Ibn ‘Abbas said that when Ma'iz b. Malik came to the Prophet and he* said, “Perhaps you kissed, or squeezed, or looked,” he replied, “No, Messenger of God.” He then said, “Did you have intercourse with her?” asking the question in plain words, and when he replied that he had, he gave orders that he should be stoned to death. Bukhari transmitted it. * i.e. the Prophet. The tradition leaves it to be inferred that Ma'iz had confessed to committing fornication.

Buraida told that Ma'iz b. Malik came to the Prophet and said, “Purify me, Messenger of God.” He replied, “Out upon you! Go back, ask God's forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance.” He said that he went back not very far, then came and said, “Purify me, Messenger of God,” and the Prophet said the same as he had said before. When this went on till a fourth time he asked, “For what am I to purify you?” and he replied that it was because of fornication. God’s Messenger then asked if the man was mad, and when he was told that he was not, he asked if he had drunk wine. A man got up and smelt his breath but noticed no smell of wine, so the Prophet asked him if he had committed fornication, and when he replied that he had, he gave orders regarding him and he was stoned to death. Two or three days later God’s Messenger came and said, “Ask forgiveness for Ma'iz b. Malik. He has repented to such an extent that if it were divided among a people it would be enough for them all.” Then a woman of Ghamid, a branch of Azd came to him and said, “Purify me, Messenger of God.” He replied, “Out upon you! Go back, ask God’s forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance.” She said, “Do you want to send me back as you did to Ma'iz b. Malik when I am ¹ pregnant as a result of fornication?” He asked whether she was referring to herself, and when she replied that she was, he told her to wait till she had given birth to what was in her womb. One of the Ansar became responsible for her till she was delivered of a child, and then went to the Prophet and told him that the woman of Ghamid had given birth to a child. He said, "In that case we shall not stone her and so leave her child as an infant with no one to suckle him.” One of the Ansar then got up and said, "I shall be responsible for his suckling, Prophet of God." He then had her stoned to death. A version says that he told her to go away till she gave birth to a child, then when she did, he told her to go away and suckle him till she had weaned him. When she had weaned him she brought the boy to him with a piece of bread in his hand and said, "I have weaned this one and he has eaten food." He (hen handed the boy over to one of the Muslims, and when he had given command regarding her and she was put in a hole up to her breast, he ordered the people to stone her. Khalid b. al-Walid came forward with a stone which he threw at her head, and when the blood spurted on his face he cursed her, ...

Aba Huraira told that he heard the Prophet say, "When the slave woman of any of you commits fornication and the matter is clear, he should give her the appropriate beating, but not hurl reproaches at her. If she does it again he should give her the appropriate beating, but not hurl reproaches at her. If she does it a third time and the matter is clear he should sell her, even if only for a rope of hair." (Bukhari and Muslim)

You people must carry out the punishment on your slaves, those of them who are married and those who are not, for a slave woman belonging to God’s Messenger committed fornication and he ordered me to beat her. But she had recently given birth to a child and I was afraid that if I beat her I might kill her, so I mentioned that to the Prophet and he said, “You have done well." Muslim transmitted it. In a version by Abd Dawud he said, “Leave her till her blood stops flowing and then carry out the punishment on her, and carry out* the punishment on your female slaves”. Abu Dawud. *Here the verb is plural.

Yazid b. Nu'aim b. Hazzal told on his father’s authority that Ma'iz b. Malik who was an orphan under his father's protection had intercourse with a slave girl belonging to the clan, so his father told him to go and inform God's Messenger what he had done, for he might perhaps ask forgiveness for him. His purpose in that was simply a hope that it might be a way of escape for him. He went to him and said, “Messenger of God, I have committed fornication, so inflict on me the punishment ordained by God.” He turned away from him, so he came back and said, “Messenger of God, I have committed fornication, so inflict on me the punishment ordained by God.” When he had said it four times God’s Messenger said, “You have said it four times. With whom did you commit it?” When he replied that it was with so and so he asked whether he had lain with her and he replied that he had. He asked whether his skin had been in contact with hers and he replied that it had. He then asked whether he had had intercourse with her and he replied that he had. He ordered him to be stoned to death and he was taken out to the harra, but when he felt the effect of the stones and could not bear it he went away quickly. But ‘Abdallah b. Unais encountered him when those who had been stoning him could not catch up on him, threw the bone of a camel’s foreleg at him, hit him and killed him. Then when he went to the Prophet and mentioned that to him he said, “Why did you not leave him alone,* for perhaps he might have repented and been forgiven by God.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. *The verb is in the plural.

