Hirabah

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Hirābah (Arabic: حرابة‎) is an Arabic word for “piracy”, or “unlawful warfare”. Hirabah comes from the root hariba, which means “to become angry and enraged”. The noun harb (حرب, pl. hurub حروب) means “war” and/or “enemy.”[1] One who commits hiraba would be a hirabi.

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[edit] Punishment for Hirabah

The Qur'an commands strict punishment for those who spread disorder in land.[2] As it is in the Qur'an:

“ The punishments of those who wage war against Allah and His Prophet and strive to spread disorder in the land are to execute them in an exemplary way or to crucify them or to amputate their hands and feet from opposite sides or to banish them from the land. Such is their disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom save those who repent before you overpower them; you should know that Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Ever Merciful. „

—Qur'an, [Qur'an 5:33]

According to these verses, the punishment for spreading disorder in land is:

  1. Taqtil (تقتيل:execution that serves a severe warning to others i.e. stoning)
  2. Taslib (تصليب:Crucifixion)
  3. Amputating limbs from opposite sides
  4. Nafi (نفى:Exile)

A Judge can give any of these punishments depending on the severity of the crime and condition of the criminal. These punishments can be prescribed for any crime that can threaten the society at large. Examples of these crimes are robbery (unlike theft which has a different punishment), rape, and terrorism.[2]

[edit] Relation with Jihad

Main article: Jihad

Hirabah has been suggested as a better description of Islamic terrorism than the often-used jihad. The argument is that jihad means a holy struggle. The meaning is broad, and can include personal, internal struggle to purify oneself as well as external struggle for justice.[1] To a Muslim, jihad can not, by definition, be a bad thing, and a jihadi cannot be anything but a hero. The result is that Westerners, by calling terrorists “jihadis”, are calling them “heroes”, and either displaying their ignorance of Islam or reinforcing the idea that terrorism is a legitimate holy struggle.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Crane, Robert D., “Hirabah versus Jihad”, IFRI.org, (Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc., 2006)
  2. ^ a b Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, Mizan, The Penal Law of Islam, Al-Mawrid

[edit] External links