Moratorium on corporal punishment

>>>The call for a morotorium is wise and very Islamic.

To suggest this is not Islamic is a failure to understand and acceptthe reality of Islam. Morotoriums were clearly placed by the Rightly Guided Calpihs, and more than on one occasion. The confusion of "scholars" about Hudood is coming from the lack of understanding of morotoriums as well as increased capital punishment during the period of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. There is an unnecessary confusion between the generic universals of the Qur'an and Sunnah of the Prophet in comparison to the contextual particulars of the rightly Guided Scholars. This confusion should not exist, which in turn indicates that itwould be silly to continue with Hadd punishment when even our scholars are clouded in judgment.

I do not think Tariq Ramadan is saying that the Qur'an alone is somehow unclear on the matter. There is a history on Hudood that causes a lack of clarity in many scholars today.

Further, the Hadd punishment is only valid under a legitimate authority which is established to implement the governance under Shari'ah. I am not aware of ANY country coming even close to be deserving of this responsibility.

There is a need for a mammoth change in societal accessibility and acceptability of many matters that are not just the crimes itself, but things that lead to it. No person can remove Hadd punishment- it is a Command of Allah. What Allah requires of human beings is to be wise about it, as was clearly examplieifed by the Rightly Guided Caliphs..... they are called "rightly guided" for a reason.

Was Salaam
Afroz
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>>>Not speaking for Dr. Tariq Ramadan here, obviously, the facts are that the Rightly Guided Kulafa did remove certain punishments, temporarily, for similar reasons to today. And it is beyond the oft-quoted situation where Umar bin al-Khattab had foregone punishment for stealing.

There is evidence, for example, of adulterers NOT stoned AND not banished from the town. Both Umar (at his khilafat) and 'Ali concurred. 'Ali was initially hesitant but upon explaining the context of the times they found themselves in it was on a morotorium.

On the other hand there is evidence of INCREASED punishment on the Perisan alcohol "epidermic" within the Muslim population.

So, essentially there has been Qiyas-related morotoriums by the rightly guided. We can only learn from that and apply the wisdom. I totally agree that there is not an ounce of confusion on ther nature of Hadd punishment. I do not think Dr. Ramadan is referring to that at all. What I am referring to, and suspect Dr. Ramadan is as well (given he is more knowledgeable than me, at least), that due to the fact there were conditional morotoriums, scholars are quite unable to decipher through the facts, and are pretty much blinded by the emotion.... and we do not want emotion driving the wisdom behind hadd punishment.

Was Salaam
Afroz
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I once heard Tariq Ramadan give the Khutbah when he was here in australia and i can say he is extremely inteligent and eloquent, funny enough he was here for a very short period, in one week he pin pointed exactly what was wrong with the Australian muslim community which was the subject of the khutbah.