It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not cut off a hand for (theft of) less than the value of a shield, whether a leather shield or an iron one, and both of them had a value in those days (corresponding to the minimum threshold for theft). This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), but they did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "May Allah curse the thief who steals an egg and has his hand cut off, and who steals a rope and has his hand cut off." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), but they did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cut off a hand for the theft of a baydah (an egg-shaped iron helmet) whose value was twenty dirhams. This hadith is sahih al-isnad (its chain is authentic), but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) the price of a shield was estimated at ten dirhams. This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Muslim, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it; and its supporting report (shahid) is the hadith of Ayman.

It is narrated from Ayman that in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) the hand was cut off only for (the theft of) the value of a shield, and its value in that era was one dinar.

I heard Abu al-Abbas say that he heard al-Rabi', who heard Imam al-Shafi'i say that this Ayman is the son of Ka'b's wife; he is not the son of Umm Ayman, nor did he live in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Imam al-Hakim says: The proof of the correctness of the statement of Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) is the following hadith.

It is narrated from Mansur, from Ata and Mujahid, and they narrate from Ayman (they said that Ayman was a man who was spoken of with good) that he said: The hand of the thief is not cut off for less than the value of a shield, and at that time the value of a shield was one dinar. So Ayman the son of Umm Ayman, who is a Companion and the maternal brother of Usamah, is far too eminent and illustrious to be attributed to obscurity by saying of him, "He was a man who was spoken of with good"; such a statement is only made about an unknown person (majhul) whose companionship of the Messenger is not known. Moreover, Jarir has kept this narration mawquf at this Ayman and did not make it marfu' (with a connected chain to the Prophet).