Shirk (polytheism), murder and zina (adultery) are three great sins (akbar-ul-kabair). Human life is sacred and one cannot take any human life. This very subject comes as next hukm (commandment) in ayat 33 of Surah Bani Israil in detail.
We live in a society where we are supposed to respect and protect each other’s life and property. Human life is sacred. On getting closer to Surat Al-Maida ayat 32 we find the importance of this very fact which has been impressed as “…. that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind…”.
Secondly, here, “Do not kill any soul” includes not only prohibition of killing of others but also one’s own soul as well, for it is also included in the prohibition that immediately follows this command. Thus suicide is regarded as heinous a sin as murder. Every soul belongs to Allah, and we don’t have any right to destroy it or even to ill-treat it as this world is a place of trial, where we should undergo the test up to the end of our lives in accordance with the Will of Allah. It does not matter whether our circumstances are favourable or adverse for trial. Therefore, it would be wrong to run away from the place of test, not to speak of committing such a heinous crime as suicide. One who commits suicide tries to run away from small troubles and ignominies towards greater misery and everlasting suffering and ignominy.
There are four legal conditions under which human life could be taken, i.e., (1) some non-believer who has been declared as harbi with whom war has been declared, (2) a married Muslim who commits zina (adultery) then he is to be stoned to death, (3) if a Muslim murders some Muslim wilfully then the relatives of the murdered person may either forgive the murderer with or without taking any compensation or takes the murderer’s life (life for life), and (4) in an Islamic state a murtad (one who converts to another religion after accepting Islam). The Arabic word “sultan” means “the right of retribution”.
Under Islamic Shari’ah, in a case of murder, the real plaintiff is not the government but the guardian or the guardians of the murdered person who are authorised to pardon the murderer or receive blood-money instead of taking his life. There is no authority with the head of the State or the President to whom mercy appeal against a death sentence could be raised or they have the right to pardon like in most part of the world today – the whole right is with the heirs of the murdered person in Islam. On the one hand the guardian or the guardians of the murdered person has been given so much power but on the other hand this hukm also puts a check on them as it forbids “So he should not transgress the limits in retaliation” which may be in form of taking life of more than one person or to kill the murderer brutally or to kill him after receiving blood-money and so on. All these things have been forbidden.
Next hukm (commandment) is regarding yateem (orphans). “Do not go near the property of an orphan except in the best manner until he reaches the age of maturity. Keep your pledges, for you shall be accountable for your pledges”. Here again stress has been made: “Do not go near the property of an orphan” as was the case with the hukm related to zina which we have discussed in the last article. We are required to take care of them, protect their wealth, property, belongings, etc. until they are adolescent and reach the age of maturity. Rather we must not only be guardian but promoter of a yateem’s wealth and asset so that they grow lawfully and when they are matured they get more than what has been originally left by their parents.
The importance and accordingly our responsibility towards yateem in the society is very well reflected when the Prophet (may peace and blessing of Allah be to him) himself declared, “I am the guardian of the one who has no guardian”. We could do justice to this hukm concerning the yateem only when we have real iman in our heart otherwise we may deprive the orphan of his rights and expel him from his father’s inheritance or if an orphan comes to ask for help, we may repulse him instead of showing him any compassion, and if he still persists in his entreaties in the hope for mercy, we may drive him away out of sight.
As a matter of fact, as in other communities of the world, in Islam there is no concept of yateem khana (orphanage). It is out and out our responsibility to take care of them. However, we find yateem khana (orphanage) around us also – established and run by us – but it is more the outcome of influence of other communities/religions of the society.
The tenth hukm says: “Keep your pledges, for you shall be accountable for your pledges”. We will be held responsible for the promises, pledges or agreements that we make. This sort of ahkam comes repeatedly in the Qur’ān and we too have seen it on quite a few occasions in the previous articles as well.
The next hukm is regarding our day to day transactions in life. It relates to weight and measures. We are instructed: “Give full measure when you measure and weigh with even scales when you weigh. This is the best way and will prove to be the best in the end”. This hukm is not confined to individuals only but it must be a part of the duties of an Islamic state. “Its end will be best in this world and it will be best in the Hereafter.” It is best in this world because it produces mutual trust between sellers and buyers. As a result of this, commerce prospers and there is general prosperity. As regards the Hereafter, we all know that there the end depends wholly on honesty, piety and fear of Allah.