Hadith 114
۞
Hadith.3257 - Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) judged in the case of a man who was brought by two others who said: "This man has stolen a coat of armor."
The accused pleaded with Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) to examine the evidence carefully and said: "By Allah (swt), if the Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family) were here, he would never cut off my hand."
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) asked: "Why?"
The man replied: "Because my Lord (azj), the Almighty, would have informed him of my innocence, and He (sw) would have declared me innocent based on that knowledge."
When Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) saw how the man pleaded, Imam (as) called the two witnesses and said to them: "Fear Allah (swt), and do not have this man's hand cut off unjustly."
Imam (as) continued to appeal to them and then said: "Let one of you cut off his hand while the other holds it."
As they prepared to execute the sentence, they stirred the people, causing a commotion in the crowd.
In the chaos, they released the accused man and fled, blending into the crowd.
The accused man then returned and said: "O Commander of the Faithful, these two men testified against me falsely. When the crowd was stirred, they released me and fled. If they were truthful, they would neither have fled nor let me go."
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "Who can lead me to these two witnesses so that I may punish them?"
3257 - وَ - قَضَى عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فِي رَجُلٍ جَاءَ بِهِ رَجُلاَنِ فَقَالاَ إِنَّ هَذَا سَرَقَ دِرْعاً فَجَعَلَ اَلرَّجُلُ يُنَاشِدُهُ لَمَّا نَظَرَ فِي اَلْبَيِّنَةِ وَ جَعَلَ يَقُولُ وَ اَللَّهِ لَوْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ مَا قَطَعَ يَدِي أَبَداً قَالَ "وَ لِمَ" قَالَ كَانَ يُخْبِرُهُ رَبِّي عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَنِّي بَرِيءٌ فَيُبَرِّئُنِي بِبَرَاءَتِي فَلَمَّا رَأَى عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ مُنَاشَدَتَهُ إِيَّاهُ دَعَا اَلشَّاهِدَيْنِ وَ قَالَ لَهُمَا "اِتَّقِيَا اَللَّهَ وَ لاَ تَقْطَعَا يَدَ اَلرَّجُلِ ظُلْماً" وَ نَاشَدَهُمَا ثُمَّ قَالَ "لِيَقْطَعْ أَحَدُكُمَا يَدَهُ وَ يُمْسِكَ اَلْآخَرُ يَدَهُ" فَلَمَّا تَقَدَّمَا إِلَى اَلْمِصْطَبَّةِ لِيَقْطَعَا يَدَهُ ضَرَبَا اَلنَّاسَ حَتَّى اِخْتَلَطُوا فَلَمَّا اِخْتَلَطُوا أَرْسَلاَ اَلرَّجُلَ فِي غُمَارِ اَلنَّاسِ وَ فَرَّا حَتَّى اِخْتَلَطَا بِالنَّاسِ فَجَاءَ اَلَّذِي شَهِدَا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ شَهِدَ عَلَيَّ اَلرَّجُلاَنِ ظُلْماً فَلَمَّا ضَرَبَا اَلنَّاسَ وَ اِخْتَلَطُوا أَرْسَلاَنِي وَ فَرَّا وَ لَوْ كَانَا صَادِقَيْنِ لَمَا فَرَّا وَ لَمْ يُرْسِلاَنِي فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ "مَنْ يَدُلُّنِي عَلَى هَذَيْنِ اَلشَّاهِدَيْنِ أُنَكِّلْهُمَا".