‘Amr b. al-'As told that he heard God's Messenger say, “Fornication will not appear among any people without their being punished by famine, and bribery will not appear among any people without their being punished by terror.” Ahmad transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Abu Husain al-Makki reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A hand is not to be cut off for fruit which is hung up, or for a sheep stolen by night from the mountain;* but when the sheep is in its fold or the fruit in the place where it is dried a hand is to be cut off for whatever reaches the price of a shield.” Malik transmitted it. * Harisa jabal. It is used either of a sheep or goat stolen before it gets back from the mountain to the fold, or of one guarded in the mountain. The most satisfactory reason for the prescription would seem to be that animals kept in the mountain are not sufficiently protected.

Jabir reported God’s Messenger as saying, "Cutting off the hand is not to be inflicted on one who plunders, but he who does so conspicuously does not belong to us.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Jabir told that a thief was brought to the Prophet and he said, "Maim him,* so this was done. He was brought a second time and he said, "Maim him,” so this was done. He was brought a third time and he said, "Maim him,” so this was done. He was brought a fourth time and he said, "Maim him,” so this was done. He was brought a fifth time and he said, "Kill him,” so they took him away and killed him. They then dragged him and cast him into a well and threw stones over him. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it. In Sharh as-sunna the Prophet is reported as saying regarding the maiming of a thief, "Maim him, then cauterise him." * Where there has been one offence I have translated 'cut off the hand’, but here, where the verb 'to cut off’ is used without an object, I have found it more convenient to use a general word. In the previous tradition the hands and feet were mentioned in the Arabic.

Fadala b. 'Ubaid said a thief was brought to God’s Messenger, and when his hand was cut off he gave command that it should be hung on his neck. Tirmidhi, Aba Dawud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

I can still picture myself looking at God’s Messenger when a man who had drunk wine was brought before him and he told the people to beat him. Some struck him with sandals, some with sticks and some with mitakhas. Ibn Wahb said this means green palm fronds. Then God’s Messenger took some dust from the ground and threw it in his face. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Khuzaima b. Thabit reported God's Messenger as saying, “If anyone commits a sin and has inflicted on him the prescribed punishment for that sin, it is an atonement for him.” It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

‘Ali reported the Prophet as saying, “If anyone transgresses and receives his punishment in this world, God is too just to repeat the punishment to His servant in the next; and if anyone transgresses and God conceals it and forgives him, He is too generous to go back upon a thing He has forgiven.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a gharib tradition.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported the Prophet as saying, “When a man calls another a Jew give him twenty lashes, when he calls someone a mukhannath* give him twenty lashes, and kill anyone who has intercourse with a woman who is within the prohibited degress.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition. * Mukhannaths were sexually abnormal men who imitated women. Some of them were signets.

‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When you find a man has been unfaithful about spoil in God’s path, burn his goods and beat him.” Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a gharib tradition.

'A’isha said that when God’s Messenger was asked about bit’, which is the nabidh* from honey, he replied, “Every liquor which intoxicates is forbidden.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) * Nabidh is a drink made from dates, raisins, honey, wheat, barley, etc. The ingredients were steeped in water in a vessel, and provided the drink was used before fermentation took place it was lawful.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Every intoxicant is khamr and every intoxicant is forbidden. He who drinks wine in this world and dies when he is addicted to it, not having repented, will not drink it in the next.” Muslim transmitted it.

Anas told that the Prophet was asked about wine which was turned into vinegar* and forbade it. Muslim transmitted it. * This is said to have been done by putting onions or salt in it, or by placing it in the sun.

Wa’il al-Hadrami said that Tariq b. Suwaid asked the Prophet about wine and he forbade him. When he told him that he made it only as a medicine he replied, “It is not a medicine, but is a disease.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone drinks wine God will not accept prayer from him for forty days,* but if he repents God will forgive him. If he repeats the offence God will not accept prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents God will forgive him. If he again repeats the offence God will not accept prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents God will forgive him. If he repeats it a fourth time God will not accept prayer from him for forty days, and if he repents God will not forgive him,, but will give him to drink of the river of the fluid flowing from the inhabitants of hell.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it on the authority of ‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr. * Literally, 'mornings.'

Jabir reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If a large amount of anything causes intoxication, a small amount of it is prohibited.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘A’isha reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If a faraq of anything causes intoxication, a handful of it is forbidden.”* Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it. * To drink as much as a faraq (see p. 577) would be almost impossible, so the point of the tradition is to forbid anything which might in any conceivable circumstances cause intoxication.

