Reports on interceding for a thief

The father of Ja'far says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Sayyiduna Usamah (may Allah be pleased with him): "O Usamah, do not intercede concerning a prescribed punishment." And whenever he interceded, he would accept his intercession.

Abu Wa'il says that Ka'b said: "Intercession is never to be made concerning a prescribed punishment."

Al-Furafisah al-Hanafi says that people passed by Sayyiduna al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) with a thief, and he interceded for him. At this the people said: "Are you interceding for a thief?" He said: "Yes, as long as he has not been brought to the imam. Once he has been brought to the imam, then may Allah not pardon him if the imam pardons him."

The aforementioned statement of Sayyiduna al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) is also reported from al-Furafisah through this chain.

Abu Hazim says that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) interceded for a thief. He was asked: "Are you interceding for a thief?" He said: "Yes, this may be done as long as he has not been brought to the imam. Once he has reached the imam, then may Allah not pardon him if he pardons him."

Sulayman bin Abi Kabshah says that a thief was taken past Sa'id bin Jubayr and Ata, and the two of them interceded for him. The two of them were asked: "Is this your view?" They both said: "Yes, as long as he has not been brought to the imam."

Abd al-Wahhab says that Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "Whoever makes his intercession stand in the way of one of the prescribed punishments of Allah has indeed opposed Allah concerning His creation."

Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was spoken to about something, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Even if she were Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), I would surely carry out the punishment on her."

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."