Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 29939 — Reports on interceding for a thief

Sayyiduna Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) says: When that woman stole the cloak from the house of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), we considered it a very grave matter, and the woman was from Quraysh. So we came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to speak to him, and we said: "We will ransom this woman for forty uqiyahs of silver." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That she be purified is better for her." When we heard this soft speech from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), we came to Sayyiduna Usamah (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "Speak to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about this." When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saw this matter, he (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up to deliver a sermon and said: "Why do you press upon me in such numbers concerning one of the punishments of Allah, which has been established upon one of the female servants of Allah? By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, if Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), had come to the state in which this woman finds herself today, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) would surely have cut off her hand."