Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 86, Hadith 6790

حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها أَنَّ قُرَيْشًا، أَهَمَّتْهُمُ الْمَرْأَةُ الْمَخْزُومِيَّةُ الَّتِي سَرَقَتْ فَقَالُوا مَنْ يُكَلِّمُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمَنْ يَجْتَرِئُ عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ أُسَامَةُ حِبُّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏ فَكَلَّمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ‏"‏ أَتَشْفَعُ فِي حَدٍّ مِنْ حُدُودِ اللَّهِ ‏"‏‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَامَ فَخَطَبَ قَالَ ‏"‏ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا ضَلَّ مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا إِذَا سَرَقَ الشَّرِيفُ تَرَكُوهُ، وَإِذَا سَرَقَ الضَّعِيفُ فِيهِمْ أَقَامُوا عَلَيْهِ الْحَدَّ، وَايْمُ اللَّهِ لَوْ أَنَّ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتَ مُحَمَّدٍ سَرَقَتْ لَقَطَعَ مُحَمَّدٌ يَدَهَا ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated By 'Aisha : The Quraish people became very worried about the Makhzumiya lady who had committed theft. They said, "Nobody can speak (in favour of the lady) to Allah's Apostle and nobody dares do that except Usama who is the favourite of Allah's Apostle. " When Usama spoke to Allah's Apostle about that matter, Allah's Apostle said, "Do you intercede (with me) to violate one of the legal punishment of Allah?" Then he got up and addressed the people, saying, "O people! The nations before you went astray because if a noble person committed theft, they used to leave him, but if a weak person among them committed theft, they used to inflict the legal punishment on him. By Allah, if Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad committed theft, Muhammad will cut off her hand.!"