Evidences of Equality in Islamic History - Second Evidence

            It happened once during the period of the Prophet that a woman of the Bani Makhzoom tribe, Fatimah, was found guilty of theft. She was brought to the Prophet so that she might receive her due according to the Shari'ah (Islamic Law). The Quraish tribe very much resented it since it involved their tribal prestige and dignity. So they thought of intercession by somebody for the remission of her punishment. It was therefore decided after deliberation to send Usamah bin Zaid for such intercession since he was very much in favour with the Prophet. So he was approached, prompted to intercede and he talked to the Prophet on this issue. The Prophet was very angry and said to Usamah, "You intercede in the matter of the limits prescribed by God?" Then he had the people called and harangued to a big gathering of the believers in a touching manner, saying, "The people before you who met their doom, discriminated between the patricians and the plebians in the dispensation of justice for crimes like theft. The high-placed were spared while the weaker elements of society were readily punished. By God if Fatimah bint-e-Muhammad had committed theft, I would have amputated her hand also"