Human life is sacred and a gift from Allah, the Creator. For the protection of human life Islam has legislated capital and corporal punishments and retribution unto those transgressing criminals who murder and physically harm others. Killing falls into three types: intentional and/or premeditated murder, manslaughter, and total mistake. Islam commands to execute those who perpetrate a pre-determined and premeditated murder of an innocent person, seeking to place as strong a deterrent as possible to eradicate the temptation of intentional murder.

Unintentional manslaughter and mistaken killings are separate categories with separate lesser sentences and blood money is paid to the close relatives of the person killed. The family or the heirs of the killed victim are given a Diyyah blood money – in substitution of the soul of the victim unless they choose to forgive the killer. Atonement is to be paid to Allah by the killer through freeing a Muslim slave, and if this is not possible, by fasting for two consecutive months. All such penalties are imposed in order to preserve Muslim life.

No one has the right to tamper with people.s lives, possessions or estate for no legitimate reason. All oppressing or abusing individuals must be warned against unjust killing, victimizing or harassing other innocent members of the Islamic society, and these strict punishments should be made clear. If the retaliation is not similar to the crime itself, criminals become emboldened in their criminal activates. All other corporeal punishments have the same rationale, wherein the punishment corresponds to the crime with specific measurements of retribution predetermined to stop all arguments and confusion. All capital and corporal punishments are oriented for the preservation of the human life and property in an Islamic society. Allah, the Exalted, states in the Glorious Qur’an:

 And there is (a saving of) life for you in al-Qisas (the law of equality in punishment), O men of understanding, that you may become pious. (2:179)

The penalty of the Hereafter for the intentional murderer who does not repent will be the Wrath of Allah. Allah, the Exalted, states in the Glorious Qur’an:

If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein (forever): and the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him, and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him. (4:9)

Islam has imposed certain specific duties on everyone in respect to protection of human life. The following are some of these duties:

* Man does not own his soul or his own body: rather it is a sacred entity entrusted to him on a temporary basis. It is not allowed for anyone to intentionally torture or harm himself, or intend any type of suicidal crime or reckless act leading to his destruction.

Life is only to be given in sacrifice for the cause of Allah. Allah, the Exalted, states in the Glorious Qur’an:

O you who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves unjustly: but let there be among you trade by mutual good-will: nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily Allah has been to you Most Merciful! (4:29)

* Man must maintain proper nutritional care to satisfy the minimum requirements essential for decent health. He is not allowed to deprive himself of permissible food, drink, clothing, marriage and proper care under any pretexts, if that causes him harm. Allah, the Exalted, states in the Glorious Qur’an:

Say: Who has forbidden the beautiful (gifts) of Allah, which He has produced for His servants, and the things, clean and pure, (which He has provided) for sustenance?

Say, they are, in the life of this world, for those who believe, (and) purely for them on the Day of Requital.

Thus do We explain the Signs in detail for those who understand. (7:32)

Allah, the Exalted, admonished the Prophet  for banning upon himself to eat honey in order to please one of his wives, and this became an eternal lesson for all Muslims. Allah states in the Glorious Qur’an:

O Prophet! Why do you make forbidden that which Allah has made lawful to you? You seek to please your wives but Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (66:1) Moderation is between stinginess and extravagance. Man may enjoy the lawful bounties offered by Allah to man on earth in moderation within the limits of the Islamic laws and without wastage. Allah, the Exalted, states in the Glorious Qur’an:

O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink: but waste not by excess, for Allah loves not the wasters. (7:31) It is forbidden for someone to neglect their physical needs and hurt himself or herself through negligence or self-torture.

Allah, the Exalted, states in the Glorious Qur’an: On no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns. (2:286)

It is reported that Anas bin Malik said that, .Three men came to the Prophet.s  wives. houses to inquire about the worship of the Prophet . When they were informed, they considered their worship insignificant and said: “Where are we in comparison with the Prophet  while Allah has forgiven his past sins and future sins”. One of them said: “As for me, I shall offer Salat all night long.’’ Another said: “I shall observe Saum (fasting) continuously and shall not break it”. The third one said: “I shall abstain from women and shall never marry”.

The Prophet  came to them and said,

“Are you the people who said such and such things? By Allah, I fear Allah more than you do, and I am most obedient and dutiful among you to Him, but still I observe fast and break it; perform Salah and sleep at night and take wives. So whoever turns away from my Sunnah does not belong to me.” 

Peace and security:

The right of security and protection to a person and all his family is the most basic of all rights. All citizens in the Muslim society legally must not be frightened or threatened by words, acts or weapons of any type. The tradition of Messenger of Allah  states:

It is not allowed for a Muslim to frighten another Muslim..

Security of the person enables individuals of a society to have freedom of mobility and movement in order to work and earn an honest living. Corporal and capital punishment have 16 Reported by Bukahri and Muslim as mentioned in al-Lulu walMarjan no.884.