Surat Al Ma'idah (31-40)

{فَبَعَثَ اللّهُ غُرَاباً يَبْحَثُ فِي الأَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهُ كَيْفَ يُوَارِي سَوْءةَ أَخِيهِ قَالَ يَا وَيْلَتَا أَعَجَزْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ هَـذَا الْغُرَابِ فَأُوَارِيَ سَوْءةَ أَخِي فَأَصْبَحَ مِنَ النَّادِمِينَ} [المائدة :  31]

31- His body was left on the ground and Cain did not know what to do with it. So, Allah sent a crow to dig the earth with his bill and legs before his eyes. After a while, it brought a dead crow and put it into the hole in order that Allah would teach him how to bury his brother. So, Cain said:  O my bad luck, have I failed to be like this crow, bury the body of my brother underground, and cover him with dust? Then, he buried him and became regretful for killing him.

{مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَن قَتَلَ نَفْساً بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعاً وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعاً وَلَقَدْ جَاءتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا بِالبَيِّنَاتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيراً مِّنْهُم بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فِي الأَرْضِ لَمُسْرِفُونَ} [المائدة :  32]

32- Because of this corruption:  killing the son of Adam unjustly and oppressively, We destined for the Children of Israel in the Torah that whoever kills a soul without Qisas (Just Retaliation) or without corruption and regard it as lawful or permissible without cause, such as disbelief, adultery, or something of the like, he would have liked the whole people and bear their burdens! Envy is the origin of this sin which later became a main characteristic in the Children of Israel. Despite the prohibition of gratifying the sin of killing, they were more tyranny where they killed the prophets and messengers which indicates the solidness of their hearts and disobeying Allah and because of that, He gratified the matter of killing. Whoever avoided killing of people or saved it from destruction, he would be as if took the reward of saving all people! Our Messengers came to them with clear signs and proofs to confirm what was ordained to them. However, many of them used to kill others without paying attention to the ruling of forbidding killing, in addition to committing other sins and spreading corruption on earth.

{إِنَّمَا جَزَاء الَّذِينَ يُحَارِبُونَ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِي الأَرْضِ فَسَاداً أَن يُقَتَّلُواْ أَوْ يُصَلَّبُواْ أَوْ تُقَطَّعَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُم مِّنْ خِلافٍ أَوْ يُنفَوْاْ مِنَ الأَرْضِ ذَلِكَ لَهُمْ خِزْيٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَلَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ} [المائدة :  33]

33- This is the ruling on Highway robbery and on committing all kinds of evil. The Ayah is general in regard to polytheists and others who commit such sins. The Ayah was revealed concerning some people whom the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) honored and treated kindly then they killed, robbed, disbelieved and fought, thereupon their hands and legs were cut off. A ruler estimates the amount of punishment or chooses of theses rulings because the punishment of those who fight the religion of Allah, His Messenger, and pious people, and cause corruption on earth by killing people is:  they should be killed or be crucified along with killing if they kill, take money. Their right hands and their left legs are cut off if they take the money or to be locked away from people if they terrify and cause corruption on earth, but did not kill anyone or steal. The detailed rulings are torment and scandal for them in this world, moreover, they shall have severe torment and great punishment in the Hereafter.

{إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ تَابُواْ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَقْدِرُواْ عَلَيْهِمْ فَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ} [المائدة : 34]

34- If they repent of their actions and give up themselves before you catch them, there will be no punishment against them and Allah shall forgive and show mercy to them. As for those who claim that the Ayah was revealed regarding the disbelievers, the meaning of "repent" here is:  leaving polytheism and become a believer such people shall have no punishment because Islam effaces previous misdeeds.

{يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَابْتَغُواْ إِلَيهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ وَجَاهِدُواْ فِي سَبِيلِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ} [المائدة :  35]

35- O believers, Approach the obedience of Allah and abandon what He forbade you to do, seek His Closeness and do what He likes, such as obedience, supplication, and nearness, fight the enemies of Allah from infidels and polytheists who fight Allah and His Messenger and prefer error to guidance in order to be of those who shall win the great reward on the Day of Recompense.

{إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُم مَّا فِي الأَرْضِ جَمِيعاً وَمِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ لِيَفْتَدُواْ بِهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ مَا تُقُبِّلَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ} [المائدة :  36]

36- If the people who disbelieve in Allah have the dominion of the earth to save themselves from the torment of the day of Resurrection, it will not be accepted from them. There is no escape from the punishment and they shall have a severe torment a retribution for their disbelief and fighting the people of the truth.

{يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَخْرُجُواْ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا هُم بِخَارِجِينَ مِنْهَا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ} [المائدة :  37]

37- They try to get out of Hell because of the anguish they suffer and the pain from which they suffer, but they cannot find a way out for they will stay in torment and they will find a way out.

{وَالسَّارِقُ وَالسَّارِقَةُ فَاقْطَعُواْ أَيْدِيَهُمَا جَزَاء بِمَا كَسَبَا نَكَالاً مِّنَ اللّهِ وَاللّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ} [المائدة :  38]

38- Whoever steals, a male or female, a ruler should cut off his right hand from the wrist as a punishment for their bad actions because they took peoples' money without right as a punishment from Allah for that. Verily, Allah is Cherished in taking revenge from the wrongdoers and Wise in what He legislates and predestines of punishment. As for cutting the hands and the legs, there are many conditions that reported in the Sunnah such as reaching the amount of robbery that entails the amputation of the hands, it should be stolen from a secured place, and other conditions that were stipulated by jurists, and you can look them up in Fiqh books. There is no hope in eradicating the crime of robbery except with this punishment. You can see the penal studies prepared in this regard to see the widespread and the difficulty of deterring the wrongdoers despite the penalties estimated for them are other than the imputation of the hands.

{فَمَن تَابَ مِن بَعْدِ ظُلْمِهِ وَأَصْلَحَ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ} [المائدة :  39]

39- The thieves who repent after stealing people's monies and render those stolen funds back to their owners, give them funds in return, sought forgiveness from their owners, or spend its value in the cause of Allah if they do not know their owners. In this case, Allah shall accept their repentance and do not torture them in the Hereafter because He forgives the sins of His servants and shows mercy to them. This is between them and Allah, but the right of human beings remain in his custody. It is permissible to forgive them before submitting the case to the ruler, and this is the view of Al Shafi`y. Al Qurtuby said in his Tafsir:  Amputation cannot be overlooked by repentance. `Ata' and a group of people said:  It is overlooked by repentance before catching the robber.

{أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاءُ وَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَاللّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ} [المائدة :  40]

40- Did not you know, O human, that Allah has the kingdom of the heavens, the earth, and the dominion in between. To Him is the full control of them, therefore, He behaves therein as He likes by His Wisdom and punishes whomever He wills with that they deserve. He forgives whomever He wills by His Forgiveness and generosity and He is Able to punish or forgive and no one can stop Him?