Title: A Case of a Severe Punishment Delivered by the Prophet (pbuh) Question: I came across the following Hadith , today. Can you please explain whether you think it is authentic and secondly any more details regarding the incident. Volume 2, Book 24, Number 577: Narrated Anas : Some people from `Uraina tribe came to Medina and its climate did not suit them, so Allah's Apostle (pbuh) allowed them to go to the herd of camels (given as Zakat ) and they drank their milk and urine (as medicine) but they killed the shepherd and drove away all the camels. So Allah's Apostle sent (men) in their pursuit to catch them, and they were brought, and he had their hands and feet cut, and their eyes were branded with heated pieces of iron and they were left in the Harra (a stony place at Medina ) biting the stones. (See Hadith No. 234, Vol. 1) Mohammed Amjid Khan United Kingdom Answer: Some of the points mentioned in the referred narrative are: Some people came to the Prophet (pbuh) to Medinah and accepted Islam; These people suffered from an ailment, for which the Arabs used to drink the urine and milk of camels, as medicine. Observing their ailment, the Prophet (pbuh) allowed them to go to the herds; After having recovered from their ailment, they killed the official herdsmen and drove away the herd of camels; The Prophet (pbuh), in conformity with the directive of the Qur'an relating to crimes committed against the state ( Al-Maaidah 5: 33), sentenced them to the punishment of amputation of hands and feet; There is only one part of the referred narrative, which raises a question-mark in one's mind. It apparently seems strange that after having implemented the punishment prescribed in the Qur'an for crimes committed against the society, in general, why did the Prophet (pbuh) ordered their eyes to be branded. Most of the narratives do not provide an answer to this question. However, in one of the narratives reported in Ibn Al-Jarood's Al-Muntaqaa , Anas (ra) is reported to have explained the reason for this punishment as well. The companion of the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said: The Prophet (pbuh) branded their eyes because they had branded the eyes of the herdsmen. (volume 1, Pg. 216) This explanation adequately clarifies the fact that the Prophet (pbuh) ordered the branding the eyes of the culprits, in compliance with the Qur'anic directive of Qisaas ( Al-Baqarah 2: 178, Al-Maaidah 5: 45) for the punishment of murder and inflicting physical injury on someone. In view of the foregoing explanation, I find no reason to consider the incident narrated in the referred narrative to be unauthentic. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad September 1, 2001