Hadith 14
The Book of the Etiquette of Judges
Abu Hurairah narrated that:
The Messenger of Allah [ﷺ] said: "There were two woman who had two children, and the wolf came and took away the son of one of them. She said to her companion: 'It took away your son.' The other one said: 'No, it took away your son.' They referred the matter to Dawud, peace be upon him, for judgment (about the remaining child) and he ruled in favor of the older one. Then they went out to Sulaiman bin Dawud and told him (about that). He said: 'Give me a knife and I will cut him in half (to be shared) between you.' The younger one said: 'Do not do that, may Allah have mercy on you; he is her son.' So he ruled that (the child) belonged to the younger woman." Abu Hurairah said: "By Allah! I never heard 'Sikkin' used until that day. We would only say: 'Mudyah.'"
أَخْبَرَنَا عِمْرَانُ بْنُ بَكَّارِ بْنِ رَاشِدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الزِّنَادِ، مِمَّا حَدَّثَهُ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ الأَعْرَجُ، مِمَّا ذَكَرَ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يُحَدِّثُ بِهِ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ وَقَالَ
بَيْنَمَا امْرَأَتَانِ مَعَهُمَا ابْنَاهُمَا جَاءَ الذِّئْبُ فَذَهَبَ بِابْنِ إِحْدَاهُمَا فَقَالَتْ هَذِهِ لِصَاحِبَتِهَا إِنَّمَا ذَهَبَ بِابْنِكِ . وَقَالَتِ الأُخْرَى إِنَّمَا ذَهَبَ بِابْنِكِ . فَتَحَاكَمَتَا إِلَى دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ فَقَضَى بِهِ لِلْكُبْرَى فَخَرَجَتَا إِلَى سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ دَاوُدَ فَأَخْبَرَتَاهُ فَقَالَ ائْتُونِي بِالسِّكِّينِ أَشُقُّهُ بَيْنَهُمَا . فَقَالَتِ الصُّغْرَى لاَ تَفْعَلْ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ هُوَ ابْنُهَا . فَقَضَى بِهِ لِلصُّغْرَى
Hadith gradings, numbering and translations can differ between editions. For legal rulings or detailed interpretation, consult qualified scholarship and the referenced edition.