The lowest degree...

Allah Ta'ala has created Insaan free. Allah Ta'ala has revealed the Deen so that everyone can enjoy his freedom because Deen teaches everyone his rights and duties. People tend to seek their rights before fulfilling their duties. In addition to that, they seek their rights more than they deserve and on the other hand, they neglect their duties. This makes them deprive others of their rights. Thus, one must set things right so that no one makes the next person suffer.

For a person to be able to live freely and safely, he must feel safe in regards to his life, wealth and honour. Allah Ta'ala has set sanctions up to capital punishment for certain crimes to guarantee the safety of everyone in the society. It is not out of pleasure that the Islamic state applies such sanctions. It is like a surgeon who amputates a part from the body of a patient that can endanger his life. The patient does not allow it out of pleasure but just for the well-being of his body in general, he sees the need to have a part of himself severed. And for this, he deserves all appreciation and congratulation. And he will be criticised if he does not do it.

Before classifying a law as barbarous, it is necessary to know who established this law so that one avoids pretending to know better or to know that which one does not know.

Islam advocates death penalty for a person who took the life of another. But of course this is when it has been established with proofs and evidences that leave no doubt. Islam has its criteria to accept or reject a proof or evidence. But the essential is that Islam advocates such a punishment for a criminal. And Islam is a way of life governed by divine revelation in the form of Qur'aan-e-Karim and which has been exemplified by our Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam). Is there anyone more barbarous than the one who declares the divine law barbarous? Well, a civilised person is one who lives in the obedience of the Supreme Creator. On the other hand, the one who turns the back to that, stoops lower than the rank of animals. That is, a degree lower than barbarism.

 [English version of "La loi divine barbare ?" – Al Jamiat – Vol.6 No.2]