The Quest of a Curious Muslim — Page 77

77 the Islamic punishment designated to theft cannot be applied. The person in this situation did not steal to acquire worldly appreciation or to gain an unfair advantage over others; they stole in order to survive during a time of difficulty. In order for a punishment to be appropriately administered, it must first be proven that a deliberate effort was made to commit that crime. However, taking the example of the same crime, if a theft or robbery is committed with the sole intention of selfish greed, it would be deemed a punishable crime. This is because, despite the many blessings they have been granted, their unjustified actions prove that they deliberately chose to do something that would cause the displeasure of God, harm to another individual or individuals, and fear in the society at large. Every time a severe punishment is administered, it serves as an example of the moral boundaries that Islam has established and emphasizes why we must refrain from engaging in deviant conduct. The question then is: How are such severe punishments to be meted out? Are they given out randomly? Are they given out in each situation