Islam's Approach to Death Penalty.edited (1)
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Islam's Approach to the Death Penalty
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Islam's Approach to Death Penalty
Islam is a religion, but the word Islam means peace, which leads to the idea that Islam
should not contain violence. However, many believe this is untrue and that Islam contains
violence, such as capital punishment for those who commit blasphemy and apostasy. Muslims
believe that although capital punishment is mandated by God, it should be reserved only for
extreme cases in which the suspect cannot be rehabilitated and thus poses a high risk of re-
offending. In other words, capital punishment should not be used as a standard practice but rather
as a last resort to prevent future harm. Some would argue that Islam supports capital punishment.
This essay aims to analyze Islam's approach to the death penalty as a social issue.
Islam provides various insights into the topic. Although the Quran does not mandate
capital punishment, it does specify death for Muslims who commit acts of blasphemy. The
various hadiths and commentaries provide further details about this; for example, whoever
commits an act of disobedience, either against himself or others, it is made clear that he did so
because of his faith in God Almighty. There is nothing to fear from killing him. But the Holy
Quran also warns that "Do not kill a soul which Allah has made sacred except through the due
process of law" (6:151) (Bhat, 2019). Thus, Islam supports the right to life by many means and
encourages us to save people’s lives: “And whoever saves a life it is as though he had saved the
lives of all mankind” (5:32) (Bhat, 2019). Violence should not be taken lightly when viewed in a
spiritual context. Whoever acts obedient should be treated with respect and allowed to continue
their lives. This further provides insight into capital punishment: when viewed as a social issue,
this framework helps explain why Islamic rules often view blasphemy as a large-scale offense
against society.
Islam's code provides a basis for addressing the death penalty issue. The Islamic Code of
law, or Sharia, aims to deal with capital punishment based on the interpretation of the Qu'ran.
Sharia's view is that capital punishment should not be viewed with a negative connotation but
rather as an 'end' to a social issue to maintain peace and prosperity. According to IslamFYI
(2017), Sharia teachings “commands believers throughout the Quran to be a community that
calls for what is good, urges what is right, and forbids what is wrong.” Although some may argue
that the Quran fails to justify capital punishment. However, the Quran goes beyond the
avoidance of rules and regulations by providing an ideological framework for resolving social
issues instead.
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Islam tradition brings special contributions to global responsibility that impact the
discussion around the death penalty. Because Islam provides a way to prevent social issues, such
as apostasy and blasphemy, it can help maintain international peace and security. Countries
incorporating Islam into their legal systems will maintain 'peace within one's self which will lead
to "peace with God.” Powell (2018) notes confirms this by looking at perspectives of various
religions regarding social justice and notes that "outside liberation theology, many religious
traditions embrace elements of social justice" (p. 13). Eventually, this will lead to peace in the
world. From a religious point of view, Islam provides the framework to understand why social
issues, such as apostasy and blasphemy, must be dealt with in the manner they are. Because
Islamic rules include aspects of divine and human law, establishing a coherent view of society is
possible. A consistent moral framework can lead to an understanding at a 'higher' level: that
presented by God in the form of the Qur'an (Hill, 2002). Although some will argue that an
individual's relationship with God is not affected by these rules set out in Sharia law.
I found some things surprising about my research. At first, I thought that capital
punishment was a violent act. However, after looking deeper into the topic and seeing the context
Islam brings to the topic, I saw that capital punishment was an act of peace. The goal of Islam is
to bring peace to all aspects of life, including justice. Even though capital punishment may be
just and necessary, the execution of this justice can only be done with God's guidance by the
Quran's teachings. From a global perspective, Islam is a religion that provides an ideological
framework that can bring peace to people around the world. In today's world, when many see no
sign of a peaceful resolution to social issues, Islam offers an alternative and peaceful way to
address this issue. The Quran addresses capital punishment through its moral lessons while
providing a place where people can reach peace and inner serenity.
In conclusion, Islam provides a way to prevent social issues such as the death penalty.
With its moral lessons and peaceful approach, Islam can encourage people to work together
while maintaining God's teachings. The Quran's guidance provides a peaceful solution to achieve
this goal through capital punishment. Capital punishment is something many societies have dealt
with over time, but there are always moral questions that arise when society decides to take life.
This essay has provided insight into Islam's approach to capital punishment as a social issue.
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References
Bhat, B. A. (2019). Social Justice in Islam and Human Rights.
The Communications
, p. 87.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339016328_Social_Justice_in_Islam_and_Hum
an_Rights
Hill, R.B., Knitter, P., & Madges, W. (2002). World Religions and Global Responsibility. In
Faith Religion and Theology: A Contemporary Introduction
. (pp. 219-249). Twenty Third
Publications.
IslamFYI. (2017).
The Social Justice Qur’an | IslamFYI: An Educational Resource on Islam for
the Public
. Retrieved 22 September 2022, from https://islamfyi.princeton.edu/the-social-
justice-quran/.
Powell, R. (2018). Social justice and Islamic jurisprudence.
Seattle J. Soc. Just.
, pp.
17
, 1.
https://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1820&context=faculty