Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I had another question if you don`t mind asking. Does Islam justify things like cutting off the hand of a person that steals, or killing a woman that shows a part of her body such as an ankle, or is this just the extreme sects? I would really like to know, as I think the Quran is quite sensible in most of what it says.

Well thanks in advance for your answer,

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Answer:

Cutting hands theft

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Statement: ……as I think the Quran is quite sensible in most of what it says.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah Kahf verse 1-3:

All praise is for Allah Alone, Who has sent down this Book to His Servant (Mohamed (saws), and assigned nothing crooked to it. This Book says everything directly, so that he may warn the people of the severe chastisement of Allah and give good news to the believers, who do righteous deeds, that they will have an excellent reward.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 14 Surah Ibrahim verses 1-2:

This is a Book which We have sent down to you (O Prophet) that you may bring mankind, by the help of their Lord, out of the dark ways (of ignorance) into the Light (of knowledge), to the Way of that Lord, Who is All Powerful, and inherently All Praiseworthy, and the Owner of whatever is in the heavens and the earth.

Dear and beloved sister in humanity, the Glorious Quran are the Very Words Verbatim of the Lord Most Majestic Who Created everything that exists in the Universe. Every single Word, Command and Guidance laid down by the Lord Most High in His Glorious Quran is based on His Perfect and Absolute Knowledge and Wisdom; thus to say or believe that ‘most’ of what is said in the Glorious Quran is ‘sensible’ is a mass and gross understatement….the truth sister is that absolutely everything, and we reiterate, absolutely everything declared by the Lord Most Perfect, Most Majestic in His Glorious Book of Guidance is in accordance with wisdom, intelligence, common-sense, logic, and guidance.

Your Question: Does Islam justify things like cutting off the hand of a person that steals,

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verses 38-39:

38 As to the thief, male or female, cut off his or her hand: a punishment by way of example from Allah for their crime: and Allah is Exalted in Power.

39 But if the thief repents after his crime and amends his conduct, Allah turneth to him in forgiveness; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

Dear and beloved sister, such is the sanctity of every individuals life, property, and honor in the Sight of the Lord; that if someone is found guilty and convicted with due process in a court of law of violating these sacrosanct principles and basic rights of a human being, the Lord Creator has Commanded the righteous society to extract a severe punishment from such evil doers, so that the punishment may act as an example and a deterrent for the others who might entertain a similar thought of violating the sanctity of their fellow human being.

If one looks at the current state of affairs in the educated-modern-but-ignorant and un-Godly world, one will find that it is the honest citizen who most fears for his life, his honor and his property….and those dare-devils who have absolutely no qualms and are foremost in violating the sanctity of life, honor, and property of others do so in the sound knowledge that the laws these societies have invented just do not have the teeth to take them to account for their evil transgressions!

A person who steals even the life-savings of another knows that the absolute maximum the over-burdened courts of law can do is either fine him a puny amount, or throw him for a limited and insignificant time in the over-crowded jails….and that too if he is ever caught, and his case ever makes it to court and attains a conviction! In the mind of the evil-doer, the rewards of his theft far outweighs his risk!

But if the thief was to know that if the punishment the society was to extract from him was as severe as the losing of his hand, he would contemplate a million times before he even entertained the thought of violating the rights of another! Not only is the risk in such a situation far far greater than any reward the thief might envision, but such a law would definitely act as a deterrent for any other who might dare to entertain such a thought!

Your Qeustion: ……or killing a woman that shows a part of her body such as an ankle, or is this just the extreme sects?

We absolutely assure you sister that there is nothing of the sort prescribed in Shariah Law which allows the one to touch, leave alone kill a woman who chooses to expose a part of her body; for in this situation the woman would be doing a deed which would bring harm to herself alone and none else. It is only when one brings severe harm to or violates the sanctity of another in society where one finds that the laws of Shariah are seemingly severe, but in truth absolutely just!

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan