Sharia law in Islam, Christianity and Judaism
الشريعة في الإسلام والنصرانية واليهودية باللغة الإنجليزية
written by
Ahmed Al-Amir
The Arabic text revised by
Dr. Abd Ar-Rahman bin Abd Al-Kareem Ash-Sheha
Translated by
European Islamic Research Center (EIRC)
& Zeina Al-Abadla
Revised by
Rigalos Konstantinos & Ahmed Al-Amir
www.islamland.com
Introduction
In the name of Allah, Ar-Rahmân (the Most Beneficent), Ar-Raheem (the Most Merciful)
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and his companions.
Humans are one of God’s creations in this vast universe; an integral part of it. They have a specific role, and if they abandon that role which was assigned to them by the Holy Books that were revealed to them, an imbalance will occur to this universe. This is obvious since when humans did what they were forbidden to do, quitted what they were ordered to do, and responded to their desires and lusts, corruption appeared in the earth and sky, diseases that had never been known or appeared before at the previous generations started to spread; Wars that caused the destruction of crops and posterity proliferated, let alone the environmental problems such as the environmental pollution and the issue of global warming, which will turn the earth into an uninhabited universe if it continues to be the way it is.
All of that results in the messing of humans, ranging from nuclear tests, to the waste of energy and to factories that produce more than the humans need, just in order to satisfy their lusts and fulfill their desires even if that happens on the account of humiliating their brothers and sisters in humanity. They want to satiate themselves even if that happens on the account of the starving of others, to wear clothes even if that happens on the account of others to be nude, to have fun even if that happens on the account of the death of others. God Almighty has spoken the truth:
“Evil (diseases, lack of rain and plants, imbalance in people's lives, etc.) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have done (by oppression and evil deeds), that He (Allâh) may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allâh, and begging His Pardon).”
(Ar-Rûm 30:41)
God has informed humans that they were not been created vainly, and that they will not be neglected (i.e. without being accounted). Allah said:
“Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us? * So Exalted is Allâh, the True King, none has the right to be worshipped but He, the Lord of the Supreme Throne!”
(Al-Mu’minûn 23:115)
He has also showed humans that the purpose of their presence in this universe, a generation after another, is that they worship Allah alone and not associate partners with Him. Allah, Glory be to Him, is Free from the need of their worship, but He tests them in order for them to have a chance to prove which of them is best in deeds. Allah said:
“And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone). * I seek not any provision from them (i.e. provision for themselves or for My creatures) nor do I ask that they should feed Me. * Verily, Allâh is Ar-Razzaq (the All-Provider), Owner of Power, Al-Mateen (the Most Strong).”
(Ad-Dhâriyât 51:56-58)
Allah has indicated the suitable energy their bodies will not live without, by saying:
“O you who believe! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you with, and be grateful to Allâh, if it is indeed He Whom you worship.”
(Al-Bâqarah 2:172)
He has also indicated the energy their souls will not live without, as they will not rest assured without faith and they will not relax without the worship of their Creator, nor will they settle without applying the Sharia of Allah. Allay says:
“Those who believed, and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allâh: verily, in the remembrance of Allâh do hearts find rest.”
(Ar-Ra‘d :28)
In order for humans to achieve servitude to Allah Alone, He sent them the Prophets in order for them to follow their example, and He sent along with them the books of Sharia in order to guide them, as a lamp that would light their way and direct them to goodness, warn them against evilness and regulate their life affairs in order for them to use their bodies and souls for what they were originally created to do.
Allah said:
“Mankind were one community and Allâh sent Prophets with glad tidings and warnings, and with them He sent down the Scripture in truth to judge between people in matters wherein they differed. And only those to whom (the Scripture) was given differed concerning it after clear proofs had come to them through hatred, one to another. Then Allâh by His Leave guided those who believed to the truth of that wherein they differed. And Allâh guides whom He wills to the Straight Path.”
