512. The extent to which a thief's hand needs to be severed.

This verse (5:38) of the Quran orders the hand of the thief to be severed, but does not specify whether it is to be done up to the wrist or to the shoulder.

Here we can try to come to an understanding as to what the term ‘hand’ refers to.

Though the term hand refers to the fore limbs from the tip of the fingers up to the shoulders, it generally means in all languages and speaks the portion up to the wrists. Unless there is a word structure referring specifically to a part, it always refers to the part up to the wrist.

 In phrases like ‘hold it by hand’ ‘pick it by hand’ ‘wash your hands’ ‘greet by shaking hands’ it is meant at the wrist level and not the use of the entire hand. When requested to stretch the arms for a jab, we expose the arms up to the shoulders because we already know the part of the arm to be injected upon.

When asked to fold hands we do it up to the fore hands because the hands are foldable up to that extent.

Without any specific mentioning, the term ‘hand’ refers to the portion of the arm within the wrist.

When we insist to wash hands before sitting down to eat, it does not mean to wash hands up to the shoulders.

Though it is not mentioned to sever the hand of the thief only up to the wrist it is understood as to mean the same, unless and until there are specifics about the decree. 

This can be confirmed by pondering over the following verse. 

Oh! Believers, when you prepare yourself to start worshipping, wash your faces, your hands up to the joints, and your legs up to the ankles. Move your wet hands over your heads. And those on whom taking a full bath is mandatory, should do so and cleanse themselves. If you happen to be sick, or a traveller, or one of you who is exiting a toilet or coming out after having a sexual inter course, and do not find water to cleanse yourself, dab your hands in clean sand and run them over your face and hands. Allah does not want to burden you with difficulties but to cleanse you so that His blessings are full over you.

The Quran 5:6 

In this verse the word ‘hand’ is used twice, one is while mentioning about ablution, and the while talking about ‘Dayam mum’

When talking about ‘Wudu’ or ablution it specifies the part of the hand to be washed as up to the forehand, but when talking of Dayam mum, it stops short of specifying limits of the hand.

 Prophet Muhammad while practicing the act of Dayam mum dabbed his palms on the clean sand and ran his them over his face and wrists.

Bukhari: 342, 343, 339, 338. 

During performing Dayam mum he did not run his palms over up to the fore hand and stopped with the wrists. 

Generally, the term hands refer up to the wrists and severing the hands of thief means only up to the wrist.