Punishment / Uqubah (عُقُوبَة)

Arabic: عُقُوبَة
Transliteration: ʿUqūbah
Domain: Islamic Ethics (الأخلاق الإسلامية) and Fiqh al-Jināyāt (Criminal Law)

Definition

ʿUqūbah (عُقُوبَة) — punishment, penalty, sanction — refers in Islamic discourse to the consequences imposed for violating moral, legal, or divine commands. In Qaradawi's treatment, punishment is never an end in itself but always serves broader objectives: deterrence (zajr), protection of society (ḥifẓ al-mujtamaʿ), retribution (qiṣāṣ) where due, and ultimately the purification of the individual (tazkiyah). Islamic punishment exists within a comprehensive moral framework where justice (ʿadl), mercy (raḥmah), and social welfare (maṣlaḥah) are inseparable.

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