by Gulrukh Tausif

Created on: March 07, 2008   Last Updated: March 10, 2008

Are Islamic punishments harsh or just?

I am not an Islamic scholar and can only present the perspective of an ordinary Muslim woman in this debate with my limited knowledge.

To answer the question whether Islamic punishments are harsh or just I must first ask myself: What are the things that I hold dear in life? My faith, my life, reason and chastity, my family and let's admit it, my material wealth, property and belongings.

The objective of all Islamic laws is the protection of these same things against transgression, homicide (murder, suicide, and abortion), intoxicants (alcohol, drugs, gambling etc.), illicit physical relationships (adultery, rape etc.), theft (break in, corruption and fraud) and highway robbery (theft at knife/gunpoint causing bodily harm).

Islam considers any such crime an act of injustice towards an individual and the society as a whole and transgression against Allah's commandments. Punishment alone cannot atone for the sin nor erase its effects. Only true repentance can make Allah forgive the transgressor but he still has to pay for the crime committed against fellow human beings.

Ask any bereaved family. Can putting a murderer behind bars for twenty, thirty even seventy years bring back your beloved? Does revoking the license of a person guilty of DUI restore the mobility of a victim paralyzed by this act of recklessness? Can a woman ever erase the horror of rape or overcome the anguish of her husband's adultery?

There can be some consolation if the culprits are caught and brought to justice but does the fear really ever go away? What are the chances that it will never happen again? The tragic truth is that in the world that is today perceived as modern, civilized and free,' the odds of living a safe, crime free life are virtually non existent and this is because people do not FEAR the consequences of their actions.

In any society, punishment plays an integral role in the concept of justice. We all know that if we commit a crime, we will be subject to punishment in some way or another. This is only fair. As human beings we are responsible for the choices we make and the things we do. This is because we are created with the freedom of choice and granted the moral sense of right and wrong.

However punishments in Islam are more of a functional nature and the main aim is to DETER crime. In Islam every person has a set of mutual rights and obligations towards rest of the mankind. At the same time, Allah has also laid down certain bounds and limits

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