Abu Salama quoted Abu Huraira’s authority to the effect that God’s Messenger said regarding a thief, "If he steals cut off his hand, if he steals again cut off his foot, if he steals again cut off his hand, and if he steals again cut off his foot.”
Jabir told that a thief was brought to the Prophet and he said, "Maim him,* so this was done. He was brought a second time and he said, "Maim him,” so this was done. He was brought a third time and he said, "Maim him,” so this was done. He was brought a fourth time and he said, "Maim him,” so this was done. He was brought a fifth time and he said, "Kill him,” so they took him away and killed him. They then dragged him and cast him into a well and threw stones over him.
Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it. In Sharh as-sunna the Prophet is reported as saying regarding the maiming of a thief, "Maim him, then cauterise him."
* Where there has been one offence I have translated 'cut off the hand’, but here, where the verb 'to cut off’ is used without an object, I have found it more convenient to use a general word. In the previous tradition the hands and feet were mentioned in the Arabic.
It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna that Safwan b. Umayya came to Medina and slept in the mosque, using his cloak as a pillow. A thief came and took his cloak and Safwan seized him and brought him to God’s Messenger who ordered that his hand should be cut off. Safwan then said, "This was not my intention. I give it to him as sadaqa.” God’s Messenger replied, "Why did you not do so before bringing him to me?”
Ibn Majah transmitted something similar on the authority of ‘Abdallah b. Safwan who quoted his father’s authority, and Darimi did so also on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas.
