Merits of Islam in Applying the Rulings for Felonies1- Carrying out the rules specified for some kinds of felonies prevents people from committing those felonies, therefore limits the numbers of felonies which is a way of protecting society and people's lives and their properties. It also expiates being punished for them on the Day of Judgment.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, with a group of his companions standing around him: “Come and give me your oath of allegiance, promising that you will not associate anything in worship with Allah, or steal, or commit zinaa (illegal sexual activity), or kill your children, or utter slander intentionally forging falsehood (by wrongfully attributing illegitimate children to husbands), or disobey me with regard to anything good (ma’roof). Whoever among you fulfils this oath, his reward will be due from Allah, and whoever commits any of these sins and is punished for it in this world, this will be an expiation for him. Whoever commits any of these sins and Allah conceals it for him, then his case rests with Allah – if He wills, He will punish him and if He wills, He will forgive him.” So they gave their oath of allegiance to him on that basis.
A Ghamidi woman came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asking him to carry out the punishment on her for adultry after she had repented, he said concerning her: “She has repented in a manner that if the people of Madeenah were to repent in this way, it would be sufficient for them.”
2- Apostasy is a kind of treason to the state which the person lives in, it threatens its stability and strength, therefore Islam calls for killing the apostate to protect Islamic societies, as all states execute traitors to death.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever changes his religion, execute him.”
Also the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “It is not permissible to shed the blood of a Muslim who bears witness that there is no god except Allah and that I am His Messenger, except in one of three cases: a soul for a soul (i.e., in the case of murder); a married man who commits adultery; and one who leaves his religion and splits form the jamaa’ah (main group of Muslims).”
3- Islam prohibits homicide, and considers killing an innocent person, a great sin, which requires a severe punishment, but the Holy Quran keeps the door open for the victim's family to choose between implementing the law, taking a ransom, or pardoning the criminal.
2: 178. O you who believe ! Al-Qisâs (the Law of Equality in punishment) is prescribed for you in case of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But if the killer is forgiven by the brother (or the relatives, etc.) of the killed against blood money, then adhering to it with fairness and payment of the blood money, to the heir should be made in fairness. This is an alleviation and a mercy from your Lord. So after this whoever transgresses the limits (i.e. kills the killer after taking the blood money), he shall have a painful torment.
The purpose behind the law is to protect people's lives, because when someone knows he will be executed if he killed someone, he will definitely refrain from doing the killing. 179. And there is (a saving of) life for you in Al-Qisâs (the Law of Equality in punishment), O men of understanding, that you may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious ).
It is not permissible to kill a no-Muslim who is not hostile or who has a legitimate peace treaty with the Muslims; rather treating a non-hostile non-Muslim with kindness is part of the Islamic religion, especially if that is done to call him to Islam and soften his heart (towards Islam).
2: 190. And fight in the Way of Allâh those who fight you, but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allâh likes not the transgressors. [This Verse is the first one that was revealed in connection with Jihâd, but it was supplemented by another.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.”
At times of war against the non-Muslims, it is not permissible for a Muslim to deliberately kill a non-Muslim child or woman who is not bearing arms against the Muslims or helping in the fight.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to the Muslim army: “Go out in the name of Allah and by the help of Allah, following the way of the Messenger of Allah. Do not kill any old man, infant, child or woman… spread goodness and do good, for Allah loves those who do good.”
This is suported by the advice which Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allah be pleased with him) gave to the commander of his army: “I advise you of ten things: do not kill a woman, or a child, or any old person, or cut down any fruit trees…”
Islam calls for treating non-Muslim captives in a kind way befitting for a human soul. It is also not permissible to mutilate corpses of the enemy. This is contrary to what we see on the media of the horrible atrocities committed by the evil Crusaders, Zionists and Seculars towards Muslims in every part of the world.
4- Drinking alcohol, and taking harmful drugs is forbidden. This is because intoxicants and drugs destroy the health, nerves, mind, reasoning, the digestive system, and other negative effects, which affect the entire body, and damages dignity and honor, as the personality becomes fragile. It also leads to the mistreatment of the wife and children, arguments, insults, repeated utterance of divorce, breaking of things, and not spending properly on the home. This naturally affects the society by the destruction of wealth with no positive return, which affects the man’s interests and leads to the failure to fulfill duties and loss of public trusts, whether that has to do with the interests of the state, institutions or individuals. This is in addition to the damage caused by criminal acts against people, property and honor.
