Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
nasai:5404al-Mughīrah b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Miskīn b. Bukayr > Shuʿayb b. Abū Ḥamzah > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

The Prophet [SAW] said: "Two women went out with their two children, and the wolf took one of the children from them. They referred their dispute to Prophet Dawud, peace be upon him, and he ruled that (the remaining child) belonged to the older woman. Then they passed by Sulaiman, peace be upon him, and he said: 'How did he judge between you?' She said: 'He ruled that (the child) belongs to the older woman.' Sulaiman said: 'Cut him in half, and give half to one and half to the other.' The older woman said: 'Yes, cut him in half.' The younger woman said: 'Do not cut him, he is her child.' So he ruled that the child belonged to the woman who refused to let him be cut."  

النسائي:٥٤٠٤أَخْبَرَنَا الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مِسْكِينُ بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعَيْبُ بْنُ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ خَرَجَتِ امْرَأَتَانِ مَعَهُمَا وَلَدَاهُمَا فَأَخَذَ الذِّئْبُ أَحَدَهُمَا فَاخْتَصَمَتَا فِي الْوَلَدِ إِلَى دَاوُدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَضَى بِهِ لِلْكُبْرَى مِنْهُمَا فَمَرَّتَا عَلَى سُلَيْمَانَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ فَقَالَ كَيْفَ قَضَى بَيْنَكُمَا قَالَتْ قَضَى بِهِ لِلْكُبْرَى قَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ أَقْطَعُهُ بِنِصْفَيْنِ لِهَذِهِ نِصْفٌ وَلِهَذِهِ نِصْفٌ قَالَتِ الْكُبْرَى نَعَمِ اقْطَعُوهُ فَقَالَتِ الصُّغْرَى لاَ تَقْطَعْهُ هُوَ وَلَدُهَا فَقَضَى بِهِ لِلَّتِي أَبَتْ أَنْ يَقْطَعَهُ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Nasāʾī's Kubrá
nasai-kubra:5920al-Mughīrah b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Miskīn b. Bukayr Ḥarrānī > Shuʿayb b. Abū Ḥamzah > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

The Prophet [SAW] said: "Two women went out with their two children, and the wolf took one of the children from them. They referred their dispute to Prophet Dawud, peace be upon him, and he ruled that (the remaining child) belonged to the older woman. Then they passed by Sulaiman, peace be upon him, and he said: 'How did he judge between you?' She said: 'He ruled that (the child) belongs to the older woman.' Sulaiman said: 'Cut him in half, and give half to one and half to the other.' The older woman said: 'Yes, cut him in half.' The younger woman said: 'Do not cut him, he is her child.' So he ruled that the child belonged to the woman who refused to let him be cut." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 5404)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٥٩٢٠أَخْبَرَنَا الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مِسْكِينُ بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ حَرَّانِيٌّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعَيْبُ بْنُ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ خَرَجَتِ امْرَأَتَانِ مَعَهُمَا وَلَدَاهُمَا فَأَخَذَ الذِّئْبُ أَحَدَهُمَا فَاخْتَصَمَتَا فِي الْوَلَدِ إِلَى دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فَقَضَى بِهِ لِلْكُبْرَى مِنْهُمَا فَمَرَّتَا عَلَى سُلَيْمَانَ فَقَالَ كَيْفَ قَضَى بَيْنَكُمَا؟ قَالَ قَضَى بِهِ لِلْكُبْرَى قَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ اقْطَعُوهُ نِصْفَيْنِ لِهَذِهِ نِصْفٌ وَلِهَذِهِ نِصْفٌ فَقَالَتِ الْكُبْرَى نَعَمِ اقْطَعُوهُ وَقَالَتِ الصُّغْرَى لَا تَقْطَعُهُ هُوَ وَلَدُهَا فَقَضَى بِهِ لِلَّتِي أَبَتْ أَنْ تَقْطَعَهُ