The Book of Cutting off the Hand of the Thief

"A thief was brought to the Messenger of Allah and he said: 'Kill him.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, he only stole.' He said: 'Cut off (his hand).' So his hand was cut off. Then he was brought a second time and he said: 'Kill him.' They said; 'O Messenger of Allah, he only stole.' He said: 'Cut off (his foot).' So his foot was cut off. He was brought to him a third time and he said: 'Kill him.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, he only stole. He said: 'Cut off (his other hand).' Then he was brought to him a fourth time and he said: Kill him.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, he only stole.' He said: 'Cut off (his other foot).' He was brought to him a fifth time and he said: "So we took him to an animal pen and attacked him. He lay down on his back then waved his arms and legs (in the air), and the camels ran away. Then they attacked him a second time and he did the same thing, then they attacked him a third time, and we threw stones at him and killed him, then we threw him into a well and threw stones on top of him." (Hasan)Abu 'Abdur-Rahman (An-Nasai) said: This Hadith is Munkar, Musab bin Thabit is not strong in Hadith.

'It is Sunnah. The Messenger of Allah cut off a thief's hand then hung it from his neck."'(Daif)

"I heard 'Uthman bin Abi AL-Walid, the freed slave of the Akhnasiyin, say: 'I heard 'Urwah bin Az-Zubair say;'Aishah used to narrated that the Prophet said: "The hand (of the htief) should notbe cut off for anything but a shield or its equivalent in value."'

"I heard 'Urwah bin Az-Zubair say: "Aishah used to narrate that he Prophet of Allah said: The hand (of the thief) should not be cut off except for a shield or its equivalent in value. And he said that 'Urwah said: A shield is (worth) four Dirhams. And he (the narrator) said: I heard sulaiman bin Yasar say that he heard 'Amrah say: I heard 'Aishah narrate that she heard the Messenger of Allah say: The hand (of the thief) should not be cut off except for four Dinars or more."

"The hand of a thief would not be cut off during the time of the Messenger of Allah except for the value of a shield, which in those days was a Dinar." (Daif)

"The hand of a thief was not be cut off during the time of the Messenger of Allah except for the value of a shield, and the value of a shield in those days was a Dinar." (Daif)

A similar report was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas. The price of a shield at the time of the Messenger of Allah was estimated to be ten Dirhams.

"The least for which the hand of a thief is to be cut off is the price of a shield. And the price of a shield in those days was ten Dirhams." (Hasan) Abu 'Abdur-Rahman (An-Nasai) said: Ayman, the one whose narrations preceded, I do not think he was a Companion, and another Hadith has been related from him which proves what we have said:

"Whoever performs wudu and performs wudu, well, then prays ('Abdur-Rahman said: and prays Isha), then prays after that four Rakahs and does them well (Sawwar said: and understands what he is reciting (Sawwar said: and recites therein), they will be equivalent to (praying) Lailat Al-Qadr for him". (Hasan Maqtu)

"The Messenger of Allah was asked: 'For how much is the hand (of the thief) to be cut off?' He said: 'The hand (of the thief) is not to be cut off for (stealing) fruit on the tree, but if (the fruit) has been taken to the place where it is stored to dry, then the (thief's) hand is to be cut off (if what is stolen is equivalent to) the price of a shield. The (thief's) hand is not to be cut off for a sheep (stolen) from the grazing land, but if it had been put in the pen, then the (thief's) hand is to be cut off (if what is stolen is equivalent to) the price of a shield."'

"I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'The hand is not to be cut off for (stealing) produce or the spadix of palm trees."'

"I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'The hand is not be cut off for (stealing) produce or the spadix of palm trees."'

"I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'The hand is not to be cut off for (stealing) produce or the spadix of palm trees."'

the Messenger of Allah robber and pilferer is not to be cut off." (Sahih) Sufyan did not hear it from Abu Az-Zubair.

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'The pilferer is not to be cut off."' (Sahih) Ibn Juraij also did not hear it from Abu Az-Zubair. Ibn Juraij also did not hear it from Abu Az-Zubair.

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'The hand of the pilferer, robber and traitor is not to be cut off."'

"The hand of the traitor is not to be cut off." (Sahih) Abu 'Abdur-Rahman (An-Nasai) said: Ashath bin Sawwar (one of its narrators) is weak.

"Kill him." They said: "O Messenger of Allah, he only stole (something)." He said: "Kill him." They said: "O Messenger of Allah, he only stole (something)." He said: "Cut off his hand." Then he stole again, and his foot was cut off. Then he stole at the time of Abu Bakr, untilo all his extremities had been cut off. Then he stole a fifth time, and Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The Messenger of Allah knew better about him when he said: 'Kill him."' Then he handed him over to some young men of Quraish to kill him, among whom was 'Abdullah bin Az-Zubair who liked to be in a position of leadership. He said: "Put me in charge of them," so they put him in charge of them and when he struck him, they would strike him, until they killed him.

'I was among the prisoners of Quraizah; we were examined, and whoever had grown (pubic) hair was killed, and whoever had not grown hair, he was allowed to live and was not killed."

"Whoever performs Wudu and performs Wudu well, then attends Isha prayer in congregation, then prays four similar Rakahs after that, reciting therein and bowing and prostrating perfectly, that will bring him a reward like that of (praying) Lailat Al-Qadar." (Hasan Maqtu)