Sahih al-Bukhari 6899
Narrated Abu Qilaba:
Once `Umar bin `Abdul `Aziz sat on his throne in the courtyard of his house so that the people might 
gather before him. Then he admitted them and (when they came in), he said, "What do you think of 
Al-Qasama?" They said, "We say that it is lawful to depend on Al-Qasama in Qisas, as the previous 
Muslim Caliphs carried out Qisas depending on it." Then he said to me, "O Abu Qilaba! What do you 
say about it?" He let me appear before the people and I said, "O Chief of the Believers! You have the 
chiefs of the army staff and the nobles of the Arabs. If fifty of them testified that a married man had 
committed illegal sexual intercourse in Damascus but they had not seen him (doing so), would you 
stone him?" He said, "No." I said, "If fifty of them testified that a man had committed theft in Hums, 
would you cut off his hand though they did not see him?" He replied, "No." 
I said, "By Allah, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) never killed anyone except in one of the following three situations: 
(1) A person who killed somebody unjustly, was killed (in Qisas,) (2) a married person who 
committed illegal sexual intercourse and (3) a man who fought against Allah and His Apostle and 
deserted Islam and became an apostate." 
Then the people said, "Didn't Anas bin Malik narrate that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) cut off the hands of the 
thieves, branded their eyes and then, threw them in the sun?" 
I said, "I shall tell you the narration of Anas. Anas said: "Eight persons from the tribe of `Ukl came to 
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and gave the Pledge of allegiance for Islam (became Muslim). The climate of the 
place (Medina) did not suit them, so they became sick and complained about that to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). 
He said (to them ), "Won't you go out with the shepherd of our camels and drink of the camels' milk 
and urine (as medicine)?" They said, "Yes." So they went out and drank the camels' milk and urine, 
and after they became healthy, they killed the shepherd of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and took away all the 
camels. This news reached Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , so he sent (men) to follow their traces and they were 
captured and brought (to the Prophet). He then ordered to cut their hands and feet, and their eyes were 
branded with heated pieces of iron, and then he threw them in the sun till they died." I said, "What can 
be worse than what those people did? They deserted Islam, committed murder and theft." 
Then 'Anbasa bin Sa`id said, "By Allah, I never heard a narration like this of today." I said, "O 
'Anbasa! You deny my narration?" 'Anbasa said, "No, but you have related the narration in the way it 
should be related. By Allah, these people are in welfare as long as this Sheikh (Abu Qilaba) is among 
them." I added, "Indeed in this event there has been a tradition set by Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). The narrator 
added: Some Ansari people came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and discussed some matters with him, a man from 
amongst them went out and was murdered. Those people went out after him, and behold, their 
companion was swimming in blood. They returned to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said to him, "O Allah's 
Apostle, we have found our companion who had talked with us and gone out before us, swimming in 
blood (killed)." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went out and asked them, "Whom do you suspect or whom do you 
think has killed him?" They said, "We think that the Jews have killed him." The Prophet (ﷺ) sent for the 
Jews and asked them, "Did you kill this (person)?" They replied, "No." He asked the Al-Ansars, "Do 
you agree that I let fifty Jews take an oath that they have not killed him?" They said, "It matters little 
for the Jews to kill us all and then take false oaths." He said, "Then would you like to receive the Diya 
after fifty of you have taken an oath (that the Jews have killed your man)?" They said, "We will not 
take the oath." Then the Prophet (ﷺ) himself paid them the Diya (Blood-money)." The narrator added, 
"The tribe of Hudhail repudiated one of their men (for his evil conduct) in the Pre-lslamic period of 
Ignorance. 
Then, at a place called Al-Batha' (near Mecca), the man attacked a Yemenite family at night to steal 
from them, but a. man from the family noticed him and struck him with his sword and killed him. The 
tribe of Hudhail came and captured the Yemenite and brought him to `Umar during the Hajj season 
and said, "He has killed our companion." The Yemenite said, "But these people had repudiated him 
(i.e., their companion)." `Umar said, "Let fifty persons of Hudhail swear that they had not repudiated 
him." So forty-nine of them took the oath and then a person belonging to them, came from Sham and 
they requested him to swear similarly, but he paid one-thousand Dirhams instead of taking the oath. 
They called another man instead of him and the new man shook hands with the brother of the 
deceased. Some people said, "We and those fifty men who had taken false oaths (Al-Qasama) set out, 
and when they reached a place called Nakhlah, it started raining so they entered a cave in the 
mountain, and the cave collapsed on those fifty men who took the false oath, and all of them died 
except the two persons who had shaken hands with each other. They escaped death but a stone fell on 
the leg of the brother of the deceased and broke it, whereupon he survived for one year and then died." 
