Hudud / Fixed Punishments (حُدُود)

Definition

Hudud (حُدُود) — literally "boundaries, limits" — refers in Islamic jurisprudence to the fixed, divinely prescribed punishments for specific serious crimes: theft (sariqah), banditry (hirabah), adultery/fornication (zina), false accusation (qadhf), and alcohol consumption (shurb al-khamr). The term also carries the broader Qur'anic meaning of "the limits set by Allah" (Q 2:229) — boundaries between the lawful and the prohibited that must not be transgressed. In Qaradawi's treatment, hudud embodies the seriousness with which Islam protects the moral and social order while simultaneously insisting on the strictest evidentiary standards before application, reflecting the principle that it is better to err in forgiveness than

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