Sunan Abu Dawood 4382

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ بْنُ نَجْدَةَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏حَدَّثَنَا بَقِيَّةُ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏حَدَّثَنَا صَفْوَانُ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏حَدَّثَنَا أَزْهَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْحَرَازِيُّ أَنَّ قَوْمًا مِنْ الْكَلَاعِيِّينَ سُرِقَ لَهُمْ مَتَاعٌ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَاتَّهَمُوا أُنَاسًا مِنَ الْحَاكَةِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَأَتَوْا النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ صَاحِبَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَحَبَسَهُمْ أَيَّامًا ثُمَّ خَلَّى سَبِيلَهُمْ فَأَتَوْا النُّعْمَانَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَقَالُوا:‏‏‏‏ خَلَّيْتَ سَبِيلَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ ضَرْبٍ وَلَا امْتِحَانٍ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَقَالَ النُّعْمَانُ:‏‏‏‏ مَا شِئْتُمْ إِنْ شِئْتُمْ أَنْ أَضْرِبَهُمْ فَإِنْ خَرَجَ مَتَاعُكُمْ فَذَاكَ وَإِلَّا أَخَذْتُ مِنْ ظُهُورِكُمْ مِثْلَ مَا أَخَذْتُ مِنْ ظُهُورِهِمْ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَقَالُوا:‏‏‏‏ هَذَا حُكْمُكَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَقَالَ:‏‏‏‏ هَذَا حُكْمُ اللَّهِ وَحُكْمُ رَسُولِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُد:‏‏‏‏ إِنَّمَا أَرْهَبَهُمْ بِهَذَا الْقَوْلِ أَيْ لَا يَجِبُ الضَّرْبُ إِلَّا بَعْدَ الِاعْتِرَافِ.

Azhar ibn Abdullah al-Harari said: Some goods of the people of Kila' were stolen. They accused some men of the weavers (of theft). They came to an-Numan ibn Bashir, the companion of the Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم. He confined them for some days and then set them free. They came to an-Numan and said: You have set them free without beating and investigation. An-Numan said: What do you want? You want me to beat them. If your goods are found with them, then it is all right; otherwise, I shall take (retaliation) from your back as I have taken from their backs. They asked: Is this your decision? He said: This is the decision of Allah and His Messenger صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم. Abu Dawud said: By this statement he frightened them ; that is, beating is not necessary except after acknowledgement.