(Al-Bâqarah 2:213)
The last Prophet was Muhammad, peace be upon him, whom Allah made the last of the prophets, and with whom He completed His religion and who came with a religion that includes a universal divine Sharia that is comprehensive and suitable for every time and place; one that regulates people’s lives and makes them happy in this life and the Hereafter. Happy will be the one who follows it, and miserable will be the one who abandons it. Allah Almighty said:
“Verily, this Qur’ân guides to that which is most just and right and gives glad tidings to the believers, who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a great reward (Paradise). * And that those who believe not in the Hereafter, for them We have prepared a painful torment (Hell). * And man invokes (Allâh) for evil as he invokes (Allâh) for good and man is ever hasty [i.e., if he is angry with somebody, he invokes (saying): "O Allâh! Curse him" and that one should not do, but one should be patient].”
(Al-Isrâ’ 17:9-11)
This clearly shows whom Allah guides and to what He guides them, so the Guidance includes endless nations and generations from every time and place. Ιt also includes every method and every path it guides them to, along with every good humans are guided to in every place and time. It guides to that which is most suitable in the world of conscience and feeling, by this simple and clear faith that has no complications or mysteries, that soothes the soul from the heaviness of illusion and superstition, and that liberates the human potentials for work and construction. It also connects the laws of the universe with the laws of human instinct for coordination, agreement and consistency. (Regularity and non-contradiction).
It also guides to that which is most suitable in the coordination between what is within man and what is in his appearance, his feelings and behavior, his faith and deeds, if they are all attached to the firm tie that is inseparable, then the man will look towards heaven while he is standing on earth, and the deeds will be considered as act of worship as long as the man does them according to the Islamic teachings, even if those deeds are an enjoyment of life.
It also guides to that which is most suitable in the world of worship by equalizing the commands and the ability, so that the commands would not burden a person beyond his ability or make him bored and despaired of fulfilling them, while they (the commands) should not be too lenient so that softness and recklessness would not be spread to one’s self. It should also not exceed the intent, moderation and tolerance limits.
Furthermore, it guides them to that which is most suitable in people’s relationships among each other: individuals and couples, governments and people, countries and races. Thus, it establishes these relationships based on firm principles (strong and fixed) that do not get affected by personal opinions or inclinations, and do not change depending on affection or hatred and loathing. Furthermore, they do not get distracted by interests or purposes. The principles that Allah Al-Khabîr (the All-Aware) and Al-‘Alîm (the All-Knowing) set for His creation, and He is the Best Knower of whom He created, and the Most Aware of what is best for them in every land and every generation, so He guides them to that which is most suitable concerning the regime, the financial system, the social system, and the international system that is decent for the human world.
It guides them to that which is most suitable in believing in the right creed, so they may know their real Creator and their real religion, giving good news to the believers that there is a great reward waiting for them in the Hereafter, and warning the unbelievers that there is a painful punishment waiting for them.
“Verily, this Qur’ân guides to that which is most just and right and gives glad tidings to the believers, who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a great reward (Paradise). * And that those who believe not in the Hereafter, for them We have prepared a painful torment (Hell).”
(Al-Isrâ’ 17:9-10)
Therefore, this is His authentic ruling on deeds and penalties. Thus, faith and good deeds are what evaluates one, as there is no faith without good deeds and no good deeds without faith. The former is truncated (sectioned) and it doesn’t reach its completeness, and the latter is baseless, it has no base or pillar, and with the two of them together life carries on what is more appropriate; with the two of them together, Guidance is realized by this Quran.
As for those who are not guided by the Quran, they are left to human desires; the rushing human who is ignorant of what is good for him and what is bad, the hasty who doesn’t control his emotions even when they are bad for him.
“And man invokes (Allâh) for evil as he invokes (Allâh) for good and man is ever hasty.”
(Al-Isrâ’ 17:11)
That is because he does not know the destinies of things nor their consequence. So he does an act while it is bad, and he rushes it without knowing that it is bad, or even knowing that, but he cannot control his emotions or himself. So how can this be compared with the quiet, peaceful fixed Quran guidance?
This is the Islamic Sharia which for its inclusion, internationality, righteousness, and ability to solve all the problems, has been testified by the fair people who are non-Muslims, and more specifically the Orientalists. They testified what is right when they told the truth, which they could not hide, and we are mentioning their words in order for them to be used as an argument against their people. Perhaps their words will find hearts that are free from hatred and dependency so they reach to the truth about this forgiving Sharia, and then they will be reassured.
