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).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that a woman who had stolen was brought to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and she sought protection through the stepson (rabib) of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Even if (in her place) it were Fatimah, I would cut off her hand." So he (peace and blessings be upon him) cut off her hand.

Ali bin al-Madini said: The stepsons (rabib) of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) were Salamah bin Abi Salamah and Umar bin Abi Salamah, and the Makhzumi woman who stole sought protection through one of them. The two Shaykhs agreed on recording the narration of al-Zuhri, from Urwah, from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), that the Makhzumi woman in fact went to seek protection with Usamah bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him), and that is what is correct.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that when that woman stole the velvet cloak (qatifah) from the house of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), it weighed very heavily on us; she was a woman of Quraysh. So we came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), spoke to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah, we will pay forty uqiyah as ransom for her." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That she be purified (through the prescribed punishment) is better for her." When we heard this statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), we came to Sayyiduna Usamah bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him: "Intercede for us with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the matter of this woman; we are ready to pay forty uqiyah as ransom for her." When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saw how hard the people were pressing in this matter, he (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up to deliver a sermon and said: "O people, what has driven you to talk so much about one of the prescribed punishments of Allah which has become due upon one of the female servants of Allah?! By the One in whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), if Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, had committed what this woman has committed, Muhammad would certainly have cut off her hand." The narrator said: Then the people lost hope, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cut off her hand. Muhammad bin Ishaq said: Abdullah bin Abi Bakr told me that after that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to show her mercy and treat her kindly. This hadith is sahih al-isnad (its chain is authentic), but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it with this wording.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Sayyiduna Safwan bin Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with him) brought to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) a man who had stolen a garment (hullah) of his. Then he said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have granted it to him (that is, I have pardoned him)." So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Why did you not do so before bringing him to us?" 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 Safwan bin Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with him); he said: I was sleeping in the mosque with a black cloak of mine over me, worth thirty dirhams. Then a man came, snatched it from me and ran off. The man was caught and brought to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that his hand be cut off. I came to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "Will you cut off his hand merely for thirty dirhams? I will sell the cloak to him and give him time to pay its price." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Why did you not do so before bringing him to me?"

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a thief was brought to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) who had stolen a blanket-like wrap. The people said: O Messenger of Allah, this man has stolen. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I do not think that he has stolen." At this the thief himself confessed and said: Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah! (It was I who stole.) Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Take him away and cut off his hand, then cauterise the cut (to stop the bleeding), then bring him to me." So his hand was cut off and then he was brought, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Repent to Allah." He said: I have repented to Allah. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah has accepted your repentance." This hadith is sahih al-isnad (its chain is authentic) and on the condition of Imam Muslim, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.