Verse. 707

'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī

تفسير : (as for the thief, both male) i.e. tu'mah (and female, cut off their hands) the right hands. (it is the reward of their own deeds) as a punishment for their theft, (an exemplary punishment from allah) a disgrace for them from allah. (allah is mighty) in showing his anger towards the thief, (wise) in that he decreed for him the cutting off of his hand.

Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī

تفسير : and the thieving male and the thieving female (the definite article in both [nouns] relates to the subject [sc. wa’lladhī saraqa wa’llatī saraqat, ‘and the male who thieves and the female who thieves’]; because this [clause] resembles a conditional statement [sc. ‘if he thieves, if she thieves’ etc.] the fā’ has been included in the predicate [fa’qta‘ū, ‘then cut off’]) cut off their hands, that is, the right hand of each of the two from the wristbone; it is explained in the sunna that the amputation applies to [the stealing of] a quarter of a dinar and upwards, and if the person were to re-offend, the left foot should then be amputated from the ankle, and then [on subsequent re-offending] the left hand [is amputated], followed by the right foot, after which discretionary punishment is applied; as a requital (jazā’an is in the accusative because it is a verbal noun) for what they have earned, and an exemplary punishment, for both of them, from god; god is mighty, his way will prevail, wise, in his creation.

Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi

تفسير : (as for the thief, both male and female, cut off their hands…) [5:38]. said al-kalbi: “this was revealed about tu‘mah ibn ubayriq who stole an armour. his story has already been covered”.