William Montgomery Watt[1] says: "The fact that the Quran has references to the Arabs does not mean that Islam is not a universal trend, or has a universal nature, or that the Islamic message that was addressed from the beginning to the people of Mecca and Medina is not universal." He also says: “The Quran is winning acceptance despite its language because it addresses human issues.” Furthermore, he says: “Islam has proved itself, by action, to be independent from the two ancient religions (Judaism and Christianity), and we truly say: ‘it did exceed them or actually surpass them, and it is even more exquisite!’”
The Islamic Sharia is entirely different from all forms of law. It is unique; it consists of divine commands that regulate the lives of every Muslim in all aspects. This is our religion and this is our Sharia that we hope all people will choose and follow, because it has not been revealed but to guide them and as a mercy for them, and we cite the words of Allah to every non-Muslim who reads this book:
“If you turn away (from Islam), He will exchange you for some other people and they will not be your likes (i.e. disobedient).”
(Muhâmmad 47:38)
Dr. Abd Ar-Rahman bin Abd Al-Kareem Al-Sheha
Part I:
• Linguistic definition of the word “Sharia”
• Disinformation from the media at the word “Sharia”
• Objective of enacting laws
• Eternal law and the making of laws
1. Failure of man-made laws to eliminate crimes
2. Importance of the existence of divine law.
3. Man-made laws and the law of jungle
• Disorder of man-made laws and their instability
1. Euthanasia
2. Selling drugs
3. Death penalty
• The absurd sanctions in the man-made laws
The doctrine of human sacrifice in the human legislation.
• Crimes that were codified in the man-made laws
Part I:
Linguistic definition of Sharia
The word ‘Sharia’ in the Arabic language means a law, a way or an approach. The Sharia of the jungle is the law that represents the survival of the fittest. The Sharia of the church are the regulated laws for the church and its circumstances. Sharia of Hammurabi are the laws that enacted by Hammurabi, the king of the old Babel kingdom. The Sharia of the Pharaohs are the laws enacted by the ancient Egyptians to regulate their state affairs.
However, in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the word Sharia means the doctrines, rules, and laws God legislated for people in order to organize their worldly life affairs, guide them to the good paths and succeed in the Hereafter. Note that by the word Sharia of Judaism and Christianity, we mean the original Sharia God revealed on both of his prophets Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them, before people distorted it. These Sharias were replaced by the Islamic Sharia, which God protected from being changed or distorted.
Allah said:
“And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the Book (this Qur’ân) in truth, confirming the Scriptures (Books) that came before it and Muhaiminan (trustworthy in highness and a witness) over them (old Scriptures). So judge among them by what Allâh has revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging away from the truth that has come to you. To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way. If Allâh had willed, He would have made you one nation, but that (He) may test you in what He has given you; so compete in good deeds. The return of you (all) is to Allâh; then He will inform you about that in which you used to differ.”
(Al-Mâ’idah 5:48)
Disinformation from the media at the word “Sharia”
When translated to other languages, the word Sharia is translated to “law” which is its true and original meaning, but some Western media dedicated all of their efforts into ruining the picture of Islam and its tolerant Sharia by trying to deceit people and push them away from it, through altering the real meaning of the word ‘Islamic Sharia’. When reviewing some topics related to the Islamic Sharia, they don’t translate the word Sharia to the equivalent word in their language which is ‘law’, instead, they pronounce it as how it is pronounced in the Arabic Language, that is ‘Sharia’, and write it according to its phonemic transcription. Therefore, it is written in Latin letters, and spoken in the foreign language the same way it is pronounced in the Arabic Language.
SHARIA = LAW
SHARIA LAW = LAW LAW
Moreover, the reason why it is not translated as the ‘Islamic law’ is that the word ‘law’ refers to something that organizes and regulates people’s affairs. Accordingly, the misleading media tries to separate between the words ‘law’ and ‘Sharia’, and disassemble any connection between them, attempting to create an image in the mind of the listener that the word ‘Sharia’ represents customs of barbarism and savagery that can’t organize or regulate human affairs. On the other side, when they translate the Arabic phrase ‘Sharia of Moses’ for example, they translate it as the ‘laws of Moses’ and the ‘Sharia of the church’ they translate it as the ‘laws of the church’ and so on!
