The only retribution for those who make war with Allah and

strive to spread corruption upon the earth is that they be

killed or crucified , or their hands and feet cut off from
alternate sides, or that they be exiled from the land. Such
shall be their degradation in this world and, in the Akhirha
(Hereafter), theirs shall be a torturous chastisement.
(Quran 5:33)
This verse is among the specified punishments within the law of
Shari`a regarding robbers and in total four different types of
punishment has been laid out regarding this heinous crime The four
punishments are:

Death
Crucifixion
Cutting of the hand and the feet form alternate sides
Expulsion

Robbery is a great crime within Islam and is described as war

waging against Allah hence the perpetrators are fighting the law of
Allah, namely Shari`ah and they are spreading strife and corruption
upon the earth trough their crime.
Asbb al- Nuzl (Reason for Revelation)
Al- Whid recorded in his Asbb al- Nuzl from Qatadh that eight
individuals from the tribes of B. Ukal and B. Uraynah approached the
Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) and took the pledge of allegiance at
his hands while masquerading as Muslims, in other words they
where hypocrites and traitors. The climate of the city of Medina did
not fit them and they became sick so they complained about their
condition to the Prophet (saw), so he told them to drink the urine
and the milk of the camels and he also told them that if they wished
they could live with the people who used to tend the camels as
Zakh. They accepted the proposal and where cured due to the
camels urine, however after the generosity of the Prophet they killed
the herders and stole the camels.
When the Holy Prophet (saw) heard about this event he sent some
Companions in order to catch the perpetrators and when they where
caught the Holy Prophet ordered that their hands and feet to be cut
from alternate sides, their eyes should be pierced with hot needles
and that they should be placed in the heat until they die. The reason
why the Holy Prophet applied this punishment is because the
perpetrator literally did the exact same thing to the innocent

herders, so the Holy Prophet applied the ruling of an eye for an

eye and war waging against Allah within Shari`a upon them. This is
also recorded in a Hadith from Anas b. Malik in Sahih Muslim and in
a other Hadith it is mentioned that these people used to plunder and
spread corruption upon the earth. This entire incident is mentioned
within Sahih Muslim and Sahh Bukhri.
The Penalties
The specified penalties mentioned within the verse are in regard to
four different crimes. If the robbers committed murder and hade
stolen, they shall be executed and be crucified for three days. If they
only committed murder but did not stela, they shall only be
executed. If they only robbed but did not commit murder, they shall
get they hand and feet cut off from alternate sides. If the individual
never committed robbery but had the intention of doing such an act
they shall be exiled from the land.
According to Imm Shaf` when exiled the individual should be
expelled from their country. Abu Hanifah on the other said that they
should be put in prison until they repent