Hadith 26376

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibnHazim that Amra bint Abd ar-Rahman said, "A'isha, the wife of theProphet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went out to Makkaand she had two girl mawlas of hers and a slave belonging to the sonsof Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr as-Siddiq . She sent a figured cloak with thetwo mawlas which was sewn up in a piece of green cloth."Amracontinued, "The slave took it and unstitched it and took out thecloak. In its place, he put some felt or skin and sewed it up again.When the mawla girls came to Madina, they gave it to his people. Whenthey opened it, they found felt in it and did not find the cloak. Theyspoke to the two women and they spoke to A'isha, the wife of theProphet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, or they wrote to herand suspected the slave. The slave was asked about it and confessed.A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, gave the order and his hand was cut off. A'isha said, 'Athief's hand is cut off for a quarter of a dinar and upwards.' "Malik said, "The limit I prefer above which cutting off the handis obliged is three dirhams, whether the exchange is high or low. Thatis because the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, cut off the hand of a thief for a shield whose value was threedirhams, and Uthman ibn Affan cut off the hand of a thief for a citronwhich was estimated at three dirhams. This is what I prefer of what Ihave heard on the matter."