one except his right hand. But the plural is used in place of the dual for ease of expression and because the intended meaning is clear. In ‘Abd Allāh’s reading, it is:

“Cut off their right hands.”

Indeed, using the dual in such a case departs from the most eloquent usage, although it is permissible, as in the verse:

“Their two backs are like the backs of two shields.”

The former usage also occurs, though rarely, with nouns denoting possessions that are not parts of their possessors, as in the expression: “The two of them set down their saddles.”