In sociology, the
basic principle is justice which is respecting other people’s rights. Everyone
realizes the importance and necessity of morality, but the problem is in
practicing it. In practice, the morality and gains are in conflict. The only
thing which encourages human beings towards morality is the faith. A person is
bound to the morality and justice to the extent he is bound with Allah (s.w.t.).
The more he is attached to Allah (s.w.t.), the more he is attached to morality
and justice. In Islam, morality and justice is directly linked to worship of Allah.
A guilty person
usually flees from justice. No one will voluntarily come forward and offer
himself for punishment. Faith only will make a person voluntarily seek justice
against himself. In the days of early Islam, many instances were seen when
guilty persons presented themselves for justice and punishment.
For every type of
sins the Islamic judicial system had prescribed punishments. But there is a condition that the
punishment is abandoned with the slightest degree of doubt. Possibly following
the Islamic Jurisprudence, the modern judicial systems also requires that a
person should be proven guilty beyond a trace of doubt for punishment.
In Islam, the
executive and judicial officers do not search the guilty person but rather it
is a beauty of Islam that it places an urge within a guilty person to come
forward and seek justice and ultimate punishment.
A man came to the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) and confessed
to have committed adultery. In such cases the confession must be repeated four
times to be credible. The Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) asked four times in separate
ways hoping to save the man, but he was determined to confess and confirmed his
crime and begged for punishment to be relieved from punishment in the
hereafter.
Similarly, a woman
came to the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s.) and said, “O Commander of
the Faithful, I am married and in the absence of my husband, I have committed
adultery and I am now pregnant. I wish to be purified from my sin.” Imam Ali
(a.s.) said, “One confession is not sufficient. It should be repeated four
times.” Then he said, “The punishment for adultery of a married woman is being
stoned to death. If you are given this punishment, what happens to the baby in
your womb? The baby has done no wrong and must not be stoned. Go away until your
baby is born.” After a few months, the woman came again with a baby in her arms
and asked to be purified as the baby was born. That was her second confession.
Imam Ali (a.s.) said, “We might stone you but this baby is not guilty. It needs
milk and a mother to nurse it. So, go away now since the baby needs you.” The
woman returned home reluctantly and after two years reappeared before the Imam
Ali (a.s.) and said, “Purify me now as the baby has been weaned and is growing
up.” Imam Ali (a.s.) said, “Go away, the child still needs a mother.” The woman
wept and said, “Oh God, I have confessed three times but the Imam has sent me
back three times and refuse to stone me. I cannot bear being polluted with sin.”
A hypocrite, Amr bin Harris
saw the woman and asked what the matter was. She explained what had happened
and the man said, “I will settle this. Give me the child and let me be his guardian.”
The woman was not aware that Imam Ali (a.s.) wanted her not to make the fourth
confession. They went back to Imam Ali (a.s.), and the woman asked to be
purified since the man had agreed to look after the child. Imam Ali (a.s.) felt
very uncomfortable that the matter reached a point where no alternative was
left for him but to order her to be punished.
Source: Condensed from “Spiritual Discourses” by Martyr
Murtadha Mutahari (r.a.)
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