And when theft is among the acts of warfare and striving for corruption, and its doer is not pious nor seeking a means, he follows it up by saying: "And the thief"; the one who takes what is in a place of protection secretly, because he does not deserve it. "And the female thief"; meaning: likewise. And when the estimation is: "And they are both corruptors"; or: "Their ruling in what is recited to you"; it caused him to say: "So cut off"; and "the" - Al-Mubarrid said - is for definition, meaning: "the one who"; and the 'fa' is for causation, like your saying: "the one who comes to me, for him is such and such dirhams." "Their hands"; meaning: the hands; from the wrists; if what is taken is a quarter of a dinar or more, from a place of protection like it, without any suspicion for him in it - as the Prophet [blessings and peace be upon him] clarified all of that. And he returns with the cutting what he has stolen; then he justified that by saying: "A recompense for what they earned"; meaning: what they did from that; and his punishment for the least forms of theft; as a protection for wealth; and humiliation for it; for treachery; and its blood money if cut off unjustly is five hundred dinars; as a protection for the soul from treachery without it being permitted. Then he justified this recompense by saying: "As a deterrent"; meaning: a prevention for them; just as a chain prevents. "From Allah"; meaning: the One who has all greatness; for He is the one to be feared by every created being. And He repeated the greatest name in glorification of the matter; so He said: "And Allah"; meaning: the One who has all attributes of perfection; "is Exalted"; meaning: in His vengeance; for nothing can overpower Him. "Wise"; meaning: He is profound in ruling and wisdom in His laws; so it is not possible to resist His might; nor to nullify anything He does; for He places it in the most precise of its places.