Furthermore, when doing a documentary work about the Islamic Sharia, they estrange their cameras from all the two billion Muslims around the world. They take their cameras in a long passing journey (cross, surpass, and pass) through oceans and continents until they reach Kandahar mountains where the poorest tribal groups live. These tribal groups are only a few thousands. They have nothing to feed on, and there is no chance of getting education, or even a chance of getting clean drinking water. Instead of filming their human suffering and encouraging people to offer their help, they incite people on them and represent them as the exclusive representative of Islam and their actions as what Islam is all about!
At the same time, they film Christians as a civilized nation with higher education and scientific progress attempting in this way to create a false image of how Muslims are undeveloped, stating that the reason for that under-development is the fact that they are following the teachings of the Islamic religion, and of how Christians are developed since they are following the teachings of their Christian religion!
The media forgot –deliberately- a very important issue, and this is that when one wants to make a comparison between the Muslim tribal groups who live in the Kandahar Mountains and any Christian group, then these tribal groups should be compared to the Christian tribes of gypsies that can be found all over Europe! Where many European countries have suffered from the attempts of trying to take these gypsies into houses due to the refusal of these tribes to be settled in one specific area, as they preferred to move from one place to another. These Christian tribes had suffered from major racism and a violation of many of their rights in their countries, and all of that violation has been ignored from the Media and they estrange their cameras away in order to hide all of this violation from the eyes of the world. If these Christian tribes were Muslims, then the Media would point their cameras on them to show what Islam is and that the teachings of the Islamic Sharia are what made them move from one place to another!
The same media forgot to film for us the Muslim scholars who live in Europe, America, Australia, Asia, and Africa; the scholars who lead many scientific, economic and political fields, in addition to the first Muslim scholars who lit the world with their knowledge in a period known in Europe as the middle ages or the dark ages, where all Europe was immersed in all aspects of scientific and cultural backwardness from the fourth to the fourteenth century. Where the church used to persecute everything that had to do with science or scientists.
The English Historian 'Edward Gibbon' described that era by saying:
"Thousand years of triumph of barbarism and religion."[2]
The objective of enacting laws
The only objective of enacting laws and writing constitutions is to regulate people’s affairs whether they are social, economic or political etc. In addition to defining the individual’s rights and duties in the society, both towards themselves and towards the others, it focuses on defining the individual’s freedom and its limits as well, as the freedom of every individual is restricted, because it stops and ends at the other people’s rights. In other words, this means that we should not let the individual’s freedom violate others’ rights, otherwise there will be a violation. Therefore, every law sets disciplinary and punitive sanctions for every violator who violated any of the other’s rights.
According to the above, the measure of success or failure of any law depends on its ability to achieve the objective mentioned earlier, and on its containing of sanctions that guarantee its enforcement and the punishment of the violator, taking into consideration that the aim of sanctions should not be to hurt the culpable, but to achieve the following:
1. Correcting the mistake:
Just like in the compensatory sanctions, by paying a financial compensation or a financial penalty to the harmed person.
2. Guiding the culpable:
Rehabilitate him to be a better person who is welcomed in society.
3. Deter the culpable:
From committing the crime that he intends to do before he doing it, through the warning of punishment, or deterring him from committing his crime once again.
4. Deterring others:
From following the example of the culpable at his crime, after seeing the punishment he faced.
Eternal law and the making of laws.
Failure of man-made laws in the elimination of crime.
In our contemporary world, we often see many legal institutions, judicial commissions, faculty of laws, local and international parliaments, and consultative councils. Furthermore, we see armies of men of law from lawyers, judges, constitutional jurists, international arbitrators and others. Moreover, we see armies of police officers, and millions of prisoners and detainees. We also see many attempts to make laws that fulfill the objectives mentioned earlier, so were we able to make that law that could achieve the prevention of violating other’s rights?!! Or are we still living in a world where lots of countries are filled with crime?!! In other words, did the man-made laws succeed in providing a safe world or in eliminating the crimes and problems that are increasing day after day? Therefore, the world is in a persistent need for a law that can achieve the objectives mentioned earlier!!
