Punishments for various crimes stipulated in Shariah should not be taken as a revenge. They are, in fact, a mercy from Almighty Allah, Sheikh Abdulaziz Abdullah Al-Asheikh, grand mufti and chairman of the Board of Senior Ulema and Religious Research and Ifta Administration, said on Friday. Delivering his Friday sermon at Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh, the grand mufti stressed the keenness of Islam to cleanse the society from crime and ordeals. "Islam strives to safeguard the faith (aqeedah), lives, honor and minds by all possible means and it adopts a unique approach the like of which is not existent anywhere on the earth," Saudi Press Agency said. The approach of Islam in combating crime, he said, is based on two matters: Prevention by religious education and encouraging people to do good deeds and have virtuous conduct. He said the Qur'an and Sunnah urge Muslims to do good deeds and warn them against doing otherwise. Among the means for prevention is to warn people against bad deeds and the ensuing penalties. Talking about capital punishment, the grand mufti said Almighty Allah sanctioned death penalty on criminals so that people have peace of mind about their religion, properties and honor. Al-Asheikh quoted the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying that carrying out the Shariah penalty on the earth is better than having rain for 40 years. The wisdom behind implementing the hudood is to deter a Muslim from indulging in crime. Furthermore, the Shariah penalty leads to reforming the society and purifying it as well as protecting virtue. The hudood are a bounty from Allah for the people. Any society that carries out the Shariah penalties (hudood) will have security and peace of mind, he said. Al-Asheikh said some sections of the society criticize Shariah penalties as inhumane, depriving a person of his freedom and humiliating man and his dignity. He said such people view the criminal or murderer with mercy for doing an injustice, but they do not view the victim of this crime with mercy. He stressed that human rights in reality is what is prescribed by Shariah. The grand mufti said any one against deterrent punishments for various crimes is committing a grave sin and is following the path of falsehood. A Muslim ought to submit to the Shariah laws, he said.
