Judicial laws in the Qur’an Meanwhile...

They will not believe until they make you a judge in their disputes, then do not find within their hearts any dissent to your verdict and submit in full submission.” [^4] In the above verse, not only is the right of adjudication confirmed for the Messenger of Allah ( s ), but the acceptance of and acting upon his adjudication and verdict has been regarded as a requisite of faith.

This point is accompanied by a very emphatic oath—“In their disputes the people must definitely make you the judge and arbiter, and after you pass a judgment they should not nurse any dissent and dissatisfaction in their hearts but should accept the judgment with full submission and obedience. Otherwise, they will not be truly faithful.

The true faithful is one who, if the Islamic court issues a decree against him, accepts it with open arms, realizing the possibility that his right is violated because the judge passes the verdict on the basis of external means of rendering justice, which the Messenger of Allah ( s ) explained thus: “Verily, I judge among you on the basis of proof and testimony.”[^5] The testimony of a witness who is outwardly just is accepted although he might have lied in his testimony or committed an error therein.

If everyone does not act upon the verdict of the judge, no progress can be made and the system will collapse. What can be deduced from the Qur’an on penal matters, such as blood-money [ diyah ], qisas ,[^6] ta‘zirat ,[^7] and the like, testify that Islam is highly involved in politics, administrative affairs and society.

Islam has gone to the extent of taking into account hudud [^8] for criminals and corruptors in certain cases and of authorizing the judge to implement them even if there is no specific complainant. In such cases divine limits and rights have been violated and sometimes punishments are difficult to endure and accept.