Chapter 30: The Book of Legal Punishments
' A' isha, the wife of Allah' s Apostle (ﷺ), reported that the Quraish were concerned about the woman who had committed theft during the lifetime of Allah' s Apostle (ﷺ), in the expedition of Victory (of Mecca). They said: Who would speak to Allah' s Messenger (ﷺ) about her? They (again) said: Who can dare do this but Usama b. Zaid, the loved one of Allah' s Messenger (ﷺ)? She was brought to Allah' s Messenger (ﷺ) and Usama b. Zaid spoke about her to him (interceded on her behalf). The color of the face of Allah' s Messenger (ﷺ) changed, and he said: Do you intercede in one of the prescribed punishments of Allah? He (Usama) said: 'Messenger of Allah, seek forgiveness for me.' When it was dusk. Allah' s Messenger (ﷺ) stood up and gave an address. He (first) glorified Allah as He deserves, and then said: Now to our topic. This (injustice) destroyed those before you that when any one of (high) rank committed theft among them, they spared him, and when any weak one among them committed theft, they inflicted the prescribed punishment upon him. By Him in Whose Hand is my life, even if Fatima daughter of Muhammad were to commit theft, I would have cut off her hand. He (the Holy Prophet) then commanded about that woman who had committed theft, and her hand was cut off. 'A' isha (further) said: Hers was a good repentance, and she later on married and used to come to me after that, and I conveyed her needs (and problems) to Allah' s Messenger (ﷺ).
Sahih Muslim 1688b