5: 90. O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling, Al¬Ansâb , and Al¬Azlâm (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaitân's (Satan) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful.91. Shaitân (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allâh and from As-Salât (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Alcohol is the mother of all evils, the greatest of major sins. Whoever drinks it may end up committing incest with his mother, his maternal aunt and his paternal aunt.”
5- The thief is a corrupt element in society, who transgresses against property, which is not his, and causes great harm to the victim. If he is left unpunished, his corruption will spread and infect the body of the society, therefore Islam puts a strict ruling against thieves.
5: 38. Cut off (from the wrist joint) the (right) hand of the thief, male or female, as a recompense for that which they committed, a punishment by way of example from Allâh. And Allâh is All¬Powerful, All¬Wise.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “May Allah curse the thief who steals an egg and has his hand cut off, or steals a rope and has his hand cut off.”
If this ruling was applied in the societies which are ******* with man-made laws, and which have cast aside the law of Allah and replaced it with human laws, this would be the most beneficial treatment for this phenomenon, but the matter is as Allah says: 5:50 Do they then seek the judgment of (the days of) Ignorance? And who is better in judgment than Allah for a people who have firm Faith”
6- Acts which inflict harm on others, such as terrorizing people, circulating rumors which might cause trouble, selling drugs, purposely-spreading contagious diseases like AIDS, highwayman bandits are forbidden in Islam.
5: 33. The recompense of those who wage war against Allâh and His Messenger and do mischief in the land is only that they shall be killed or crucified or their hands and their feet be cut off on the opposite sides, or be exiled from the land. That is their disgrace in this world, and a great torment is theirs in the Hereafter.
7- Many kinds of corruptions occur as results of adultery, like the mixing of lineages, destruction of families, the spread of fatal diseases, injustice in distributing the inheritance and so on, that's why Islam forbids unlawful relationships and sets severe punishment for adulterers.
24: 2. The woman and the man guilty of illegal sexual intercourse, flog each of them with a hundred stripes. Let not pity withhold you in their case, in a punishment prescribed by Allâh, if you believe in Allâh and the Last Day. And let a party of the believers witness their punishment. (This punishment is for unmarried persons guilty of the above crime but if married persons commit it, the punishment is to stone them to death, according to Allâh's Law).
The Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: ‘Receive (teaching) from me, receive (teaching) from me. Allah has made another way for those (women). When an unmarried man commits adultery with an unmarried woman, (they should receive) one hundred lashes, and banishment for one year. In the case of a married male committing adultery with a married female, they should receive one hundred lashes and be stoned to death.’
8- The crime of homosexuality is one of the greatest of sins, the worst of acts, and the most abhorrent of deeds, and Allah punished those who did it in a way that He did not punish other nations. It is indicative of violation of the disposition, total misguidance, weak intellect and lack of religious commitment, and it is a sign of doom and deprivation of the mercy of Allah.
5: 81. ‘Verily, you practice your lusts on men instead of women. Nay, but you are a people transgressing beyond bounds (by committing great sins).’ 82. And the answer of his people was only that they said: ‘Drive them out of your town, these are indeed men who want to be pure (from sins)!’83. Then We saved him and his family, except his wife; she was of those who remained behind (in the torment).84. And We rained down on them a rain (of stones). Then see what was the end of the Mujrimoon (criminals, polytheists and sinners)”
15: 72 Verily, by your life (O Muhammad), in their wild intoxication, they were wandering blindly. 73. So As Saihah (torment — awful cry) overtook them at the time of sunrise.74. And We turned (the towns of Sodom in Palestine) upside down and rained down on them stones of baked clay.75. Surely, in this are signs for those who see (or understand or learn the lessons from the Signs of Allah).76. And verily, they (the cities) were right on the highroad (from Makkah to Syria, i.e. the place where the Dead Sea is now)”.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever you find doing the action of the people of Loot, execute the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.”.
Also the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “May Allah curse the one who does the action of the people of Loot, may Allah curse the one who does the action of the people of Loot,” three times.
Finally, I thank the Almighty Allah for making us Muslims.
Peace and blessings of Allah be on our Prophet