Qatadah said: "This was before the Hudud (prescribed punishments) were revealed."
Yahya: From Ibrahim ibn Muhammad, from Salih, the mawla (freedman) of Al-Taw'amah, from Abu Hurayrah: That when they were brought to him, and he cut off their hands and feet and gouged out their eyes, this verse was revealed: "The reward of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger"—the verse.
Yahya said: I asked Al-Jahm ibn Warrad Al-Kufi about the meaning of His saying: "[or their hands and feet be cut off] from opposite sides" (min khilaf), and he said: "His right hand and his left foot."
Ibn Abbas said: And the meaning of "or they be exiled from the land" is: "that they be rendered incapable, such that they cannot be apprehended."
قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: وَكَانَ هَذَا مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تُنَزَّلَ الْحُدُودُ.
يحيى: عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ صَالِحٍ مَوْلَى التَّوْءَمَةِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ؛
أَنَّهُ لَمَّا جِيءَ بِهِمْ؛ فَقَطَعَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ وَأَرْجُلَهُمْ، وَسَمَلَ أَعْيُنَهُمْ، نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ: ﴿إِنَّمَا جَزَاءُ الَّذين يُحَاربُونَ الله وَرَسُوله﴾ الْآيَةَ ".
قَالَ يحيى: سَأَلْتُ الْجَهْمَ بْنَ وَرَّادٍ الْكُوفِيَّ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ: ﴿من خلاف﴾ فَقَالَ: يَدُهُ الْيُمْنَى وَرِجْلُهُ الْيُسْرَى.
وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: وَمَعْنَى ﴿أَوْ ينفوا من الأَرْض﴾ (أَنْ يُعْجِزُوا فَلَا يُقْدَرُ عَلَيْهِمْ).
