Murder in Islamic Criminal Law
Though most people despise the thought of killing, Islam is the only faith that considers the murder of one innocent person to be the murder of all humans. Many believers and nonbelievers in today’s society recognize the inherent worth of all human beings. They, therefore, consider murder a high-level crime that requires severe punishment. Murder is treated more seriously in Islamic law than other crimes like theft or drinking alcohol.
However, this assertion under discussion is false due to the dissimilar nature of the punishment tools required for robbery and murder. More evidence of guilt is required when the maximum penalty is death or life in prison (Arafa, 2018). When compared to murder, stealing cases usually have far weaker evidence and far softer penalties. Other types of theft may result in probation, restitution, fines, or even jail time, even under criminal laws (Reichel, 2018). Because murder is a qisas offense under Sharia law, vengeance is sometimes required and always justified. This addresses human rights violations, which are prohibited under Sharia law, and satisfies people’s natural desire for vengeance. On the other hand, Hudud-related behaviors constitute not only such behaviors as “crimes against God” but also cause widespread distress (Arafa, 2018). Therefore, every type of criminal act is equally serious, with differences in the punishments and levels of evidence required.
Conclusively, murder is the ultimate sin, according to Islamic law, and punishments are based on the evidence presented. Human blood is very important in Islam, and murdering another human being is one of the most heinous crimes imaginable. All legal systems, including Islamic law, throughout human history, up to and including the present day, have recognized it as such. As a result, the assertion that Islamic law places less emphasis on the gravity of murder is inaccurate.
References
Arafa, M. A. (2018). Islamic criminal law: The divine criminal justice system between lacuna and possible routes.
Reichel, P. L. (2018). Comparative Criminal Justice Systems: A Topical Approach – 7th Edition. Pearson.