An-Nu‘man b. Bashir reported God’s Messenger as saying, “From wheat wine is made, from barley wine is made, from dried dates wine is made, from raisins wine is made, and from honey wine is made.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a gharib tradition.

Anas quoted Abu Talha as saying he told God’s Prophet he had bought wine for orphans who were in his charge, and he replied, “Pour out the wine and break the wine-jars.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, but declared it weak. In Abu Dawud’s version it says he asked the Prophet about orphans who had inherited wine and he said, “Pour it out.” He asked if he might not make vinegar of it and he told him he must not. Abu Dawud

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr told that the Prophet forbade wine, maisir, the kuba and ghubaira,* saying, “Every intoxicant is prohibited.” Abd Dawud transmitted it. *This is a comprehensive tradition not exclusively dealing with intoxicants, although the Prophet’s words might suggest that it does. Maisir was a game of chance and the kuba was a kind of drum wide at the ends and narrow in the middle which was looked on with disapproval. The parts which refer to intoxicants are the wine (khamr) and the ghubaira' which was an intoxicant made by Abyssinians from millet.

He reported the Prophet as saying, “An undutiful son, a gambler, one who casts up what lie has given, and one who is addicted to wine will not enter paradise.” Darimi transmitted it. A version of his has a bastard instead of a gambler.

Anas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Listen and obey, even if an Abyssinian slave with a head like a raisin* is made governor over you.” Bukhari transmitted it. * This is said to refer to the head being small, or to the hair being crisp and curly, or short.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Hearing and obeying are the duty of a Muslim man both regarding what he likes and what he dislikes, as long as he is not commanded to perform an act of disobedience to God, in which case he must neither hear nor obey.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira told that he heard God’s Messenger say, “He who abandons obedience and separates from the community and then dies, will die like those of pre-Islamic times; he who fights under a banner of ignorance* showing anger in support of party spirit, or summoning people to party spirit, or helping party spirit, and then is killed will be killed like those of pre-Islamic times; and he who goes out against my people with his sword smiting the virtuous and the reprobate, not keeping away from those who are believers or observing covenants which have been made, has nothing to do with me and I have nothing to do with him.” Muslim transmitted it. *'Immiya, or 'ummiya, meaning either pride or error. I have translated it as ‘‘ignorance, for it is explained as being here used of people who fight without considering whether they are in the right or not.

‘Auf b. Malik al-Ashja‘i reported God's Messenger as saying, “Your best imams are those whom you like and who like you, on whom you invoke blessings and who invoke blessings on you; and your worst imams are those whom you hate and who hate you, whom you curse and who curse you.” They asked God's Messenger whether in that event they should not depose them, but he replied, “No, as long as they observe the prayer among you; no, as long as they observe the prayer among you. If anyone has a governor whom he sees doing anything which is an act of disobedience to God, he must disapprove of the disobedience to God which he commits, but must never withdraw from obedience.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When allegiance is sworn to two caliphs kill the second of them.* Muslim transmitted it. * Some interpret ‘kill’ here as meaning to fight with. The tradition is directed against the possibility of two Caliphs holding power at the same time, even though the areas might be quite distinct.

‘Arfaja told that he heard God’s Messenger say, “Various corruptions will arise, so strike with the sword him who tries to cause separation in this people when they are united, whoever he be.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as saying, “You will be eager for the office of commander, but it will become a cause of regret on the day of resurrection. It is a good suckler but an evil weaner.”* Bukhari transmitted it. *In the beginning it causes pleasure, but later such pleasures are cut off. The idea is that one gladly undertakes high office, but later finds it to be a cause of grief.

Abu Dharr told that he asked God’s Messenger to make him a governor, but he struck him on his shoulder with his hand and said, “You are weak, Abu Dharr, and it is a trust which will be a cause of shame and regret on the day of resurrection except for him who undertakes it as it ought to be undertaken and fulfils his duty in it.” In a version he said to him, “I see that you are weak, Abu Dharr, and I wish for you what I wish for myself. Do not accept rule over two people and do not become guardian of an orphan’s property.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “You will find among the best people those who have the strongest dislike of this command till they fall into it.”* (Bukhari and Muslim.) *This is explained as meaning either they cease to dislike having authority and so cease to be among the best people, or they find that God helps them. Preference is given to the first explanation, but the remark is made that whichever explanation is correct, in the end these people do not object to having authority.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The imam who is over the people is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock; a man is a shepherd in charge of the inhabitants of his household and he is responsible for his flock; a woman is a shepherdess in charge of her husband’s house and children and she is responsible for them; and a man’s slave is a shepherd in charge of his master’s property and he is responsible for it. So each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Those who act justly will be with God on pulpits of light* at the right hand of the Compassionate One, and both His hands are right. They are those who are just in their jurisdiction, towards their people and what is under their charge.” Muslim transmitted it. *This phrase is explained either in a literal sense, or as indicating their high station.

