A boy who steals or commits a hadd offence

Abdullah bin Ubayd bin Umayr said: A boy who had stolen was brought to Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: Look inside his waist wrapper: has hair grown?

The aforementioned statement of Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) is also reported through this chain from Abdullah bin Ubayd bin Umayr.

Muhammad bin Yahya bin Habban said: A boy from among us made a false claim about a woman in his poetry, and the matter was brought before Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). He was in doubt about him, so he looked at him, and it was found that he had not yet grown pubic hair. At this he said: If I had found that you had grown pubic hair, I would certainly have flogged you, or I would certainly have applied the prescribed punishment (hadd) to you.

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: A boy who had stolen was brought to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and his having reached puberty was not evident. So he measured him, and he turned out to be short by one finger joint, so he let him go and did not cut off his hand.

Ibn Abi Mulaykah said: A slave of Umar bin Abi Rabi'ah who had stolen was brought to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him). He gave an order concerning him and he was measured. He was a young lad, and he had reached six handspans, so he cut off his hand.

Khilas said that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When a boy reaches five handspans, retaliation (qisas) shall be taken from him and retaliation shall be taken on his behalf.

Qatadah said that Umar bin Abd al-Aziz and al-Hasan al-Basri, both of them, would not apply a prescribed punishment (hadd) to a boy until he reached puberty.

Ibn Jurayj said that it is reported from Ata concerning a child who steals; he said: He is not subject to the punishment of having his hand cut off until he reaches puberty.

And Amr bin Dinar said: I do not hold that he is subject to the punishment of having his hand cut off.

Mansur said that Ibrahim said: His hand shall not be cut off until he is of sound understanding, that is, until he reaches puberty.

Ibn Jurayj said that Sulayman bin Musa said: There is neither a prescribed punishment (hadd) nor retaliation (qisas) upon one who has not reached puberty.

Sulayman bin Yasar said: A boy who had stolen was brought to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). He gave an order and he was measured, and he found him to be six handspans less one finger joint. So he let him go, and the boy came to be called Numaylah.