Exploring Islamic Injunctions on Remission of Sentences

Abstract

The most significant and all-encompassing purpose of punishments in Islamic law is to make the offender repent and mend his ways. For this purpose, Islamic law provides various provisions both at the preconviction as well as post-conviction stages. With qualitative research methodology and Islamic injunctions, this research aims to examine, at the pre-conviction stage, provisions about repentance and expiation on the part of the offender, suspension of punishment in case of voluntary surrender, probation after repentance and surrender and payment of compensation to the victims of the offence. At the post-arrest and conviction stage, Islamic law provides various relaxations and creates space for repentance and reform, which include obliteration of the punishments of apostasy and blasphemy, considering denial by the accused of the commission of the offence, obliteration of the hudud and qisas punishments, and obliteration of the siyasah punishments.