Muwatta Imam Malik (Riwayat Yahya)

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said that if a person committed theft several times and was then apprehended, only his hand will be cut off for all the thefts, provided his hand has not already been cut off. And if, after his hand has been cut off, he commits theft equivalent to a quarter dinar, then his left foot will be cut off.

It is narrated from Qasim bin Muhammad that a man from Yemen, whose right hand and left foot had been cut off (i.e., he must have stolen twice), came to Madinah and stayed with Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, "The ruler of Yemen has wronged me, and he used to pray at night (i.e., he was vigilant in worship at night)." Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "By your father's oath! Your nights are not the nights of thieves." Coincidentally, a necklace belonging to Sayyida Asma bint Umais (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), was lost. That lame man also searched for it with the people and used to say, "O Lord! Destroy the one who has stolen from such pious householders." Then the necklace was found with a goldsmith. The goldsmith said, "This lame man gave it to me." The lame man confessed or it was proven by testimony. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered, and his left hand was cut off. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "By Allah! The curse he used to invoke upon himself seemed harsher to me than the theft itself."