The Necessity of Equality and Justice Among People
A woman from the Banu Makhzum used to borrow items from people fraudulently and then deny having received them. Once, she borrowed jewelry, denied receiving it, and the items were found in her possession. Her case reached the Prophet (peace be upon him), who resolved to carry out the divine punishment of amputating her hand. She was a woman of high status, coming from a prominent family within the Quraysh.
The Quraysh became concerned about her and the impending punishment. They deliberated over whom to appoint as an intermediary to approach the Prophet (peace be upon him) and intercede on her behalf to secure her release. They deemed no one more suitable than Usama bin Zayd, as he was the Prophet’s close and beloved companion. Usama then spoke to the Prophet on her behalf.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) became angry with him and reproached him, saying: “Do you intercede regarding one of the prescribed punishments of Allah?” He then stood to deliver a sermon to the people, explaining the seriousness of such intercession, which nullifies the boundaries set by Allah. Since the matter concerned many of them, he informed them that the reason for the destruction of previous nations, both in their religious and worldly affairs, was that they enforced the prescribed punishments only on the weak and poor, while leaving the powerful and wealthy unpunished. This led to chaos spreading among them, with evil and corruption becoming rampant, thereby incurring the wrath and punishment of Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then swore, and he is the Truthful, the Trusted, that even if this act had been committed by Fatima, the most noble of women and his daughter (may Allah protect her from such a deed), he would still have carried out the divine punishment against her.
Lessons derived from this hadith include:
1. Intercession is not permitted in prescribed punishments once the case has reached the authorities.
2. A person who denies having received a borrowed item is subject to the same ruling as a thief, and their hand is to be amputated.
3. The hadith also underscores the necessity of justice and equality among all people—whether rich or poor, noble or lowly—in the application of judgments and prescribed punishments, as well as in matters of common concern.
