Prescribed Punishment for Theft
7 hadiths
The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) cut off (a thief's hand) for a shield that was worth three dirhams.
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) cut off (a thief's hand) for a shield that was worth three dirhams.
May Allah curse the thief who steals an egg and his hand is cut off for that, and he steals a rope and his hand is cut off for that
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "May Allah curse the thief who steals an egg and his hand is cut off for that, and he steals a rope and his hand is cut off for that."
I was sleeping in the mosque while covered by a Khamīsah cloak of mine whose price was thirty dirhams. A man came and snatched it away from me. The man was seized and brought to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) who ordered that his hand should be cut off
Safwān ibn Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I was sleeping in the mosque while covered by a Khamīsah cloak of mine whose price was thirty dirhams. A man came and snatched it away from me. The man was seized and brought to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) who ordered that his hand should be cut off. I came to him and said: "Will you cut off his hand for the sake of only thirty dirhams? I will sell it to him on credit." He said: "Why did you not say this before bringing him to me?"
The Quraysh were greatly concerned about the case of the Makhzūmi woman who had committed theft.
‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Quraysh were greatly concerned about the case of the Makhzūmi woman who had committed theft. They wondered who should intercede for her with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). Some said: "Only Usāmah ibn Zayd, the Prophet’s beloved one, would dare do so." As Usāmah spoke to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) about this issue, he said to him: "Do you intercede regarding one of the punishments prescribed by Allah?" Then, he got up and addressed the people, saying: "The people before you were ruined because if a noble person among them committed theft, they would leave him unpunished, but if a weak person among them committed theft, they would inflict the legal punishment on him. By Allah! Were Fātimah, the daughter of Muhammad, to commit theft, I would cut off her hand." Another wording reads: "She was a woman who used to borrow things from people and deny having taken them. So, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that her hand should be cut off.”
The hand is not to be cut off for taking fruit or Kathar (the pith of the palm-tree)
Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Hibbān reported: A slave stole a plant of a palm-tree from the orchard of a man and planted it in the orchard of his master. The owner of the plant went out in search of the plant and found it. He sought help against the slave from Marwān ibn al-Hakam, who was the Governor of Madīnah at that time. Marwān confined the slave and intended to cut off his hand. The slave's master went to Rāfi‘ ibn Khadīj and asked him about that case. Rāfi‘ told him that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The hand is not to be cut off for taking fruit or Kathar (the pith of the palm-tree)." The man then said: "Marwān has seized my slave and wants to cut off his hand. I wish you would go with me to him and tell him what you have heard from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)." Rāfi‘ ibn Khadīj went with him to Marwān ibn al-Hakam. Rāfi‘ said to him: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘The hand is not to be cut off for taking fruit or Kathar.'" So Marwān gave orders to release the slave, and he was released.
Whatever a needy person eats without putting any in his pocket (and taking it away), there is no penalty on him. But whoever takes something away, he must pay a fine of twice its value and receive punishment. Whoever steals something after it has been stored properly, and its value amounts to the price of a shield, his hand must be cut off
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about fruit on the tree. He said: "Whatever a needy person eats without putting any in his pocket (and taking it away), there is no penalty on him. But whoever takes something away, he must pay a fine of twice its value and receive punishment. Whoever steals something after it has been stored properly, and its value amounts to the price of a shield, his hand must be cut off."
The hand is to be cut off for a quarter of a dinar or more
‘Ā’ishah, Mother of the Believers, (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The hand is to be cut off for a quarter of a dinar or more."