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[Insaan]

My opinion upon research and using arabic grammar.

chopping of hands of a thief is either:
1. not what is implied in the quran, or
2. is a measure of last resort

Why?

before we proceed, note that in arabic, verbs have multiple forms with different shades of meaning.

Example: Af'ala form and Fa'ala form.

the Fa'ala form is more intensive than Af'ala form. So Adh'raba can mean He hit, but Dhar'raba means he He hit intensely/hard/badly.

Considering the above:

1 The Qur'aan calls itself as something self explanatory.

2. The word for "CUT" used in the verse of the thief is Af'ala form (i.e. the lighter form)

3. The word for "CUT" used in the verse of the women who cut their hands when they saw prophet yusuf is Fa'ala form (i.e. heavier/stronger form)

4. Question: if in the story of prophet yusuf, the heavier form of "CUT" is used, and we know that in that story the women did not chop of their hands but just cut it, then how can it be that when the lighter form of the verb is used, it means to chop off?

Indeed Allah is Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Rahmaan; in my opinion, he is very precise in his speech, and the Quran explains itself for those who reflect.

[Insaan]

Another good explanation at: http://misconceptions-about-islam.com/c ... -theft.htm

Additional analysis:

Quran is grammatically consistent. Apart from the 'verbal form' example, the verse starts with "as for the male thief and female thief"; note: singular of thief being used. In the same verse that the dual form form of hands has not been used; rather a plural form (arabic has singular, dual and plural).
Considering that Aydeehim can also mean sustenance, this makes sense as the interpretation since if it was hand, it would have only been in the singular or dual form since the verse started with the singular form. A thief cannot have more than two hands.

i.e., you can say, as for the computer.... connect it's keyboards; you can say 'keyboard'.... i.e. quantity matching (just like tense agreement applies in grammar).

[Insaan]

Furthermore... aydiyahum (or even yadun) does not only mean (hand is only one of the "implications"). It's other meanings are: power, control, influence, authority, possession, benefit, achievement