Crime and Punishment
Muslim Attitudes Towards Justice
For Muslims, adl (justice) is a central value, because Allah is just and expects the same fairness from human beings. Surah 4:135 teaches believers to stand firm for justice even when it goes against themselves, their parents or their own relatives — justice must never bend to self–interest. This makes justice a religious duty, not simply a legal requirement.
Muslims argue that justice matters most for victims of crime: it restores what was lost, gives a victim’s family a sense of closure, and reassures society that wrongdoing has consequences. Non-religious thinkers, including atheists and Humanists, argue that justice matters regardless of religion — a fair society needs justice to protect human wellbeing and human rights, whether or not people believe in God. Many Muslims respond that they can agree with this reasoning, but add that ultimate justice belongs to Allah, and human justice systems only reflect a small part of the justice Allah will deliver fully on the Day of Judgement.
Surah 4:135 teaches Muslims to stand firm for justice even against themselves or their own family — justice must never be distorted by self-interest.
Muslim Attitudes Towards Crime
The Qur’an links crime to turning away from Allah. Surah 16:90–92 commands justice, good conduct and generosity to relatives, and forbids indecency, wrongdoing and oppression — behaviour that breaks these commands is what Islam calls crime. Many Muslims see crime as a distraction from a focus on Allah: a person absorbed in wrongdoing has stopped directing their life towards worship and obedience.
Muslim individuals and groups take practical action to reduce crime. The Muslim Chaplains Association supports the religious and pastoral needs of Muslim prisoners, helping them reflect on their actions and return to their faith. The Mosaic Community Trust works with young people, particularly in areas at risk of gang activity, offering mentoring and enterprise projects that give them a positive alternative to crime.
Good, Evil and Suffering
Muslims believe good actions are rewarded by Allah, both in this life through blessing and community respect, and fully in the akhirah (life after death). Evil actions are understood as a turning away from Allah’s guidance, and will be judged and punished unless the wrongdoer sincerely repents.
Non-religious thinkers, including atheists and Humanists, sometimes argue that suffering is caused partly by believing in religion itself — for example, when religious rules or conflict between faiths lead to division or fear. Muslims respond that suffering is not caused by faith but is part of a wider test set by Allah, and that turning to Allah in prayer and patience (sabr) is a source of comfort rather than a cause of harm.
Muslim views on why people suffer are divergent. Surah 76 describes believers who feed those in need out of love for Allah alone, without expecting any reward, and promises them a great reward in Paradise — suggesting suffering, and the response to others’ suffering, is a test of sincere faith. Other Muslims emphasise that suffering can also result from human wrongdoing and injustice in the world, rather than being a test sent directly by Allah.
Muslim teachings on punishment are divergent. Surah 2:178 sets out qisas — the principle of equal retaliation, such as a life for a life in cases of murder — but allows the victim’s family to accept diya (compensation) and forgive instead, which the Qur’an treats as an act of mercy. Surah 5:44–46 echoes this: it refers to a life for a life and an eye for an eye, but adds that giving up this right as charity removes sin from the person who forgives. Some Muslims apply situation ethics here, arguing that whether strict retaliation or forgiveness is right depends on which produces the most loving outcome in each case, rather than always following the same rule. Muslims see punishment as a form of justice because it restores balance after a wrong, and believe punishment is needed in society to protect people and deter future crime.
Muslims hold divergent views about the four aims of punishment. Protection keeps society safe from further harm by an offender. Retribution makes the offender suffer in a way that matches their crime. Deterrence discourages the offender, and others, from committing crime in future. Reformation aims to change the offender’s behaviour so they do not offend again. Surah 4:26–32 shows several of these aims combined: Allah wishes to make things clear, to lighten people’s burden and guide them, while warning against wrongfully taking life or another person’s wealth — teaching that punishment should protect the innocent while still leaving room for guidance and change.
The four aims of punishment in Muslim thought are protection, retribution, deterrence and reformation. Different Muslims give different weight to each aim.
Forgiveness and Restorative Justice
Forgiveness is highly valued in Islam. Surah 64:14 teaches that even when someone close to a believer, such as a spouse or child, causes them harm, believers should pardon, overlook and forgive, because Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. Communities can choose to forgive offenders, especially where a victim’s family accepts diya rather than demanding qisas, allowing the offender to be reintegrated rather than permanently excluded.
Many Muslims support restorative justice, which focuses on repairing the harm done and reconciling the offender with the victim and community. This matters for criminals because Islam teaches that sincere repentance (tawbah) can be accepted by Allah, so criminals should be given a genuine chance to reform rather than simply be punished and abandoned.
Treatment of Criminals
Interpretations of Surah 76:1–12, which praises those who feed the needy, the orphan and the captive despite their own need, are applied by many Muslims to teach that prisoners and captives deserve compassionate, humane treatment, not cruelty.
Muslim attitudes to the treatment of criminals are divergent. Many Muslims argue that torture is always wrong because it denies the human dignity Allah has given every person, and that a fair trial, proper evidence and trial by jury are essential rights, even for the accused. However, some Muslims apply situation ethics to argue that in extreme circumstances, harsher treatment could be defended if it prevents a greater harm to others — though this view is a minority position and is strongly contested within Islam.
The Death Penalty
Capital punishment is the most severe punishment in any justice system, ending the life of the offender. In Islam it is generally reserved for the most serious crimes.
Muslim views on capital punishment are divergent. One hadith, Sahih Muslim 16:4152, is used to teach that a Muslim’s life may lawfully be taken in only a small number of situations, including as retaliation for murder. Some Muslims support capital punishment in these limited cases as a form of justice; others argue that forgiveness and compensation should always be offered as a better alternative, and that capital punishment should be used extremely rarely, if at all.
Sahih Muslim 16:4152 teaches that capital punishment in Islam should be limited to the most serious cases, such as retaliation for murder, rather than used freely.
Non-religious attitudes, including atheist and Humanist views, often oppose capital punishment altogether, arguing that it violates the right to life, risks executing an innocent person, and lacks reliable evidence that it deters crime. Some Muslims respond by pointing to the strict conditions surrounding capital punishment in Islamic teaching, such as the need for absolute certainty of guilt; others apply situation ethics, arguing that the most loving outcome for society should decide whether the death penalty, mercy or another punishment is used in each case.