The importance of the existence of divine law
Long time ago, there were not any legal institutions, judicial commissions, or supervisory entities to make and apply a law to regulate people’s matters! Therefore, either Allah (God) would reveal a divine law to regulate the human lives that do not require legislators to improve it or develop it, or the law of jungle would prevail and the strong would eat the weak.
Therefore, it was out of His Fairness and Mercy to reveal a fixed Sharia (law) to them whose fundamentals and fairness are constant and do not change with the change of time or place. For example, a crime is a crime, it will never be a virtue, the right is right, it will never be void, and everyone is equal in front of the laws of the Sharia. As for its rules, they were renewed from time to time through the prophets that Allah (God) sent to guide the people and show them Allah’s Sharia that regulated their lives. Like in the case of Jews after they lost and distorted the rules of their Sharia, Allah sent His prophet Jesus, peace be upon him, to renew these rules, and after the Christians lost and distorted their rules, Allah concluded His divine Sharia with Muhammad’s (ﷺ) message. Therefore, He sent with him a Sharia, which is valid for every time and place, and cannot be changed or replaced throughout the ages, as it is the final Sharia. Allah says:
“Then We have put you (O Muhammad) on a (plain) way of (Our) commandment [like the one which We commanded Our Messengers before you (i.e. legal ways and laws of the Islâmic Monotheism)]. So follow you that (Islâmic Monotheism and its laws), and follow not the desires of those who know not.”
(Al-Jâthiyah 45:18)
From that, we can clearly see the arbitrage of Sharia as to the types of sanctions in relation to the types of crimes. Therefore, it based the severity of the punishment on the severity of the crime and its danger on society. A Sharia that is not subjected to whims and courtesies and that equates between all criminals, so it doesn’t exempt any person from the punishment due to his social status, power and authority or wealth. That is clear in the saying of the Prophet (ﷺ):
“Indeed what destroyed the people before you, was just that when a person of high rank among them committed a theft, they spared him; but if the same crime was done by a poor person they inflicted the prescribed punishment on him. I swear by Allah that if Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad should steal, I would have her hand cut off.”
(Al-Bukhâri)
The man-made laws and the law of jungle:
In reality, many man-made laws in our present time are simply another facet of the law of jungle, and that is because many of the elites (elected) in some of the parliaments and many of the chartered lawmakers are corrupt, with ambitions of power and money. Therefore, they enact laws that appear to be good from the outside, but from the inside all they want is to achieve their interests and serve their goals by exploiting the rest of the people, mainly the poor ones! For that, Allah revealed to us a wise and fair law that does not differentiate between the ruler and the ruled, the rich and the poor, the black and the white, nor among social classes. It is the law of justice that is far from whims, injustice and greed! Allah says:
“Do they then seek the judgement of (the days of) Ignorance? And who is better in judgement than Allâh for a people who have firm Faith.”
(Al-Mâ’idah 5:50)
The disorder of man-made laws and their instability
The spectator of the history of law making and constitution writing finds that man-made laws are ever changing, and that there is no law that could stay unchanged for a long period. For example, something that was considered a crime at a certain period, in another it became a virtue, and vice versa. Another example, in 1850 and 1920, the swimsuits for women in USA was a long robe that covered the entire body, and if a woman back then wore what she wears nowadays, she would have been arrested and punished.
Just as the law changes over time, it also changes over place. For instance, in the European Union countries, the laws of each country within the Union differ from the others. Even in the United States, the laws are different in each state, and from this, it is clear that laws are subjected to the wishes and whims of politicians who impose them on people. Some examples are:
Euthanasia:
Which is self-murder by the help of another person, and it is divided in three categories:
1. Voluntary euthanasia: It is completed with the approval of the patient. It is legal in some European countries and in some American states.
2. Involuntary euthanasia: It is completed without the approval of the patient, just like the euthanasia of children that is allowed in certain circumstances in Holland according to Groningen Protocol[3].
