[12].Surah Yusuf [Joseph] : Ayat 73-75

Ayat 73. They said: "By Allah! Indeed you know that we came not to make mischief in the land, and we are no thieves!"

Ayat 74. They [Yusuf's (Joseph) men] said: "What then shall be the penalty of him, if you are (proved to be) liars."

Ayat 75. They [Yusuf's (Joseph) brothers] said: "The penalty should be that he, in whose bag it is found, should be held for the punishment (of the crime). Thus we punish the Zalimun (wrong-doers, etc.)!"   

Hazrat Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Quraish were anxious about a woman from Banu Makhzum who had committed theft and asked : "Who will speak to the Messenger of Allah  [SAWW](PBUH) about her?'' Then they said: "No one will be bold enough to do so except Usamah bin Zaid, the (Companion who was) dearly loved by the Messenger of Allah  [SAWW](PBUH).'' So Usamah (May Allah be pleased with him) spoke to him and the Messenger of Allah  [SAWW](PBUH)  (angrily) said, "Are you interceding regarding one of the punishments prescribed by Allah?'' He then got up and delivered an address in which he said, "Indeed what destroyed the people before you was just that when a person of high rank among them committed a theft, they spared him; but if the same crime was done by a poor person they inflicted the prescribed punishment on him. I swear by Allah that if Fatimah daughter of Muhammad {Messenger of Allah  [SAWW](PBUH)} should steal, I would have her hand cut off.''

[Muslim Book 17, Chapter 02, Hadith # 4187]. 

Lesson : as mentioned above in Surah Yusuf Ayat 74. ""What then shall be the penalty of him, if you are (proved to be) liars." 1. Hadd is the punishment fixed by Shariah and which no one has the authority to increase or decrease. For instance, theft is punishable by the cutting of the hand; the punishment of adultery is a hundred stripes or Rajm (stoning to death); the punishment of drinking of intoxicants is forty stripes etc. 2. Nobody has the right to intercede or make any recommendation in this matter. 3. There is no distinction of male or female in the matter of these punishments (Hudud). Whoever commits a crime which is punishable by Hadd, whether that person is male or female, will be liable for punishment prescribed under Hadd - the punishment, the limits of which have been defined in the Qur'an and Hadith.