Musnad Ishaq

Benefits:
➊ ... From the mentioned hadith, it is understood that there is a prescribed punishment for those guilty of adultery, theft, and drinking alcohol.

Punishment for the adulterer: ... Allah, the Exalted, says: ﴿الزَّانِیَةُ وَالزَّانِی فَاجْلِدُوْا کُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِّنْهُمَا مِأَةَجَلْدَةٍ﴾ (an-Nur: 2) ... “Flog each one of the adulterer and the adulteress with a hundred lashes.” However, if a married person commits adultery, then he or she is to be stoned to death (rajm). (See: Bukhari, no. 6827, 6828; Muslim, no. 1697, 1698)

Punishment for the thief: ... It is narrated from Sayyidah Aisha radi Allahu anha that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “The hand of a thief is not to be cut off except for theft of a quarter dinar or more in value.” (Muslim, no. 1684)

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma that the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam cut off a hand for the theft of a shield, whose value was three dirhams. (Bukhari, Kitab al-Hudud, no. 6795, 6798; Muslim, no. 1686)

It is thus understood that if a thief steals a quarter dinar, or three dirhams, or something equal in value, his hand is to be cut off.

Punishment for the drinker: ... The one who drinks alcohol should be flogged. It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik radi Allahu anhu that a man who had drunk alcohol was brought to the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, so he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam ordered about forty lashes with two sticks. The narrator states that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu also gave the same punishment. Then, when Sayyiduna Umar radi Allahu anhu became caliph, he consulted the Companions radi Allahu anhum, and Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman ibn Awf radi Allahu anhu said that the lightest punishment is eighty lashes, so Sayyiduna Umar radi Allahu anhu ordered that. (Bukhari, no. 6773; Muslim, no. 1706)

From the mentioned hadith, it is understood that among the major sins, shirk (associating partners with Allah) is the greatest. It does not befit a person to associate with his Creator those who are themselves created and needy. Allah, the Exalted, says: ﴿فَلَا تَجْعَلُوْا لِلّٰہِ اَنْدَادًا وَّ اَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُوْنَ﴾ (al-Baqarah: 22) “So do not knowingly set up rivals to Allah.”

Because this is a challenge to Allah’s jealousy, and it is such a grave sin that, if Allah wills, He may forgive other sins, but He will never forgive this one. Allah, the Exalted, says: ﴿اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یَغْفِرُ اَنْ یُّشْرَکَ بِهٖ وَ یَغْفِرُ مَا دُوْنَ ذٰلِکَ لِمَنْ یَّشَآءُ﴾ (an-Nisa: 48, 116) “Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating partners with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.”

➋ ... After shirk, mention is made of parents; disobedience to them is also a very great sin. Allah, the Possessor of Majesty, has, wherever He has commanded His worship, also commanded good treatment of parents. Allah, the Exalted, says: ﴿وَ قَضٰی رَبُّکَ اَلَّا تَعْبُدُوْٓا اِلَّآ اِیَّاهُ وَ بِالْوَالِدَیْنِ اِحْسَانًا﴾ (al-Isra: 23) “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him and show kindness to parents.”

In a hadith, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “The one who is disobedient to parents, the one who reminds others of his favors, and the habitual drinker of alcohol will not enter Paradise.” (Musnad Ahmad: 2/134)

➌ Lying: ... Lying is also a very great sin; among the signs of a hypocrite is that he lies. (See hadith and explanation no. 382)

And it is a sign of a believer that he avoids lying. In a hadith, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “A believer may have any trait except betrayal and lying.” (Bukhari, no. 7047)

➍ Killing is also among the major sins: ... Allah, the Exalted, says: ﴿وَالَّذِیْنَ لَا یَدْعُوْنَ مَعَ اللّٰہِ اِِلٰهًا آخَرَ وَلَا یَقْتُلُوْنَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِیْ حَرَّمَ اللّٰہُ اِِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا یَزْنُوْنَ﴾ (al-Furqan: 68) “And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity, nor do they kill the soul which Allah has forbidden, except by right, nor do they commit adultery.”

In Sunan an-Nasa’i, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “The killing of a believer is, in the sight of Allah, greater than the disappearance of the world.”

➎ ... It is understood that accusing chaste women of adultery is also among the major sins. In a hadith, it is stated: “Beware of the seven destructive sins,” and among them, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam counted the accusation against chaste, innocent, believing women. Qadhf (false accusation) is when a person says to a free, chaste, Muslim woman: “O adulteress!” or “O fornicatress!” or “O wicked woman!” or says to her husband: “Husband of a wicked woman!” or to her child: “Child of an adulteress!” Allah, the Exalted, says: ﴿اِِنَّ الَّذِیْنَ یَرْمُوْنَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْغَافِلَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ لُعِنُوْا فِی الدُّنْیَا وَالْآخِرَةِ﴾ (an-Nur: 23) “Indeed, those who accuse chaste, innocent, believing women are cursed in this world and the Hereafter.”

Elsewhere, He says: ﴿وَالَّذِیْنَ یَرْمُوْنَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ یَاْتُوا بِاَرْبَعَةِ شُہَدَاءَ فَاجْلِدُوْهُمْ ثَمَانِیْنَ جَلْدَةً وَّلَا تَقْبَلُوْا لَہُمْ شَہَادَۃً اَبَدًا وَّاُوْلٰٓئِکَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُوْنَ﴾ (an-Nur: 4) “And those who accuse chaste women and then do not bring four witnesses, flog them with eighty lashes and never accept their testimony thereafter, for they are the defiantly disobedient.”