The Quraysh were greatly concerned about the case of the Makhzūmi woman who had committed theft.
Authentic hadithعن عَائِشَةُ رضي الله عنها «أَنَّ قُرَيْشا أَهَمَّهُم شَأن المَخْزُومِيَّة التي سَرَقَتْ، فَقَالُوا: مَنْ يُكَلِّمُ فيها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ؟، فقالوا: وَمَنْ يَجْتَرِئُ عليه إلا أسامة بن زيد حِبُّ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فَكَلَّمَهُ أسامة، فَقَالَ: أَتَشْفَعُ فِي حَدٍّ مِنْ حُدُودِ الله؟ ثُمَّ قَامَ فَاخْتَطَبَ، فقال: إنَّمَا أَهْلَكَ الذين مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ أنهم كانوا إذا سرق فيهم الشريف تركوه، وإذا سرق فيهم الضعيف أَقَامُوا عليه الحد، وَأَيْمُ الله: لَوْ أَنَّ فاطمة بنت محمد سَرَقَتْ لَقَطَعْتُ يَدَهَا». وَفِي لَفْظٍ «كانت امرأة تَسْتَعِيرُ المَتَاعَ وَتَجْحَدُهُ، فَأَمَرَ النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بِقَطْعِ يَدِهَا».
‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Quraysh were greatly concerned about the case of the Makhzūmi woman who had committed theft. They wondered who should intercede for her with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). Some said: "Only Usāmah ibn Zayd, the Prophet’s beloved one, would dare do so." As Usāmah spoke to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) about this issue, he said to him: "Do you intercede regarding one of the punishments prescribed by Allah?" Then, he got up and addressed the people, saying: "The people before you were ruined because if a noble person among them committed theft, they would leave him unpunished, but if a weak person among them committed theft, they would inflict the legal punishment on him. By Allah! Were Fātimah, the daughter of Muhammad, to commit theft, I would cut off her hand." Another wording reads: "She was a woman who used to borrow things from people and deny having taken them. So, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that her hand should be cut off.”
Explanation
A woman from Banu Makhzūm used to deceitfully borrow things from people and then deny taking anything. She once borrowed jewelry and denied having taken it. Yet, it was found in her possession. News of this reached the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) who resolved to inflict the prescribed punishment on her, by cutting off her hand. She was a noble woman from an honorable family in the Quraysh. Therefore, the Quraysh were concerned about her and the ruling to be executed against her. They consulted each other over who should be chosen as an intercessor before the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) on her behalf, seeking to relieve her from the punishment. They found no one more qualified than Usāmah ibn Zayd, for he was close and beloved to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). He talked to him. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), became extremely angry with Usāmah and rebukingly said: “Would you intercede regarding one of the punishments prescribed by Allah?" Then, he stood up and addressed the people to clarify to them the gravity of such intercession that aims at suspending the punishments set by the Almighty Lord. This was also because the matter concerned many of them. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) informed them that the past nations were ruined, in terms of their religious and worldly affairs, because they used to inflict the legal punishments upon the poor and the weak and pardon the rich and the powerful. Therefore, chaos, evil, and corruption spread and prevailed among them, and they incurred the wrath of Allah, the Almighty, and deserved His punishment. In a concluding statement, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) swore that if his daughter Fātimah, the noblest among all women, committed such an act, he would definitely subject her to the legal punishment prescribed by Allah, the Almighty.
Source · Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim
From the Hadith Encyclopedia (hadeethenc.com).