In the name of Allāh,
the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Peace and Blessings of Allāh on Mohammad.
DEDICATED TO
Allāh–the Glorious and the High,
Lord of the worlds
AND TO
Mohammad–who brought the world
to our feet and eternity to our arms.
Amputation/Dismemberment
The Qur’an was revealed over a period of twenty-three years; during this long period, unless he received Divine Revelation in the matter, the Prophet followed the teachings of the Bible, which requires death to the adulterer, the unchaste bride, the apostate the blasphemer and the homosexuals; which Biblical laws were annulled by subsequent Qur’anic revelations–(Qur’an 2:106; 16:101. See Muhammad Ali’s comm. His translation of the Qur’an can be viewed online: www.muslim.org). Prophet Mohammad taught according to the Qur’an–(Qur’an 10:15; 21:45; 46:9; 53:3-4).
(The Bible–Judaism and Christianity–also requires dismemberment: “When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets: Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her”–(Deut. 25:11-12).
Islamic dismemberment is said to be ineffective as a deterrent to theft. However, almost all societies imprison murderers and rapists and thieves and other criminals. Yet these imprisonments do not deter others from becoming murderers and rapists and thieves; nor does it, in some cases, deter criminals from repeat-ing their crimes. Must societies then refrain from incarcerating its criminals because incarceration is no deterrent to crimes? Most, if not all, secular laws imprison the thief, who may yet return to menace society. Islam puts an end to their thievery permanently.
Allāh, God, enjoins charity. Muslim society is to be charitable; and the hungry are to ask assistance so that there should be no need for theft because of hunger.
The punishment for theft is the cutting off of the hand of the thief–(Qur’an 5:38). Allah also says: “But whoever repents after his wrongdoing and reforms, Allah will turn to him (mercifully). Surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful”–(Qur’an 5:39. Also 5:33-34).
Cutting off of the hand is dependent upon whether theft was because of hunger, for profit, or mischief. In the case of hunger there is to be no cutting off of the hand. In the case of the latter two, compensation or restitution may be effected before apprehended by the law. Muhammad Ali states, “cutting off of the hand is the maximum punishment.”
Dismemberment is only for the incorrigible offender; and also on the value of the item. Further, using as precedent the case of the murderer who can be forgiven by his victim’s relations–(Qur’an 2:178; 4:92), thieves may also be forgiven by their victims. Thus the thief has two chances of being spared: by turning himself in and by coming to some terms with his victim.
Muhammad Ali has noted an incident whereby a slave was not dismembered because the slave’s master evidenced that he heard the Prophet say that “there was to be no cutting off of the hand in the case of theft of fruit”–(The Religion of Islam, p. 729).
Those who condemn this law of Islam should consider:
-if it is better for a man to dismember his “offensive” limb (as Christ says–Matt. 18:8) to preserve the health of his other parts, how much more appropriate it is that the cancer of society be excised to maintain the moral health of society
-what individual is there who would not amputate a limb of his body that is afflicted with cancer so as to prevent the cancer from infecting his or her entire body
-what law-abiding citizens, men and women are there, toiling honestly and tiringly for their livelihood would take kindly to thieves to come and plunder their belongings; how many such men and women are there who, after a day of toiling, would prefer to keep vigil at night against thieves, in sympathy for them, to spare their hands from being chopped off
-what honest person is there who would not like to sleep with windows open on sweltering summer nights, without having to fear about thieves and robbers coming into their homes.
It would seem to be “torture” to have victims and/or their family circles live with the mental torture of fear, dreading if or when the murderer, rapist, or thief might return to plague them.
Man is not more merciful than God!
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As noted above the Bible requires that a woman coming to the aid of her husband have her hand cut off: “When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets: Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her”–(Deut. 25:11-12).
While the Christian criticizes the Qur’an for “dismembering the person for “looting” what is not his, his Bible (and as Christians say Jesus is God then Jesus) decrees that his followers cut off the hand of the woman who grabs another mans genitals, even though she tries to help her husband from possibly being killed by his adversary.
So “Christian” ladies if your husband is about to be killed by his adversary/assailant and you have no other means of helping him but by “taking him by the secrets” you have the choice of letting him be killed or have your hand “cut off.”
(Though the choice might not be difficult if you want to collect insurance payoff, or to get out of a bad marriage seeing that only the man is allowed to put away his wife,1 or if you would like to remarry and not want to be labeled an “adulteress”:
“For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth….So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an ADULTERESS”–Romans 7:2-3).
The Bible (and as Christians say Jesus is God then Jesus) also requires that a thief not only lose his hand but lose his life as well: “If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that THIEF SHALL DIE”–Deut. 24:7).
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NOTES
1. Matthew 5:32, “He that putteth away his wife…” There is no mention of the woman being able to put away her husband.