or the ruler, a father, a mother, or the like. Thus, discretionary punishment is obligatory upon everyone who has the right to discipline. The proofs for its obligation are both general and specific.
As for the general proofs: the Shariah was revealed to secure benefits and reduce harms. This is an agreed-upon principle. It is well known that discretionary punishment secures benefits and reduces harms. Allah, Exalted is He, affirms this principle, saying:
“Who is better than Allah in judgment for a people who have certainty?” [al-Ma'idah 5:50]
And He says:
“Is not Allah the most just of judges?” [al-Tin 95:8]
As for the specific proofs, they are scattered texts, such as the Prophet’s saying: “Command your children to pray when they are seven years old, and strike them for it when they are ten.” (1) Another example is the burning of the baggage of one who misappropriates from the spoils of war (2)—that is, one who conceals something from what he has acquired as booty—for this is a discretionary punishment. Another example is one who conceals a lost animal—meaning a camel that has gone astray and which he conceals—being held liable for twice its value. (3) Likewise, whoever sneezes but does not praise Allah, then he
(1) Its authentication and sources were cited previously on p. 102.
(2) Amr ibn Shu'ayb narrated from his father, from his grandfather, that “the Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr, and Umar—may Allah be pleased with them—burned the belongings of one who unlawfully appropriated war booty.” Reported by Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Jihad, chapter on the punishment of one who misappropriates war booty (2715); al-Hakim (2/131); and al-Bayhaqi (9/102). Al-Hakim said: “It is an uncommon, authentic hadith.” Al-Hafiz said in al-Taliq: “Zuhayr ibn Muhammad is weak in hadith, and the established report from Amr ibn Shu'ayb is his own statement.”
It was also narrated from Umar ibn al-Khattab—may Allah be pleased with him—from the Prophet: “When you find that a man has misappropriated war booty, burn his belongings and strike him.” Reported by Abu Dawud (2713), al-Hakim (1/127), and al-Bayhaqi (9/102). It was deemed weak by Abu Dawud, al-Bayhaqi, and al-Hafiz, as cited in al-Taliq (3/264).
(3) Reported by Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Luqatah, chapter on publicly announcing lost property (1718), from Abu Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with him. Its wording is: “The penalty for concealing a lost camel is payment of its value plus an equivalent amount.”