[38.71] When your Lord said to the angels; Surely I am going to create a mortal from dust:

[38.72] So when I have made him complete and breathed into him of My spirit, then fall down making obeisance to him.

[38.73] And the angels did obeisance, all of them,

[38.74] But not Iblis: he was proud and he was one of the unbelievers.

[38.75] He said: O Iblis! what prevented you that you should do obeisance to him whom I created with My two hands? Are you proud or are you of the exalted ones?

[38.76] He said: I am better than he; Thou hast created me of fire, and him Thou didst create of dust.

[38.77] He said: Then get out of it, for surely you are driven  away:

[38.78] And surely My curse is on you to the day of judgment.

[38.79] He said: My Lord! then respite me to the day that they  are raised.

[38.80] He said: Surely you are of the respited ones,

[38.81] Till the period of the time made known.

[38.82] He said: Then by Thy Might I will surely make them live an evil life, all,

[38.83] Except Thy servants from among them, the purified ones.

Apr 8, 2012 -- 10:09AM, Iwantamotto wrote:

For this reason a devout thief would demand his hands to be chopped off while they are still here, to save his future life and remain on the straight track.

I agree.  While I'm less interested in the afterlife, I feel it is important to be mature and take responsibility, something my religion tends to gloss over quite a bit.

 Redeeming himself this way may be one way of saving his future life but there are others too. God is Merciful and Forgiving. Man created in His image and being His Caliph on earth also needs to be merciful and forgiving. Therefore, provision exists in Islam for a theif to be forgiven without his hands being cut off for the first crime of theft provided he repents and mends his way. Cutting hands is only an exemplary punishment for a persistent theif although I believe this law is applied quite rigidly in Saudi Arabia. But there again you can forget your purse on a bench in the city center and go back two hours later and be able to pick it up from there, can be expected only in Saudi Arabia or some other Arab countries. My daughter and son-in-law had left their one of the mobile phones at Dubai airport and realized this after getting to their hotel. They phoned the airport and were able to pick it up from airport much later.

Anyhow, here are a couple of verses that show that provision of mercy and forgiving does exist in the law and the punishment, therefore, cutting hands is only for persistent cases. It's purpose is to stop theft rather than cut hands.   

[5.38] And (as for) the man who steals and the woman who steals, cut off their hands as a punishment for what they have earned, an exemplary punishment from Allah; and Allah is  Mighty, Wise.

[5.39] But whoever repents after his iniquity and reforms (himself), then surely Allah will turn to him (mercifully); surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

[77.38] This is the day of decision: We have gathered you and those of yore.

[77.39] So if you have a plan, plan against Me (now).

[77.40] Woe on that day to the rejecters.

[77.41] Surely those who guard (against evil) shall be amid shades and fountains,

[77.42] And fruits such as they desire.

[77.43] Eat and drink pleasantly because of what you did.

[77.44] Surely thus do We reward the doers of good.

[77.45] Woe on that day to the rejecters.

[77.46] Eat and enjoy yourselves for a little; surely you are guilty.

[77.47] Woe on that day to the rejecters.

[77.48] And where it is said to them: Bow down, they do not bow down.

[77.49] Woe on that day to the rejecters.

[77.50] In what announcement, then, after it, will they believe?

[77.1] By the emissary winds, sent one after another (for men's benefit),

[77.2] By the raging hurricanes,

[77.3] Which scatter clouds to their destined places,

[77.4] Then separate them one from another,

[77.5] Then I swear by the angels who bring down the revelation,

[77.6] To clear or to warn.

[77.7] Most surely what you are threatened with must come to pass.

[77.8] So when the stars are made to lose their light,

[77.9] And when the heaven is rent asunder,

[77.10] And when the mountains are carried away as dust,

[77.11] And when the apostles are gathered at their appointed time. To what day is the doom fixed?

[77.13] To the day of decision.

[77.14] And what will make you comprehend what the day of decision is?

[77.15] Woe on that day to the rejecters.

[77.16] Did We not destroy the former generations?

[77.17] Then did We follow them up with later ones.

[77.18] Even thus shall We deal with the guilty.

[77.19] Woe on that day to the rejecters.

[77.20] Did We not create you from contemptible water?

[77.21] Then We placed it in a secure resting-place,

[77.22] Till an appointed term,

[77.23] So We proportion it-- how well are We at proportioning  (things).

[77.24] Woe on that day to the rejecters.

Thank you for your question.

Although the Prophet (pbuh) did go to Makkah (Mecca) in the later Meccan period for Haj (the only haj he had performed) and some verses were revealed during that time in Arafat (such as 5:3), he did not stay in Mecca but returned to Madina where he had passed away and was buried there. For this reason, only two periods are generally counted. Therefore, even the verse 5:3 is included in the Medinan period Surah. In other words, almost the entire Qur'an was revealed either in the first Meccan period or in Medinan (Yathrib) period. 

FYI, it is generally believed that the following Surahs (Chapters by numbers) were revealed in Mecca:

1, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 111, 112 113, 114.

The rest of the Surahs are Medinan.

I trust this answers your question.