الحُدود

LEGAL PUNISHMENTS*

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3– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Avert the punishments through uncertainties.’
[al-Faqih, v. 4, p. 74, no. 5146, Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 12972]

4– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Upholding one of the penal laws of Allah is superior to forty nights of rain on Allah’s land.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 14599, al-Kafi, v. 7, p. 174, no. 1]

5- The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘A penal law that is exercised on earth is purer than sixty years of worship.’
[Mustadrak al-Wasail, v. 18, p. 9, no. 21843]

6- Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘A woman who was honoured amongst her people was once brought to the Prophet (SAWA) charged with theft. He ordered her
[hand] to be cut. A group from the tribe of Quraysh came to the Prophet (SAWA) and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Must
[the hand of] a noble lady such as her be cut like that of so and so for such a small mistake?!’ He replied, ‘Yes! Indeed those before you perished because of such a deed. People used to uphold the punishments for the weak ones among them and exempt the strong and the noble ones of them, and therefore they perished.’
[Mustadrak al-Wasail, p. 7, no. 21834]

7– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Every man who stops the exercise of one of Allah’s punishments on himself by intercession
[of someone influential], will continue to be exposed to Allah’s anger until he ceases.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 43837]

8– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘There is no intercession, bail, or oath in a legal punishment.’
[al-Faqih, v. 4, p. 74, no. 5146]

9– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘There is no bail for any of Allah’s punishments.’
[Mustadrak al-Wasail, v. 13, p. 439, no. 15846]

10- Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, narrating on the authority of his father, from his forefathers, from the Prophet (SAWA) - ‘He prohibited the use of intercession against the punishments and that he (SAWA) said, ‘He who intercedes against one of Allah’s punishments in order to annul it, and tries to abolish His punishments will be chastised by Allah, most High, on the Day of Resurrection.’
[Mustadrak al-Wasail, v. 18, p. 24, no. 21901]

11– Imam al-Baqir (AS) narrated, saying, ‘Three people gave witness against a man for committing adultery. Then the Commander of the Faithful (AS) asked, ‘Where is the fourth
[witness]?’ They said, ‘He is arriving just now.’ The Commander of the Faithful said, ‘Punish them, for there is not even one hour of respite to be given in punishments.’
[al-Kafi, v. 7, p. 210, no. 4]

12- The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘On the Day of Resurrection a ruler will be brought forth who had inflicted one lash less than the punishment prescribed. He will plead, ‘O my Lord! I did it out of mercy for Your servants.’ He will be told, ‘Are you
[trying to be] more merciful to them than Me?’ Then he will be ordered into the Fire. Another man who had added one lash
[to the punishment] will be brought forth, and he will plead, ‘
[O Allah! I did it] to make them stop committing acts of disobedience to You.’ Then he too will be ordered into the Fire.’
[Mustadrak al-Wasail, v. 18, p. 37, no. 21948]

13– Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, ‘The Commander of the Faithful (AS) had ordered Qanbar to execute a man’s punishment. Qanbar was rough and beat him three more lashes. So Ali (AS) forfeited on his behalf by beating Qanbar three lashes.’
[al-Kafi, v. 7, p. 260, no. 1]

14– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Whoever commits a sin and then bears the punishment meted out for that particular sin, then that shall be his atonement.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, nos. 12964, 12966, 13366, 13367]

15– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘When Allah punishes a faithful servant in this world, He is too Bountiful and too Glorious to re-punish him
[for the same sin] on the Day of Resurrection.’
[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 12966]

16- When the Prophet (SAWA) stoned a man for adultery, a man said to his friend, ‘He died on the spot like a dog.’ So when the Prophet (SAWA) was passing with them by the carcass of a dead animal he told them to take a bite out of it. They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! May Allah bless you. How can we bite a carcass?!’ He replied, ‘What you have bitten from your brother is fouler than that.’
[Tanbih al-Khawatir, v. 1, p. 116]

17– `Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Layla narrated: ‘Once Ali punished a man who people then began abusing and cursing. So Ali said, ‘Now this man will not even be questioned with regard to his sin
[i.e. your abuse has expiated him of it].’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 14002]

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* The Arabic word ‘Hadd (pl. Hudud) is a word referring specifically to the punishments prescribed in Islamic law for various crimes. Lexically the word means ‘limit, boundary, border’, and refers to any such boundary. In Islamic law therefore, the same word applies to both the cause and the effect, where the transgression of Allah’s boundaries and overstepping of His limits (Hudud) necessitates the meting out of due legal punishments (Hudud) set out in the Islamic penal law. In this chapter therefore, both legal punishment and boundary or limit have been used to translate the same word depending on the individual context (ed.)