Treatment of Criminals and the Death Penalty
How Islam teaches that criminals should be treated fairly and humanely, the ideas of qisas and diya, and why Muslims and non-religious people disagree about the death penalty.
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Justice held with mercy 🕌
How should a criminal be treated, and is the **death penalty** ever right? These are hard questions, and Muslims do not all answer them the same way. Islam teaches **justice**, but also that Allah is the **Most Merciful**. This module looks at how criminals should be treated fairly, and at the very different views Muslims and non-religious people hold about the death penalty.
The key ideas 🔑
Four ideas shape this topic in Islam:
Match each idea 🔗
- Tawbah
- Qisas
- Diya
- Human rights
- Sincere repentance and turning back to Allah
- A punishment that fits the crime
- Compensation accepted instead of equal retribution
- The fair treatment and dignity owed to every person
Treating the accused 🎯
According to Islamic teaching, how should someone accused of a crime be treated?
- Given a fair trial and treated with dignity
- Punished at once without any trial
- Tortured to force a confession
- Ignored and left without any hearing
The death penalty: two sides ⚖️
Muslims disagree about capital punishment. Both sides use serious reasons.
Reasons against ✅
Select the TWO reasons someone might give AGAINST the death penalty.
- An innocent person could be wrongly executed
- It removes any chance for the offender to reform
- It gives a sense of justice for the victim
- It may deter others from serious crime
The place of mercy 🤲
A central Muslim belief is that Allah is the **Most Merciful**, and that **forgiveness** is highly valued (see Surah 64:14). This is why, even where retribution (**qisas**) might be allowed, the victim's family are encouraged to **forgive** and accept compensation (**diya**) instead. Many Muslims also apply **situation ethics**, weighing the circumstances of each case rather than following one fixed rule.
A just response to crime 🪜
An interactive activity.
Crime and mercy in words 🧱
Islam teaches that even someone accused of a crime should be given a _____ trial and treated with human _____. A criminal who is truly sorry can make _____, turning back to Allah. Muslims disagree about the _____: some accept it for the most serious crimes, while others believe _____ and forgiveness are the better path.
Fair or unfair? 🖍️
An interactive activity.
A non-religious view 💭
Many Humanists, who are non-religious, oppose the death penalty. Which reason best fits their view?
- It is inhumane and, if a mistake is made, cannot be reversed
- It should be used for every kind of crime
- It brings the criminal closer to God
- It is required by all religions
Weighing the views 🧭
An interactive activity.
Evaluate the statement ✍️
An interactive activity.