Islam takes this difference into full consideration, and, therefore, it
talksaboutcapitalpunishmentontwodifferentlevels:legalandmoral.
Onthelegallevel,itsanctionstheprincipleofjusticebygivingtheright
ofretaliationtothevictim.But,immediately,theQur'ānmovesontothe
morallevelandstronglyrecommendsthevictimtoforgohisrightofre-
taliationandeithertoforgivethecriminalortosettleformonetarycom-
pensation.Thisissuehasbeen clearlymentionedinthefollowingverse
of the Qur'ān:
Init(theTorah),Wewrotetothem:“Alifeforalife,aneyeforaneye,
anoseforanose,anearforanear,atoothforatooth,andthereisretali-
ationforwounds.”But(beforeyouactaccordingtoyourright,remem-
berthat)whosoeverforgoes(hisrightofretaliation),itshallbeexpiation
for him (against his own sins). (5:45)
ThusIslamhasverybeautifullyprovidedthe legalsafeguardforhu-
manlife on the social level and also encouraged mercyfrom a moral
pointofview ontheindividuallevel. Ifhumanbeings areleftontheir
ownin thisissue,theywillalways swingbetweenthetwoextremesof
justiceandmercy—onlyIslam,the finalversionofGod-madelegalsys-
tem can accommodate both these principles.
* * *This lesson is based onAn Introduction to the Sharī‘aby Sayyid M. Rizvi