Chapter on the Legal Punishment for Theft
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 4|Book 1|Chapter 12
وَ رَوَى اَلْعَلاَءُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ اَلصَّبِيِّ يَسْرِقُ قَالَ "إِنْ كَانَ لَهُ سَبْعُ سِنِينَ أَوْ أَقَلُّ رُفِعَ عَنْهُ فَإِنْ عَادَ بَعْدَ اَلسَّبْعِ قُطِعَتْ بَنَانُهُ أَوْ حُكَّتْ حَتَّى تَدْمَى فَإِنْ عَادَ قُطِعَ مِنْهُ أَسْفَلُ مِنْ بَنَانِهِ فَإِنْ عَادَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ وَ قَدْ بَلَغَ تِسْعَ سِنِينَ قُطِعَتْ يَدُهُ وَ لاَ يُضَيَّعُ حَدٌّ مِنْ حُدُودِ اَللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ".
Al-Alaa narrated from Muhammad ibn Muslim from Abu Jafar Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir عليه السلام who said: I asked Imam عليه السلام about a child who steals. Imam عليه السلام said: "If he is seven years old or younger, the punishment is lifted from him. But if he repeats the act after the age of seven, his fingertip is to be cut off or scraped until it bleeds. If he repeats it again, a part below his fingertip is to be cut off. If he steals again after that and has reached nine years of age, his hand is to be cut off. None of the prescribed punishments of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Mighty and Majestic, are to be neglected."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh