Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 4360 ⓘ
‘A’ishah said: The Quraish were anxious about the Makhzumi woman who had committed theft, They said : Who will speak to the Messenger of Allah about her ? Then they said: Who will be bold enough for it but Uasmah bin Zaid, the prophet’s friend! So Usamah spoke to him, and the Messenger of Allah said : Are you interceding regarding one of the punishments prescribed by Allah ? He then got up and gave an address, saying : What destroyed your predecessors was just that when a person of rank among them committed a theft, They left him alone, and when a weak one of them committed a theft, they inflicted the prescribed punishment on him. I swear by Allah that if Fatimah daughter of Muhammad should steal, I would have her hand cut off.
حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ خَالِدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَوْهَبٍ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ح، وَحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الثَّقَفِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، رضى الله عنها أَنَّ قُرَيْشًا، أَهَمَّهُمْ شَأْنُ الْمَرْأَةِ الْمَخْزُومِيَّةِ الَّتِي سَرَقَتْ فَقَالُوا مَنْ يُكَلِّمُ فِيهَا تَعْنِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . قَالُوا وَمَنْ يَجْتَرِئُ إِلاَّ أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ حِبُّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَكَلَّمَهُ أُسَامَةُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " يَا أُسَامَةُ أَتَشْفَعُ فِي حَدٍّ مِنْ حُدُودِ اللَّهِ " . ثُمَّ قَامَ فَاخْتَطَبَ فَقَالَ " إِنَّمَا هَلَكَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا إِذَا سَرَقَ فِيهِمُ الشَّرِيفُ تَرَكُوهُ وَإِذَا سَرَقَ فِيهِمُ الضَّعِيفُ أَقَامُوا عَلَيْهِ الْحَدَّ وَايْمُ اللَّهِ لَوْ أَنَّ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتَ مُحَمَّدٍ سَرَقَتْ لَقَطَعْتُ يَدَهَا " .
also referenced under: Hadith 4373 (DarusSalam)