I further said, "`Abdul Malik bin Marwan sentenced a man to death in Qisas (equality in punishment) 
for murder, basing his judgment on Al-Qasama, but later on he regretted that judgment and ordered 
that the names of the fifty persons who had taken the oath (Al-Qasama), be erased from the register, 
and he exiled them in Sham."
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بِشْرٍ، إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الأَسَدِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا الْحَجَّاجُ بْنُ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو رَجَاءٍ، مِنْ آلِ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو قِلاَبَةَ، أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، أَبْرَزَ سَرِيرَهُ يَوْمًا لِلنَّاسِ، ثُمَّ أَذِنَ لَهُمْ فَدَخَلُوا فَقَالَ مَا تَقُولُونَ فِي الْقَسَامَةِ قَالَ نَقُولُ الْقَسَامَةُ الْقَوَدُ بِهَا حَقٌّ، وَقَدْ أَقَادَتْ بِهَا الْخُلَفَاءُ‏.‏ قَالَ لِي مَا تَقُولُ يَا أَبَا قِلاَبَةَ وَنَصَبَنِي لِلنَّاسِ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عِنْدَكَ رُءُوسُ الأَجْنَادِ وَأَشْرَافُ الْعَرَبِ، أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ أَنَّ خَمْسِينَ مِنْهُمْ شَهِدُوا عَلَى رَجُلٍ مُحْصَنٍ بِدِمَشْقَ أَنَّهُ قَدْ زَنَى، لَمْ يَرَوْهُ أَكُنْتَ تَرْجُمُهُ قَالَ لاَ‏.‏ قُلْتُ أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ أَنَّ خَمْسِينَ مِنْهُمْ شَهِدُوا عَلَى رَجُلٍ بِحِمْصَ أَنَّهُ سَرَقَ أَكُنْتَ تَقْطَعُهُ وَلَمْ يَرَوْهُ قَالَ لاَ‏.‏ قُلْتُ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا قَتَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَطُّ، إِلاَّ فِي إِحْدَى ثَلاَثِ خِصَالٍ رَجُلٌ قَتَلَ بِجَرِيرَةِ نَفْسِهِ فَقُتِلَ، أَوْ رَجُلٌ زَنَى بَعْدَ إِحْصَانٍ، أَوْ رَجُلٌ حَارَبَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَارْتَدَّ عَنِ الإِسْلاَمِ‏.‏ فَقَالَ الْقَوْمُ أَوَلَيْسَ قَدْ حَدَّثَ أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَطَعَ فِي السَّرَقِ وَسَمَرَ الأَعْيُنَ، ثُمَّ نَبَذَهُمْ فِي الشَّمْسِ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ أَنَا أُحَدِّثُكُمْ حَدِيثَ أَنَسٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَنَسٌ أَنَّ نَفَرًا مِنْ عُكْلٍ ثَمَانِيَةً قَدِمُوا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَبَايَعُوهُ عَلَى الإِسْلاَمِ، فَاسْتَوْخَمُوا الأَرْضَ فَسَقِمَتْ أَجْسَامُهُمْ، فَشَكَوْا ذَلِكَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ أَفَلاَ تَخْرُجُونَ مَعَ رَاعِينَا فِي إِبِلِهِ، فَتُصِيبُونَ مِنْ أَلْبَانِهَا وَأَبْوَالِهَا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا بَلَى، فَخَرَجُوا فَشَرِبُوا مِنْ أَلْبَانِهَا وَأَبْوَالِهَا فَصَحُّوا، فَقَتَلُوا رَاعِيَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَطْرَدُوا النَّعَمَ، فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَرْسَلَ فِي آثَارِهِمْ، فَأُدْرِكُوا فَجِيءَ بِهِمْ، فَأَمَرَ بِهِمْ فَقُطِّعَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُمْ، وَسَمَرَ أَعْيُنَهُمْ، ثُمَّ نَبَذَهُمْ فِي الشَّمْسِ حَتَّى مَاتُوا‏.‏ قُلْتُ وَأَىُّ شَىْءٍ أَشَدُّ مِمَّا صَنَعَ هَؤُلاَءِ ارْتَدُّوا عَنِ الإِسْلاَمِ وَقَتَلُوا وَسَرَقُوا‏.