Where is the initial point of amputation for a thief?

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There is no disagreement among scholars that the first limb to be amputated from a thief is the right hand, cut off at the wrist joint (*al-kūʿ*). This is supported by the narration attributed to 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud regarding the reading 'So cut off their right hands' (whether considered recitation or interpretation), and the statements of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) specifying the cut at the wrist. The rationale is that the right hand possesses greater strength for grasping, making its removal a stronger deterrent, and because it is the primary instrument of theft, its eradication corresponds fittingly to the crime.