Title : Human Life

Source: Adopted and adapted from an article written by Muhammad Shafie Barakh in
Islam and Its Virtues edited by Muhammad Sheikh, published in 2007 on pages
8 9.
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Life is considered as the most important basic human right. As mentioned above, God
has honoured mankind and has placed all other creatures subservient under man. This is in order
to facilitate men so he can obtain all his basic needs and live a quality life. The right to life also
includes the right for a secure life for every individual without fear and threat to his life. It
follows that since this is a basic right, all other rights related to it such as the right to privacy , to
protect his life , honour and reputation, to have a fair trial, to disobey the authority on vice
activity and to establish his family should also be provided and guaranteed. All these rights have
become and are incorporated as constitutional rights and enshrined in almost all the constitutions
of the world today including the constitutions of the Muslim countries. According to Islam, fear
of God and His punishments will hinder mankind from committing violence and destruction to
the world.
As Islam treats life as sanctity and sacred, any violation to it would be considered as a
crime and would entail some punishment. Whoever kills an innocent man, it is as if he had killed
all mankind . The Quran illustrates it as follows:
If anyone slew a person - unless it be for murder, or for spreading mischief
in land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if anyone saved a life, it
would be as if he saved the life of all the whole people (Al-Maidah:32).
The Prophet is reported to have said in his last farewell pilgrimage sermon that the
blood, property and honour are sacred and cannot be violated for they are as sacred as the
sacredness of this day, this city and this month.
The message of the above texts is very decisive as to the sanctity of the individual. The
Islamic law is trying to protect in order to safeguard the security and well being in the society.
For crime and violence, as we are aware , would upset the stability or peace and order in the
society . It is for this reason, perhaps, that the Islamic law introduces a severe punishment in
order to uproot the criminal and deter a potential criminal from carrying his act.
The Islamic law introduces the concept of qisas or just retaliation for the case of
homicide or injury to limb or part thereof. Qisas means to inflict , by the authority, on the
criminal the same and exact deed as he had committed on the victim. Moreover, the Islamic law
introduces two options to the heir or the nearest family of the victim, namely: the right to
demand the execution of qisas against the murderer, the right to pardon the murderer in return for
his paying a fixed amount of blood money (diyat).
It is worth noting at this point that the Islamic law has given the right to pardon the
murderer to the heir of the victim not to the head of the state as has been practised in most
contemporary penal law systems. The rationale for this practice is that it is the nearest heir, wife

and children that had suffered directly from the loss of their bread winner, not the state or its
representative.
Another feature that is different from the modern legal system is that the Islamic law
prohibited the act of suicide and deemed the act as a crime. One is also not allowed to cut or
injure any of his limb or organ eventhough it belongs to him. Islamic law considers life and limb
as belonging to God alone. It is a trust to him that he should take due care of. Thus, he has no
right to take his own life which does not belong to him.
It is important for parents, especially Muslim parents to guide their children to the correct
path according to the Islamic virtues. It has been noted that in many countries especially in the
West and even Asian countries, some parents are neglecting their essential roles as guardians to
teach the good and the bad in this world to their young ones. Children should be taught that
anybody committing sinful acts in this world will be punished by God. Lack of religious
background can contribute to individuals, especially youngsters, to commit heinous crimes.
Religion should be seen as a backbone to produce citizens who are productive to the country. As
uttered by many Muslim scholars, if there is weak or no religion in a country, the entire ummah
will collapse leading to destruction.

Answer ALL questions in the spaces provided.

Question 1 (2 Marks)
From the article above, state a possible Statement of Problem (SOP) for a research.
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Question 2 (4 Marks)
From the Statement of Problem (SOP) that you have written in Question 1, generate three
possible Research Questions (RQs).
1.____________________________________________________________________________
2.____________________________________________________________________________
3.____________________________________________________________________________

Question 3 (8 Marks)
From the article above, identify two facts and two opinions and list them down.
Facts:
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2. ________________________________________________________________________
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Opinions:

1.________________________________________________________________________
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2.________________________________________________________________________
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Question 4 (6 Marks)
In a paragraph of not more than 80 words summarize how does the Islamic law protect the
safety of the society.

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Answer key Summary

Introduction to the summary: Eg: The Islamic law protects the safety of the society.
(1 mark)
Content: Answers should be paraphrased.
Content

Marks

1. Introduces a severe punishment in order to uproot the criminal

0.5

2. Introduces a severe punishment to deter a potential criminal from

carrying his act.

0.5

3. The concept of Qisas or just retaliation for the case of homicide or

injury to limb or part thereof.

0.5

4. Under qisas the heir or nearest family to victim has the right to
demand the execution against the murderer

0.5

5. The right to pardon the murderer in return for his paying a fixed amount
of blood money diyat

0.5

6. The right to pardon given to heir of victim not head of state as practised
in contemporary penal law. The retionale: the family suffer directly
from the lost

0.5

7. Prohibits the act of suicide and deemed the act as a crime

0.5

8.

0.5

Islamic law considers life and limbs as belonging to God alone