by God he has opposed God; if anyone disputes knowingly about something which is false he remains in the displeasure of God most high till he desists; and if anyone makes an untruthful accusation against a Muslim he will be made by God to dwell in the corrupt fluid flowing from the inhabitants of hell* till he retracts his statement.” Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it. * <i>Radghat al-khabal</i>. In a version by Baihaqi in <i>Shu'ab al-iman</i> it says, “He who assists in a dispute, not knowing whether it is true or false, will remain in God’s displeasure till he desists.” Baihaqi in <i>Shu'ab al-iman</i>

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسلم يَقُول: «مَنْ حَالَتْ شَفَاعَتُهُ دُونَ حَدٍّ مِنْ حُدُودِ اللَّهِ فَقَدَ ضَادَّ اللَّهَ وَمَنْ خَاصَمَ فِي بَاطِلٍ وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُهُ لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي سُخْطِ اله تَعَالَى حَتَّى يَنْزِعَ وَمَنْ قَالَ فِي مُؤْمِنٍ مَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ أَسْكَنَهُ اللَّهُ رَدْغَةَ الْخَبَالِ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ مِمَّا قَالَ» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَأَبُو دَاوُد وَفِي روايةٍ للبيهقيِّ فِي شعبِ الْإِيمَان «مَنْ أَعانَ على خُصُومَةً لَا يَدْرِي أَحَقٌّ أَمْ بَاطِلٌ فَهُوَ فِي سَخطِ اللَّهِ حَتَّى ينْزع»

Abu Umayya al-Makhzumi told that a robber who had made acknowledgment was brought to the Prophet, but no goods were found with him. God’s Messenger said to him, “I do not think you have stolen.” He replied that he had and repeated it to him twice or thrice, making acknowledgment all the time, so he gave orders and his hand was cut off. He was then brought to him and God’s Messenger said to him, “Ask God’s pardon and turn to Him in repentance.” He said, “I ask God’s pardon and turn to Him in repentance.” God's Messenger then said three times, “O God, forgive him.” Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it. Thus did I find it in the four texts quoted, in <i>Jami' al-usul, Shu'ab al-iman</i>, and <i>Ma'alim as-sunan</i> on the authority of Abu Umayya, but in the texts of <i>al-Masabih</i> it is given on the authority of Abu Rimtha.* *This is the kind of misunderstanding which can easily arise owing to the similarity of امیۃ and رمثۃ if not carefully written.

وَعَنْ أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ الْمَخْزُومِيِّ: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَتَى بِلِصٍّ قَدِ اعْتَرَفَ اعْتِرَافًا وَلَمْ يُوجَدْ مَعَهُ مَتَاعٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَا أَخَالُكَ سَرَقْتَ» . قَالَ: بَلَى فَأَعَادَ عَلَيْهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثًا كُلَّ ذَلِكَ يَعْتَرِفُ فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَقُطِعَ وَجِيءَ بِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «اسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ وَتُبْ إِلَيْهِ» فَقَالَ: أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «اللَّهُمَّ تُبْ عليهِ» ثَلَاثًا. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ هَكَذَا وجدتُ فِي الْأُصُول الْأَرْبَعَة وجامع الْأُصُول وَشُعَبُ الْإِيمَانِ وَمَعَالِمُ السُّنَنِ عَنْ أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