I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, "There is no amputation for stealing fruit or the pith of the palm tree."
حدثنا يزيد قال أخبرنا يحيى عن محمد بن يحيى بن حبان
سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول لا قطع في ثمر ولا كثر
Its chain of transmission is sahih, all its narrators being reliable. The hadith was related by Abu Dawud, 4/136, no. 4388, in the Book of Punishments, chapter on cases where amputation does not apply, by Tirmidhi, 4/52, no. 1449, similarly, by Nasai, 8/86, no. 4960, chapter on amputating the thief, cases where amputation does not apply, by Ibn Majah, 2/865, no. 2593, and by Ibn Hibban, 361, no. 1505.The meaning of the hadith is that a thief's hand is not cut off if he steals fruit, because it is not kept in a secure enclosure. As for his statement, "nor kathar," kathar refers to the palm heart, known to those who cultivate palm trees, it is the core at the top of the palm tree from which its fronds, that is, its branches, grow out.