PHOTO: Man Addicted To Stealing Cuts Off His Own Hands In Line With Sharia Law

A habitual thief who was left so ashamed by his uncontrollable urge to steal, took the drastic step of cutting off his own hands.

Huffington post reports Ali Afifi is believed to have been motivated by Sharia law when he amputated both hands in separate incidents.

The Egyptian lost his first hand by holding it under the wheels of a train five years ago.

His shocked father had him institutionalised, but the 28-year-old repeated the action with the other hand upon his release.

Afifi, who posed for these pictures this week, is said to have asked a Muslim scholar to sever his hands because he could not stop stealing “after losing the war against the devil.

Afifi said: But the Sheikh refused my request, saying he is not a ruler or in a decision-making position to take such a decision… he advised me to repent and seek God’s help... I then decided to cut my hands off.”

Describing his addiction as a "disease", Afifi began stealing lunches from friends as a child, before moving onto items in shops, mobile phones and gold jewellry.