2 – On the authority of Yaḥyā, from Ibn Masʿūd (may Allah be pleased with him):

A man once brought to him his nephew, who was drunk to the point of losing his senses. Ibn Masʿūd ordered that the youth be held until he sobered up. When he had come to his senses, Ibn Masʿūd sent for a whip, trimmed its knots and leaves, then summoned the executioner and said, “Strike him on his bare skin; in administering the ḥadd (legal punishment) raise your hand but do not expose your armpits.” Ibn Masʿūd himself counted until he had completed 80 lashes, after which he released the young man.

The elderly uncle protested, “Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, by Allah, he is my brother’s son and I have no other child!” Ibn Masʿūd replied, “You have proved the worst of uncles and the poorest guardian of an orphan. By Allah, you neither trained him well when he was young nor concealed his fault when he grew older.”

Ibn Masʿūd then related: “The very first ḥadd carried out in Islam concerned a thief who was brought to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When conclusive evidence was established, he said, ‘Take him away and cut (off his hand).’ As the man was being led off, the Prophet’s face looked, by Allah, as though ashes had been scattered over it. Some of those present said, ‘Messenger of Allah, it seems this has weighed heavily on you.’ He replied, ‘And why should it not weigh on me when you would assist Satan against your brother?’ They said, ‘Why not let him go?’ He answered, ‘Should that not have been before you brought him to me? Once a ḥadd reaches the imam, no one is entitled to overrule him.’ He then recited, ‘Let them pardon and overlook…’ (al-Nūr 22).”

Another report from Ibn Masʿūd states: A man came with his intoxicated nephew. Ibn Masʿūd said, “Make him babble, have him rinse his mouth, and smell his breath.” They detected the odor of drink upon him. When he had sobered up, Ibn Masʿūd summoned him and a whip, ordered that its tip be trimmed, … and narrated the remainder of the ḥadith.

A further version from Ibn Masʿūd says: “The first ḥadd enforced in Islam was when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was brought a thief and ordered that his hand be cut off. As the man was taken away, it was as though ashes were being sprinkled over the Prophet’s face. Someone said, ‘Messenger of Allah, it seems this has distressed you.’ He replied, ‘Should it not distress me that you help Satan against your brother?’ They said, ‘Will you not pardon him?’ He said, ‘Should that not have been before he was brought? Once a ḥadd is referred to the imam, he must carry it through.’ He then recited, ‘Let them pardon and overlook…’ (al-Nūr 22) … to the end of the verse.”