3. Forced murder: Against the patient’s will.
The bottom-line is that there are supporters and opponents of euthanasia, and each group has their arguments and reasons which they believe in. In some countries it is considered legal while in others it is considered a crime.
There have been registered cases of premeditated murder, like the case of Dr. Nigel Cox, who injected his patient ‘Lillian Boyes’ with a lethal dose of potassium chloride causing her heart to stop. He claimed in his defense that he was trying to ease her rheumatic pains. At the court he was sentenced with one year suspended, and a year later, he obtained his license to practice medicine again as if nothing has happened.
Selling drugs:
Few European countries have made the selling and usage of drugs legal on conditions and certain amounts, while in other European countries it is completely forbidden to sell or use drugs. What is strange is that one of those countries has made it legal for its citizens only to use drugs, while it made it forbidden for the visitors like tourists and others to use drugs, with the purpose of eliminating “drug tourism” in its territory. This decision was refused by many cafe owners who sell drugs stating that it will ruin their trade and income.
Death penalty:
Some European countries and American states forbid death penalty, whereas others are still legislating and applying it!
So: where is the fixed scale upon which we can measure and know what is a crime and what is integrity?! And what is good and what is bad?!
Summary: sensible people agree that right is fixed and cannot be changed over time or place, likewise with manners, virtues, vices and sins; they are all fixed and cannot be changed. As a virtue would never become a vice and a vice would never become a virtue!
Absurdity of sanctions in man-made laws:
Looking at some legislations and sanctions that were enacted throughout the ages such as the old Pharaonic, Chinese, Indian, Greek, Roman civilizations, or even the African tribes and the Indigenous’ legislations, we find that they were absurd. For example, the death penalty was given for very simple reasons, let alone the fact that the way of torturing the convict was done creatively. Sometimes, he was beheaded with the guillotine like what happened to the king of France, Louis XVI in 1793, and other times he was beheaded with an ax, and then his body was chopped into four parts like what happened to Sir Thomas Armstrong in 1684 in the United Kingdom[4]. In other cases, they would remove the convict’s intestines and cut his limps while he was still alive, then they would remove his heart from his chest and cut his head off like what happened to Balthasar Gérard in 1584 in Holland[5]. At times, the convict was slaughtered with a knife, other times by being crucified on a tree and burned alive like what used to happen in the Spanish and Portuguese inquisitions under the supervision of priests. Other times execution was achieved by throwing one alive to hungry lions in the Roman stadium, others by putting him alive in Hitler’s ovens, some other times by impalement (putting him on a stake or a spear), or by the electric chair like what happened to Lynda Lyon Block in 2002 in the United States of America. And sometimes by drowning like what happened to the supporters of the French revolution in 1793 France[6], or by crushing the convict’s head with a hammer or by putting heavy rocks on his chest like what happened to Giles Corey in 1692 in the United States of America[7], or by throwing one in boiled oil like what happened to Richard Rice in 1531 in the United Kingdom, and sometimes by suffocating him in the gas chamber, and other times by burring him alive like what happened to the Chinese civilians by the Japanese soldiers in Nanking Massacre during the Second World War. At other times execution was done by sawing the body from up till down, other times by hanging, then slaughtering and then cutting the convict’s head off with a knife like what happened to Jeremiah Brandreth in 1817, other times by dismemberment by fasting his 4 limbs with 4 horses each one of which grabbed and pulled one limb until his body been torn in 4 parts like what happened to Túpac Amaru II in 1781 in Peru by the Spanish colonialists, other times by slow slicing the convict like what happened to Joseph Marchand in 1835 in Vietnam, other times by shooting in the head, and by many more other horrid and absurd methods that got creative in torturing those sentenced to death during their execution according to man-made laws!
Therefore, the divine legislation is a legislation of mercy that doesn’t provide absurd punishments, and doesn’t leave us as a palatable bite to the whims and messes of the lawmakers or the governors and their absurd judgments. Even in relation to animals, the Islamic Sharia mentioned that we should be merciful and compassionate with them even when slaughtering them in order to eat them. As the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said:
“Verily Allah has prescribed Ihsan (kindness) for everything. So when you kill, you must make the killing in the best manner; when you slaughter (an animal), make your slaughter in the best manner. Let one of you sharpen his knife and give ease to his animal (in order to reduce his pain).”
