Emin Petrovac

Olberg
9-24-13
B5 English 11
Does Islam Support the Death Penalty?
I believe that certain religions practice different ways of using the death penalty and
Islam is one of them. In this research paper I will use facts about why the death penalty in Islam
is used and why they believe it is necessary to use. I will be giving my opinion why I think that it
is necessary supporting Islam reasons why it is. In Islam they say there are only two cases where
the death penalty should be used. First is where if a person is physically harmed the individual
has the right to harm the other person to the same extent as self-defense. Second reason is only if
the person has administrated guilty of crimes. I will also mention the killing of the state of the
islams.
The first reason I have supporting why Islams injunction believes its a pro. It comes in
two cases in the Quran where the first case applies only to murder. First if a person is physically
harmed by another person, Islam says that you have the right to harm that person to the same
extent of which they hurt you. So which means the criminal is to be killed or harmed as the same
way that the victim was injured. They believe this is fair because its retribution for the family
and for the loved ones. It may not be right but it does prove a logical point.
The second reason I have supporting why Islams injunction believes its a pro. In the
second case in the Quran the second case applies to crimes committed against the community
which may include treason, apostasy, terrorism, piracy, rape, adultery and homosexual activity.

This is a good support claim for them because if you do some of these things your life should be
trialed for the death penalty.
The killing of the state is where the legitimacy and propriety of the state retaining the
ability to terminate human life in order to preserve and protect human life or in order to achieve
other desirable goals, whether such goals are social, political, or moral. Which means where
people and the state believe that only the state should choose whether or not to kill a person or to
send on death penalty. Which is like just having the state taking control of the people and having
all the power. In Islam this is a serious affair! Because they believe that the only person or thing
to choose your death is Allah he should be the only divine person to take your life, and choose
when he wants to. They believe that a person or jury shouldnt be the deciding factor of your
death, they say Allah will give you your punishment/ jurisdiction thats needed for what you have
done. The Islamic tradition of human life and in fact life in general is sanctified as a life that is
inviolable and its existence or death is put within the boundaries of the jurisdiction. When a
state acts to terminate a life, at least for the purpose of performing this particular act, the
state represents and stands in for God. In effect, the state claims that the termination of life
in question, in any particular case, is both authorized and desired by God. Islamically
speaking, because the question of life is always a Divine province, then killing can only be
justified if God has admitted and empowered the state within this province. In turn, when
the state kills, it does not do so on behalf of the citizenry, the will of the majority, or even in
the service of compelling national security interests, rather, ultimately, the state is acting on
God behalf, while purporting to know the Divine will and while claiming the ability and
competence to faithfully and effectively carry out this Divine will.- Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl

In conclusion I have drawn out some points of the Islamic death penalty reasons why
they do it and what they believe of certain areas. I proved why there two most important reason
work and I also described a little bit about the killing of state by Islamic views.