475 - إقامَةُ الحُدودِ

475. Upholding the Penal Laws

1437.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : إقامَةُ حَدٍّ مِن حُدودِ اللَّهِ خَيرٌ مِن مَطَرِ أربَعينَ لَيلةً في بِلادِ اللَّهِ .¹

1437.The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Upholding one of the penal laws of Allah is superior to forty nights of rain on Allah's land.' ²

1438.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : حَدٌّ يُقامُ في الأرضِ أزْكى‏ مِن عِبادَةِ سِتّينَ سَنةً .³

1438.The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'A penal law that is exercised on earth is purer than sixty years of worship.' ⁴

1439.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عن آبائه عليهم السلام : إنّ رسولَ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله اُتيَ بامْرأةٍ لَها شَرَفٌ في قَومِها قَد سَرَقَتْ ، فأمَرَ بقَطْعِها ، فاجْتَمعَ إلى‏ رسولِ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله ناسٌ مِن قُرَيشٍ وقالوا : يا رسولَ اللَّهِ، تُقْطَعُ امْرأةٌ شَريفةٌ مثلُ فُلانَةَ في خَطَرٍ يَسيرٍ ؟!
قالَ : نَعَم ، إنّما هَلكَ مَن كانَ قَبْلَكُم بمِثْلِ هذا ، كانوا يُقيمونَ الحُدودَ على‏ ضُعَفائهِم ويَتْرُكونَ أقْوِياءهُم وأشْرافَهُم فهَلَكوا .⁵

1439.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'A woman who was honoured amongst her people was once brought to the Prophet (SAWA) charged with theft. He ordered her [hand] to be cut. A group from the tribe of Quraysh came to the Prophet (SAWA) and said, 'O Messenger of Allah! Must [the hand of] a noble lady such as her be cut like that of so and so for such a small mistake?!' He replied, 'Yes! Indeed those before you perished because of such a deed. People used to uphold the punishments for the weak ones among them and exempt the strong and the noble ones of them, and therefore they perished.' ⁶