(Muslim)
The doctrine of human sacrifice in human legislation:
The people of Central America used to practice the doctrines of human sacrifice in the Aztec Empire, which continued to rule from the fourteenth century until the sixteenth century. It ruled the region that is today known as the state of Mexico, where the priests used to bring the victim and put him on a big rock. The priest would then gash the victim’s chest while he was alive, take off his heart while it was still pulsing, lifting it towards the sun to placate the god of sun named ‘Huitzilopochtli’ -Allah forbid- or to placate the god of rain named ‘Tlaloc’, or to placate the god of fire named ‘Huehueteotl,’ by making a religious festival during which they threw the victim alive into the fire and before he died they pulled him out of it, gash his chest and take off his heart.
One of the superstitions of that empire was that a god named ‘Xipe Totec’ had removed his skin in order to give humans the corn corp. Therefore, he asked the humans to give him a human skin to dress with instead of his skin that he had given to them. For that reason, the priests used to honor that god by stripping the victim’s skin off while he was alive so that they (i.e. the priests) would wear the skin of the victim for twenty days and after that they would throw it to the fire!
In Africa, there were similar examples, like the Annual Customs of Dahomey, which are known today by the republic of Benin in West Africa. They used to bring the captives and prisoners of war and slaughter them as part of the ceremony for this annual celebration, and in case the king died, they slaughtered thousands of prisoners, as in the year 1727 when they slaughtered 4.000 captives in just one day!
Furthermore, in the civilization of ancient China, slaves used to be buried alive when their master died, as in the year 621, when the ruler ‘Mu’ of Qin district died, and 177 of his slaves were buried alive with him.
In the twelfth century, the prisoners of war used to be sacrificed and presented as an offering for the god of slaves ‘Perun’ in the Slavic culture.
In the East Asia countries, where Buddhism is being spread, we can see recent images, ugly ones. As on the Chinese New Year, some Buddhists take a girl after asking the permission of her parents, they wash her and clean her up and then tie her hands from behind and stab her with a knife in her neck just like they would stab a pig. Then they put a bowl under her neck so the blood won’t come out of it. At last, they cut her body into pieces and give it to the poor people.
This is only a summary of those absurd legislations and beliefs that a sane mind cannot acknowledge.
Almost no civilization or country has been spared from those criminal legislations like the human sacrifice doctrine to placate a god with human blood. For those who want to read and seek more information, they can look into the history of the human sacrifice doctrine around the world to see how it was spread in America, Europe, Australia, Africa and Asia! Moreover, the Old Testament mentioned this habit and heinous crime and criticized it for its enormity, and made death by stoning its punishment, where the Canaanites used to offer their children as sacrifices to the god Molech, as it was reported in the book of Leviticus: (20:1-2):
(1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.)
That was a habit for the Canaanites, to offer their children to the god Molech -Allah forbid-.
For this, it is a mercy from the Almighty Allah to His creation to reveal a divine Sharia that fights and confronts all of the absurd legislations that were founded in order to humiliate humans and sacrifice them, and they were practiced around the world! Allah says:
“Say (O Muhammad): "Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and dutiful to your parents; kill not your children because of poverty - We provide sustenance for you and for them; come not near to Al-Fawâhish (shameful sins, illegal sexual intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly; and kill not anyone whom Allâh has forbidden, except for a just cause (according to Islâmic law). This He has commanded you that you may understand.”
(Al-An‘âm 6:151)
Allah the Almighty has spoken the truth about His Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, whom He sent with the religion of truth that includes everything that regulates the human conditions in this life and the Hereafter, and happy is the one who believes in Him and follows His Sharia:
“And We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as a mercy for the ‘Âlamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists).”
