A Book for Judging among People
Crimes are like explosives that will destroy both their owner and other people if they are left alone and are not disposed of.
What can prevent crimes is the imposition of severe punishments on those who commit them. An important function of these punishments is to serve as a deterrent to others in society.
Crimes committed because of the two forces in man, lust and anger, are a great obstacle to the establishment of social justice.
Humans intrinsically love justice and God has also ordered them to uphold justice in society. That is why laws and punishments for those violating them are necessary in order to make it possible to uphold justice.
Imam Ali (AS) has introduced the Holy Quran as a book that contains some of these rules that help in upholding justice in society.
“(God has made the Quran) a final verdict of him who passes judgments.” (Sermon 198 of Nahj al-Balagha)
Ibn Haytham Bahrani writes in explanation of this sermon that the Holy Quran is the true verdict for one who passes judgments, that is, verdicts needed for judgments are there in the Quran and, therefore, the Holy Book is an arbiter that judges refer to and cannot judge outside of its verdict.
Of course, the Quran has clear rulings on things but these rulings also need interpretations and it is the Infallible Imams (AS) who can interpret the Quran.
Following are two examples of the punishments that the Quran introduces for crimes:
1- Punishment for theft and robbery
God says in Verse 38 of Surah Al-Ma’idah:
“As for the man or woman who is guilty of theft, recompense them by cutting off their hands for their crimes. That is the punishment from Allah. Allah is Mighty, Wise.”
It is necessary to note that such punishments are meted out only when certain conditions are met. For example, in the case of punishment for theft, it is carried out when the thief is mature and not insane.
The interesting point in this verse, according to Jalaudin al-Suyuti, is that the male thief is mentioned first because the number of male thieves is always higher than women who commit this crime.
2- Punishment for fornication
God says in Verse 2 of Surah An-Noor:
“You shall lash the fornicatress and the fornicator each with a hundred lashes. In the religion of Allah, let no tenderness for them seize you if you believe in Allah and the Last Day; and let their punishment be witnessed by a party of believers.”
The Holy Quran is the book of mercy and kindness and when it says there should be no false tenderness in punishing these people, it is because of the consequences that it would have. If there is no punishment for such people, they will be encouraged to repeat their wrongdoing. Also, if other people see the law is appeasing them, they will also start doing the improper action and as a result, the society will move toward deviation and destruction. So the Quran introduces rulings and laws based on logic and prudence and with the aim of correcting the society.
