The Book of Cutting off the Hand of the Thief

أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَمِّي، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، عَنِ ابْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ شُعَيْبٍ، أَنَّ عَطَاءَ بْنَ أَبِي رَبَاحٍ، حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ كَانَ يَقُولُ ثَمَنُهُ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَشْرَةُ دَرَاهِمَ ‏.‏

"Its price in those days was ten Dirhams."

أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ مُوسَى الْبَلْخِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ مُوسَى، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، مِثْلَهُ كَانَ ثَمَنُ الْمِجَنِّ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُقَوَّمُ عَشْرَةَ دَرَاهِمَ ‏.‏

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.

أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ مُوسَى، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، مُرْسَلٌ ‏.‏

(A similar report) was narrated from Ayyub bin Musa, from 'Ata, in Mursal form.

أَخْبَرَنِي حُمَيْدُ بْنُ مَسْعَدَةَ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ حَبِيبٍ - عَنِ الْعَرْزَمِيِّ، - وَهُوَ عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ أَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ - عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، قَالَ أَدْنَى مَا يُقْطَعُ فِيهِ ثَمَنُ الْمِجَنِّ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَثَمَنُ الْمِجَنِّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَشْرَةُ دَرَاهِمَ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ وَأَيْمَنُ الَّذِي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُنَا لِحَدِيثِهِ مَا أَحْسَبُ أَنَّ لَهُ صُحْبَةً وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْهُ حَدِيثٌ آخَرُ يَدُلُّ عَلَى مَا قُلْنَاهُ ‏.‏

"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:

حَدَّثَنَا سَوَّارُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَوَّارٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ، ح وَأَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَلاَّمٍ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا إِسْحَاقُ، - هُوَ الأَزْرَقُ - قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بِهِ عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ أَيْمَنَ، مَوْلَى ابْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ - وَقَالَ خَالِدٌ فِي حَدِيثِهِ مَوْلَى الزُّبَيْرِ - عَنْ تُبَيْعٍ عَنْ كَعْبٍ قَالَ مَنْ تَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوءَ ثُمَّ صَلَّى - وَقَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ فَصَلَّى الْعِشَاءَ الآخِرَةَ - ثُمَّ صَلَّى بَعْدَهَا أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّ - وَقَالَ سَوَّارٌ يُتِمُّ - رُكُوعَهُنَّ وَسُجُودَهُنَّ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا يَقْتَرِئُ - وَقَالَ سَوَّارٌ يَقْرَأُ - فِيهِنَّ كُنَّ لَهُ بِمَنْزِلَةِ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ ‏.‏

"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)

أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَخْلَدٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ أَيْمَنَ، مَوْلَى ابْنِ عُمَرَ عَنْ تُبَيْعٍ، عَنْ كَعْبٍ، قَالَ مَنْ تَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ وُضُوءَهُ ثُمَّ شَهِدَ صَلاَةَ الْعَتَمَةِ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ ثُمَّ صَلَّى إِلَيْهَا أَرْبَعًا مِثْلَهَا يَقْرَأُ فِيهَا وَيُتِمُّ رُكُوعَهَا وَسُجُودَهَا كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الأَجْرِ مِثْلُ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ ‏.‏

"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)

أَخْبَرَنَا خَلاَّدُ بْنُ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ إِدْرِيسَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، قَالَ كَانَ ثَمَنُ الْمِجَنِّ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَشْرَةَ دَرَاهِمَ ‏.‏

"The price of a shield at the time of the Messenger of Allah was ten Dirhams."

"‏ لاَ تُقْطَعُ الْيَدُ فِي ثَمَرٍ مُعَلَّقٍ فَإِذَا ضَمَّهُ الْجَرِينُ قُطِعَتْ فِي ثَمَنِ الْمِجَنِّ وَلاَ تُقْطَعُ فِي حَرِيسَةِ الْجَبَلِ فَإِذَا آوَى الْمُرَاحَ قُطِعَتْ فِي ثَمَنِ الْمِجَنِّ ‏"

"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."'

"‏ مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ ذِي حَاجَةٍ غَيْرِ مُتَّخِذٍ خُبْنَةً فَلاَ شَىْءَ عَلَيْهِ وَمَنْ خَرَجَ بِشَىْءٍ مِنْهُ فَعَلَيْهِ غَرَامَةُ مِثْلَيْهِ وَالْعُقُوبَةُ وَمَنْ سَرَقَ شَيْئًا مِنْهُ بَعْدَ أَنْ يُئْوِيَهُ الْجَرِينُ فَبَلَغَ ثَمَنَ الْمِجَنِّ فَعَلَيْهِ الْقَطْعُ وَمَنْ سَرَقَ دُونَ ذَلِكَ فَعَلَيْهِ غَرَامَةُ مِثْلَيْهِ وَالْعُقُوبَةُ ‏"

"Whatever a needy person takes without putting any in his pocket (and taking it away), there is no penalty on him. But whoever takes anything away, he must pay a penalty of twice its value, and be punished. Whoever steals something after it has been stored properly, and its value is equal to that of a shield, his hand must be cut off. Whoever steals something worth less than that, he must pay a penalty of twice its value and be punished."

قَالَ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ مِسْكِينٍ قِرَاءَةً عَلَيْهِ وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُ، عَنِ ابْنِ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، وَهِشَامُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، مِنْ مُزَيْنَةَ أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ تَرَى فِي حَرِيسَةِ الْجَبَلِ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ هِيَ وَمِثْلُهَا وَالنَّكَالُ وَلَيْسَ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنَ الْمَاشِيَةِ قَطْعٌ إِلاَّ فِيمَا آوَاهُ الْمُرَاحُ فَبَلَغَ ثَمَنَ الْمِجَنِّ فَفِيهِ قَطْعُ الْيَدِ وَمَا لَمْ يَبْلُغْ ثَمَنَ الْمِجَنِّ فَفِيهِ غَرَامَةُ مِثْلَيْهِ وَجَلَدَاتُ نَكَالٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ تَرَى فِي الثَّمَرِ الْمُعَلَّقِ قَالَ ‏"‏ هُوَ وَمِثْلُهُ مَعَهُ وَالنَّكَالُ وَلَيْسَ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنَ الثَّمَرِ الْمُعَلَّقِ قَطْعٌ إِلاَّ فِيمَا آوَاهُ الْجَرِينُ فَمَا أُخِذَ مِنَ الْجَرِينِ فَبَلَغَ ثَمَنَ الْمِجَنِّ فَفِيهِ الْقَطْعُ وَمَا لَمْ يَبْلُغْ ثَمَنَ الْمِجَنِّ فَفِيهِ غَرَامَةُ مِثْلَيْهِ وَجَلَدَاتُ نَكَالٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

'O Messenger of Allah, what do you think about a sheep stolen from the pasture?" He said: "(The thief must pay) double and be punished. There is no cutting off of the hand for (stealing) livestock, except what which has been put in the pen, if its value is equal to that of a shield, in which case the (thief's) hand is to be cut off. If its value is not equal to that of a shield, then he should pay a penalty of twice its value and be flogged as a punishment." He said: "O Messenger of Allah! What do you think about fruit on the tree?" He said: "(The thief must pay) double and be punished. There is no cutting off of the hand for (stealing) fruit on the tree, except for that which has been stored properly if its value is equal to that of a shield, in which case the (thief's) hand is not equal to that of a shield, then he should pay a penalty of twice its value and be flogged as a punishment."