Islam Academy

Mishkat al-Masabih

Book 17Hadith Number 3570
ENOfficial

She reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Avert the infliction of prescribed penalties on Muslims as much as you can, and if there is any way out let a man go, for it is better for a leader to make a mistake in forgiving than to make a mistake in punishing.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying it has been transmitted from her without tracing it to the Prophet, and that is sounder.

Source: sunnah.com

Other translations

Arabic

وَعَنْهَا قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسلم: «ادرؤا الْحُدُودَ عَنِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ فَإِنْ كَانَ لَهُ مَخْرَجٌ فَخَلُّوا سَبِيلَهُ فَإِنَّ الْإِمَامَ أَنْ يُخْطِئَ فِي الْعَفْوِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ يُخْطِئَ فِي الْعُقُوبَةِ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ: قَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْهَا وَلم يرفع وَهُوَ أصح

sunnah.com