Abu Sa'id reported God's Messenger as saying, “No prophet is sent by God and no caliph succeeds another without having two close associates, one who commands and urges him to do what is reputable and one who commands and urges him to do what is evil. The one who is protected is he whom God protects.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “He who has been ruler over ten people will be brought on the day of resurrection shackled till justice loosens his chains or tyranny brings him to destruction.”* Darimi transmitted it. *The reference is to the justice or tyranny he has displayed in the administration of his office.

He reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Woe to the governors, woe to the chiefs, woe to the superintendents! On the day of resurrection people will wish that their forelocks were tied to the Pleiades, that they were swinging between heaven and earth, and that they had never exercised any rule.”* It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna. Ahmad transmitted it, his version saying, “that their flowing hair were tied to the Pleiades, that they were dangling between heaven and earth, and that they had never been made governors over anything.” * The idea of their swinging between heaven and earth is that they will wish they had been far removed from the world during their lifetime so that they would not have exercised rule.

Ghalib al-Qattan quoted a man who stated on the authority of his father that his grandfather reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The office of a chief is necessary, for people must have chiefs, but the chiefs will go to hell.”* Abu Dawud transmitted it. * Mirqat. iv, 133 says this means those who are unjust, or is a warning against the temptations to injustice arising from their office.

Ka'b b. ‘Ujra told that God's Messenger said to him, “I commend you to God to protect you from the ruler ship of the foolish.” He asked what that was, and God’s Messenger replied, “After my time governors will arise whose falsehood will be believed and who will be assisted in their oppression by those who enter their presence. They have nothing to do with me and I have nothing to do with them, and they will never come down to me at the Pond. But they who do not enter their presence, believe their falsehood and help them in their oppression, those belong to me and I belong to them, and those ones will come down to me at the Pond.”* Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it. * This is the tank or pool at which believers will drink on the day of resurrection.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported the Prophet as saying, “He who lives in the desert will become rough, he who follows the chase will become negligent, and he who goes to a ruler will be led astray.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it. Abu Dawud’s version has, “He who attaches himself to a ruler will be led astray, and the nearer a man comes to a ruler the farther he goes from God.”

Al-Miqdam b. Ma'dikarib told that God’s Messenger struck him on his shoulders and then said, “You will attain success, Qudaim,* if you die without having been a ruler, a secretary, or a chief.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. * This form is used as a diminutive of Miqdam, the diminutive being used as an affectionate form of address.

‘Uqba b. ‘Amir reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Sahib maks, meaning one who tithes people, will not enter paradise.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it.

Mu'awiya told that he heard God’s Messenger say,” When you look into people’s secrets you corrupt them.”* Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman. * This is a prohibition of delving into other people’s affairs and disclosing things which should not be disclosed, as this makes life difficult for them. It is the same idea as in the previous tradition.

Abu Dharr reported God's Messenger as saying, “How will you deal with imams after my death who appropriate to themselves this booty?” He replied, “I swear by Him who sent you with the truth that I shall put my sword on my shoulder and smite with it till I meet you.” He said, “Shall I not guide you to something better than that? You must show endurance till you meet me.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

seeking rain by the stars,*the injustice of the ruler, and denial of God's decree.” Ahmad. *This is a reference to the pre-Islamic habit of attributing rain to certain seasons and saying the rain came to them because of a certain star, whereas Muslims ought to recognize that rain comes by God’s favour.

Abu Dharr told that God’s Messenger said to him for six days, “Comprehend, Abu Dharr, what will be said to you afterwards.” Then when the seventh day came he said, “I counsel you to observe fear of God both secretly and openly; when you do wrong do a good deed; do not ask anyone for anything, even if your whip falls;* do not accept a trust; and do not give a decision between two people.” Ahmad. * This means that help is to be asked only from God and that one should not ask another human being for even the smallest help.

Abu Umama reported the Prophet as saying, “No one will rule ten people or more without coming to God who is great and glorious on the day of resurrection with his hand chained to his neck and being set free by his goodness, or brought to destruction by his sin. The beginning of it merits blame, its middle produces regret, and its end is disgrace on the day of resurrection.” Ahmad.