‏ فَقَالَ عَنْبَسَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ وَاللَّهِ إِنْ سَمِعْتُ كَالْيَوْمِ قَطُّ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ أَتَرُدُّ عَلَىَّ حَدِيثِي يَا عَنْبَسَةُ قَالَ لاَ، وَلَكِنْ جِئْتَ بِالْحَدِيثِ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ، وَاللَّهِ لاَ يَزَالُ هَذَا الْجُنْدُ بِخَيْرٍ مَا عَاشَ هَذَا الشَّيْخُ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِهِمْ‏.‏ قُلْتُ وَقَدْ كَانَ فِي هَذَا سُنَّةٌ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ فَتَحَدَّثُوا عِنْدَهُ، فَخَرَجَ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَقُتِلَ، فَخَرَجُوا بَعْدَهُ، فَإِذَا هُمْ بِصَاحِبِهِمْ يَتَشَحَّطُ فِي الدَّمِ، فَرَجَعُوا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَاحِبُنَا كَانَ تَحَدَّثَ مَعَنَا، فَخَرَجَ بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا، فَإِذَا نَحْنُ بِهِ يَتَشَحَّطُ فِي الدَّمِ‏.‏ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ‏"‏ بِمَنْ تَظُنُّونَ أَوْ تَرَوْنَ قَتَلَهُ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا نَرَى أَنَّ الْيَهُودَ قَتَلَتْهُ‏.‏ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى الْيَهُودِ فَدَعَاهُمْ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ آنْتُمْ قَتَلْتُمْ هَذَا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا لاَ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَتَرْضَوْنَ نَفَلَ خَمْسِينَ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ مَا قَتَلُوهُ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَقَالُوا مَا يُبَالُونَ أَنْ يَقْتُلُونَا أَجْمَعِينَ ثُمَّ يَنْتَفِلُونَ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَفَتَسْتَحِقُّونَ الدِّيَةَ بِأَيْمَانِ خَمْسِينَ مِنْكُمْ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا مَا كُنَّا لِنَحْلِفَ، فَوَدَاهُ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ‏.‏ قُلْتُ وَقَدْ كَانَتْ هُذَيْلٌ خَلَعُوا خَلِيعًا لَهُمْ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَطَرَقَ أَهْلَ بَيْتٍ مِنَ الْيَمَنِ بِالْبَطْحَاءِ فَانْتَبَهَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ فَحَذَفَهُ بِالسَّيْفِ فَقَتَلَهُ، فَجَاءَتْ هُذَيْلٌ فَأَخَذُوا الْيَمَانِيَ فَرَفَعُوهُ إِلَى عُمَرَ بِالْمَوْسِمِ وَقَالُوا قَتَلَ صَاحِبَنَا‏.‏ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُمْ قَدْ خَلَعُوهُ‏.‏ فَقَالَ يُقْسِمُ خَمْسُونَ مِنْ هُذَيْلٍ مَا خَلَعُوهُ‏.‏ قَالَ فَأَقْسَمَ مِنْهُمْ تِسْعَةٌ وَأَرْبَعُونَ رَجُلاً، وَقَدِمَ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ مِنَ الشَّأْمِ فَسَأَلُوهُ أَنْ يُقْسِمَ فَافْتَدَى يَمِينَهُ مِنْهُمْ بِأَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ، فَأَدْخَلُوا مَكَانَهُ رَجُلاً آخَرَ، فَدَفَعَهُ إِلَى أَخِي الْمَقْتُولِ فَقُرِنَتْ يَدُهُ بِيَدِهِ، قَالُوا فَانْطَلَقَا وَالْخَمْسُونَ الَّذِينَ أَقْسَمُوا حَتَّى إِذَا كَانُوا بِنَخْلَةَ، أَخَذَتْهُمُ السَّمَاءُ فَدَخَلُوا فِي غَارٍ فِي الْجَبَلِ، فَانْهَجَمَ الْغَارُ عَلَى الْخَمْسِينَ الَّذِينَ أَقْسَمُوا فَمَاتُوا جَمِيعًا، وَأَفْلَتَ الْقَرِينَانِ وَاتَّبَعَهُمَا حَجَرٌ فَكَسَرَ رِجْلَ أَخِي الْمَقْتُولِ، فَعَاشَ حَوْلاً ثُمَّ مَاتَ‏.‏ قُلْتُ وَقَدْ كَانَ عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ مَرْوَانَ أَقَادَ رَجُلاً بِالْقَسَامَةِ ثُمَّ نَدِمَ بَعْدَ مَا صَنَعَ، فَأَمَرَ بِالْخَمْسِينَ الَّذِينَ أَقْسَمُوا فَمُحُوا مِنَ الدِّيوَانِ وَسَيَّرَهُمْ إِلَى الشَّأْمِ‏.‏