Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Quraysh were very worried about a woman from the Makhzum tribe who had committed theft. People said: Who will speak to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about this woman? Someone said: Only Usama bin Zaid dares to do this, as he is beloved to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). When Sayyiduna Usama (may Allah be pleased with him) spoke to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about this, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Are you interceding regarding one of Allah’s prescribed punishments? Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stood up, delivered a sermon, and said: The people before you were destroyed because when a noble person among them committed theft, they would let him go, but when a weak person committed theft, they would carry out the punishment on him. By Allah! If Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, had committed theft, I would have certainly had her hand cut off.