(Al-Anbiyâ’ 21:107)
Ibn Abbas, said:
“Allah sent His Messenger ((ﷺ as a mercy to the whole world, to the believers and the disbelievers. As for the believer, Allah guided him through the Prophet ((ﷺ and entered him in the Paradise because he believed in the Prophet ((ﷺ and acted according to the Islamic Sharia which was revealed to the Prophet ((ﷺ from Allah. As for the disbeliever, Allah through the mission of the Prophet ((ﷺ, gave him a postponement of his punishment, giving him other opportunities to return to the straight path, and while before the coming of the Prophet ((ﷺ, the punishment of the unbelievers who denied their Prophet’s was immediate.”
Allah sent him to the whole world in order to call it to the worship of Allah alone without any partners, to annihilate and invalidate all the polytheistic habits and the absurd laws and barbaric traditions.
Crimes that were codified and legalized in the man-made laws:
There are a lot of crimes or actions that are almost crimes, legalized and codified in some of the man-made laws, such as: the abortion and the killing of the fetus! For those who do not know how a fetus is killed, they can look it up on the internet through abortions that are performed by senior specialized doctors along with the help of nurses who should supposedly be merciful towards the patient!
The astonishing thing is that this heinous crime is completed after the mother submits the application to the doctor by herself or along with the father in order to kill their own fetus!
And this happens for trivial reasons that show the level the human decadence has reached for not being ready to welcome the child because of their desire to enjoy traveling and freedom for a further period before indulging in the obligations and responsibilities of taking care of an infant baby, or because of other financial or social barriers!
This is widespread in many developed countries, but it is even worse in some of the poor countries of Asia and Africa, especially if the fetus is a girl, since she is considered to be an economic burden for the family, unlike a boy, who, in their opinion, constitutes a constructive and productive element of the family. Therefore, he carries some of the burden of his father and helps him in providing financial resources for the family. We saw pictures of fathers in some of the poor countries of East Asia killing their daughters alive just as the disbelievers of Makkah used to do before Islam. Allah the Almighty told their story of this heinous act and crime:
‘And when the news of (the birth of) a female (child) is brought to any of them, his face becomes dark, and he is filled with inward grief! * He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that whereof he has been informed. Shall he keep her with dishonor or bury her in the earth? Certainly, evil is their decision.’
(An-Nahl 16:58-59)
This crime was codified in some old laws like the Roman law, whose IV table stated: “A dreadfully deformed child shall be quickly killed”. We note that this crime was as well widespread in the ancient Greek civilization, where the mother used to show the baby to the father after its birth, and if he accepted the baby then it would live, if not then the baby would be killed. One of the Roman papyrus which was discovered in the city of Bahnasa (previously known as ‘Oxyrhynchus’) in the Minya governorate in Egypt also indicated this, and it showed the development of that habit among the Romans, since that papyrus contained a speech from a husband to his wife that said in it: “if the newborn is a boy let him live, and if it is a girl kill her.”
As for the Islamic Sharia, it is a Sharia of kindness and mercy, as that heinous crime was prohibited. The Messenger of Allah ((ﷺ said:
“Allah has forbidden you: disobedience to your mothers, to bury your daughters alive (female infanticide), and to withhold (what you should give), or demand (what you do not deserve). And Allah dislikes idle talk, to ask too many questions (for things which will be of no benefit to one), and to waste your wealth.”
(Al-Bukhâri and Muslim)
It also mentioned the fetus’s rights while it is still in its mother’s womb. What is most important out of these rights is the right to live! Allah Almighty said:
“Kill not your children because of poverty - We provide sustenance for you and for them”
(Al-An‘âm 6:151)
Also, it cancelled all forms of discrimination and distinctiveness when dealing with male and female children, as the Messenger of Allah ((ﷺ said:
“Act equally between your children; Act equally between your children; Act equally between your children.”
(As-Silsilah As-Sahîha)
Part II
The Islamic Sharia, the punishments and purposes of Islamic Sharia
• The Islamic Sharia
• Purposes of Islamic Sharia
1. Protecting the religion.
2. Protecting the self.
3. Protecting the mind.
4. Protecting the money.
5. Protecting the offspring.
• Hudûd (Punishments) in the Islamic Sharia.
• Demand of applying the Islamic Sharia to the non-Muslim countries.
1. Sharia courts in the non-Muslim countries.
2. Should the non-Muslim countries be required to apply the Islamic Sharia?
