The Quest of a Curious Muslim — Page 79
79 Furthermore, the Quran lays out certain rules when giving out punishments. One is that absolute justice should be the moral compass based on which punishments are given, as the Quran states: † ٰ ۤ َ هي K َ ﺎ ا 6 7 ِ ﻳ ۡ ﻦ َ ا ٰ ﻣ َ ﻨ ُ ﻮ ۡ ا ﻛ ُ ﻮ ۡ ﻧ ُ ﻮ ۡ ا ﻗ َ ﻮ ّ ٰ ﻣ ِ ني ۡ َ Q ِ ّ ٰ ِ ﺷ ُ ﻬ َ ﺪ َ ا ٓ ء َ ° ِ ﻟ ۡ ﻘ ِ ﺴ ۡ ﻂ ِ و َ ﻻ َ ا جي َ ۡ ﺮ ِ ﻣ َ ﻨ 7 مك ُ ۡ ﺷ ـ َ ﻨ َ ﺎ ٰ ن ُ ﻗ َ ﻮ ۡ م ٍ ﻋ َ ىل ٰ ٓ ا َ ﻻ 7 ﺗ َ ﻌ ۡ ﺪ ِ ﻟ ُ ﻮ ۡ ا ؕ ا ِ ﻋ ۡ ﺪ ِ ﻟ ُ ﻮ ۡ ا ﻫ ُ ﻮ َ ا َ ﻗ ۡ ﺮ َ ب ُ ا ﻟ ِ ﻠ ﺘ 7 ﻘ ۡ ﻮ ٰ ى و َ ا ﺗ 7 ﻘ ُ ﻮ ا ا Q ّ ٰ َ ؕ ا ِ ن 7 ا Q ّ ٰ َ ﺧ َ ﺒ ِ ري ۡ ٌ م ﺑ ِ ﻤ َ ﺎ ﺗ َ ﻌ ۡ ﻤ َ ﻠ ُ ﻮ ۡ ن َ ﴿ ۹ ﴾ That is, “O ye who believe! be steadfast in the cause of Allah, bearing witness in equity; and let not a people’s enmity incite you to act otherwise than with justice. Be always just, that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah. Surely, Allah is aware of what you do” (5:9). Second is the rule of thumb when deciding between punishing and forgiving any individual. The Quran says: