[Machine] There was a black man who used to come to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and teach him the Quran until a messenger or a group of soldiers were sent. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Send me with them." But they said, "No, you should stay with us." So Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) sent him with them and advised him to do good. He did not stay away from him except for a short period of time until his hand was cut off. When Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) saw it, his eyes filled with tears. He asked, "What happened to you?" The man said, "I did nothing but deceive him for one prayer, so he cut off my hand." Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Do you find the one who did this betraying more than twenty obligations? By Allah, if you were truthful, I would have retaliated against you for that." Then he lowered his rank, but did not remove the position that he previously held. The man used to stand up at night and recite the Quran, and when Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) heard his voice, he said, "O Allah, expose whoever stole from them or something like that." Ma'mar said, "Allah, expose whoever stole from the righteous people of this house." They did not even reach midday when they found the stolen items with him. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him, "Woe to you! You are ignorant about Allah." So he commanded that his foot be cut off. Ma'mar said, "Ayub informed me from Nafi' from Ibn Umar that something similar happened except that he said, 'Why are you acting like a thief tonight?'" And the evidence in this matter lies in his statement, "By Allah, if you were truthful, I would have retaliated against you for that."

كَانَ رَجُلٌ أَسْوَدُ يَأْتِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ ؓ فَيُدْنِيهِ وَيُقْرِئُهُ الْقُرْآنَ حَتَّى بَعَثَ سَاعِيًا أَوْ قَالَ سَرِيَّةً فَقَالَ أَرْسِلْنِي مَعَهُ قَالَ بَلْ تَمْكُثُ عِنْدَنَا فَأَتَى فَأَرْسَلَهُ مَعَهُ وَاسْتَوْصَى بِهِ خَيْرًا فَلَمْ يَغْبُرْ عَنْهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا حَتَّى جَاءَ قَدْ قُطِعَتْ يَدُهُ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ؓ فَاضَتْ عَيْنَاهُ فَقَالَ مَا شَأْنُكَ؟ قَالَ مَا زِدْتُ عَلَى أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُوَلِّينِي شَيْئًا مِنْ عَمَلِهِ فَخُنْتُهُ فَرِيضَةً وَاحِدَةً فَقَطَعَ يَدِي فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ؓ تَجِدُونَ الَّذِي قَطَعَ هَذَا يَخُونُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ عِشْرِينَ فَرِيضَةً وَاللهِ لَئِنْ كُنْتَ صَادِقًا لَأُقِيدَنَّكَ بِهِ قَالَ ثُمَّ أَدْنَاهُ وَلَمْ يُحَوِّلْ مَنْزِلَتَهُ الَّتِي كَانَتْ لَهُ مِنْهُ فَكَانَ الرَّجُلُ يَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ فَيَقْرَأُ فَإِذَا سَمِعَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ؓ صَوْتَهُ قَالَ يَا لَلَّهِ لِرَجُلٍ قَطَعَ هَذَا قَالَتْ فَلَمْ يَغْبُرْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا حَتَّى فَقَدَ آلُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ؓ حُلِيًّا لَهُمْ وَمَتَاعًا فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ؓ طُرِقَ الْحِيُّ اللَّيْلَةَ فَقَامَ الْأَقْطَعُ فَاسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ وَرَفَعَ يَدَهُ الصَّحِيحَةَ وَالْأُخْرَى الَّتِي قُطِعَتْ فَقَالَ اللهُمَّ أَظْهِرْ عَلَى مَنْ سَرَقَهُمْ أَوْ نَحْوَ هَذَا وَكَانَ مَعْمَرٌ رُبَّمَا قَالَ اللهُمَّ أَظْهِرْ عَلَى مَنْ سَرَقَ أَهْلَ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ الصَّالِحِينَ قَالَ فَمَا انْتَصَفَ النَّهَارُ حَتَّى عَثَرُوا عَلَى الْمَتَاعِ عِنْدَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ؓ وَيْلَكَ إِنَّكَ لَقَلِيلُ الْعِلْمِ بِاللهِ فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَقُطِعَتْ رِجْلُهُ قَالَ مَعْمَرٌ وأَخْبَرَنِي أَيُّوبُ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ نَحْوَهُ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ قَالَ كَانَ إِذَا سَمِعَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ صَوْتَهُ قَالَ مَا لَيْلُكَ بِلَيْلِ سَارِقٍ وَالِاسْتِدْلَالُ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ وَقَعَ بِقَوْلِهِ وَاللهِ لَئِنْ كُنْتَ صَادِقًا لَأُقِيدَنَّكَ بِهِ