She reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Avert the infliction of prescribed penalties on Muslims as much as you can, and if there is any way out let a man go, for it is better for a leader to make a mistake in forgiving than to make a mistake in punishing.”
Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying it has been transmitted from her without tracing it to the Prophet, and that is sounder.
Wa’il b. Hujr said that when a woman was forced against her will in the time of God’s Messenger he averted the punishment from her but inflicted it on the one who had molested her. The transmitter did not mention that he appointed a dower to be paid her.
‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, told that his grandfather, ‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As, reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Forgive the infliction of prescribed penalties among yourselves, for any prescribed penalty of which I hear must be carried out.”
