Three Criteria for Punishing Muslims
📖Sahih al-Bukhari 6878
Narrated `Abdullah: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “The blood of a Muslim who confesses that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that I am His Apostle, cannot be shed except in three cases: In Qisas for murder, a married person who commits illegal sexual intercourse and the one who reverts from Islam (apostate) and leaves the Muslims.”
Related: Apostasy Punishment in Islam
This Hadith outlines three exceptional cases where capital punishment is allowed for a Muslim:
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Qisas for murder – a legal retaliation when someone unjustly takes a life.
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Illegal sexual intercourse by a married person – zina (adultery) after marriage.
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Apostasy – when a person leaves Islam and openly opposes or harms the Muslim community.
But this is only one Hadith. To reach the final message of Islam on such issues, we must include all Hadiths and Qur’anic verses, because rulings in Islam are derived from the full context, not from isolated narrations.
1. Illegal Sexual Intercourse: Not Only for Married
📖Sahih Muslim 1690
The Prophet ﷺ said, “If a man or woman commits fornication, flog them with a hundred stripes.”
This is for unmarried people, while married individuals face the death penalty only if there are four reliable witnesses (📖Quran 24:4).
📖Quran 24:2
The woman and the man guilty of fornication—flog each one of them with a hundred lashes, and do not let pity for them make you lenient in enforcing the law of Allah, if you truly believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a group of believers witness their punishment.
- Sahih Muslim 1695 shows that the punishment for adultery (illegal sex) is applied in certain conditions, if someone commits it repeatedly, makes it public, or insists on being purified from the sin by confessing, So, if someone commits zina by mistake or under certain circumstances and they are truly regretful, they should keep it private and sincerely seek forgiveness from Allah, But if someone makes their sin public, then according to Islamic law, we will no longer ignore it, they will be treated as an adulterer, And if someone keeps coming again and again, asking what they should do, then we are obliged to apply the legal punishment, Sahih al-Bukhari 6069 This Hadith makes it clear: If you commit a sin, such as zina, drinking alcohol, watching or listening to haram, backbiting, lying, or any sinful act in private, don’t expose it publicly, When you make your sins public, others may think, “If they did it, I can do it too.” You may unintentionally inspire others to commit the same sins, This is supported by psychological studies showing that people tend to imitate behaviors they see, especially when those behaviors are normalized. For example, research in social psychology shows that individuals often model their actions based on what others openly do or talk about. If a sin becomes public knowledge, it could lead others to think it’s okay to do the same, Medical evidence suggests that when people glorify or publicize sinful behaviors, it can cause social contagion, a phenomenon where negative behaviors spread in communities, especially when they are celebrated or normalized. People may imitate what they see in their social circles, especially when these actions are endorsed or excused, If you made a mistake, ask forgiveness from Allah privately. Do not share these bad deeds with others. Instead, guide people away from such sins, telling them what you did was wrong. Your experience is personal, and it’s between you and Allah. It’s your responsibility to warn others about these sins, not to glorify or normalize them.
It is important to note that illegal sex outside of marriage is not allowed. However, if someone commits it by mistake, it does not mean that someone must continue doing it and then seek forgiveness. Such acts are not excusable, but forgiveness still depends on Allah’s mercy. We do not assume that forgiveness is guaranteed, as it ultimately depends on Allah.
2. Apostasy: Not Killing Without Cause
The Hadith doesn’t say to kill everyone who leaves Islam. It refers to those who leave Islam and wage war or harm the Muslim society.
📖Quran 2:256
There is no compulsion in religion. The right path has become distinct from the wrong.
This confirms that leaving Islam without harming Muslims is not punishable by death.
📖Quran 4:137
Indeed, those who believed then disbelieved, then believed again and disbelieved, and then increased in disbelief—Allah will not forgive them, nor guide them to a way.
Repeated apostasy is mentioned, yet no worldly punishment is mentioned—only Allah will judge them.
Releted: Apostasy Punishment In Islam
3. Shedding Innocent Blood is Forbidden
📖Quran 6:151
Do not kill the soul which Allah has made sacred except by right.
📖Quran 5:32
If anyone kills a person—unless in retribution for murder or spreading corruption in the land—it is as if he has slain all mankind.
These verses show that Islam highly values human life. Killing is only allowed with due process, not by emotions or assumptions.
This Hadith (📖Bukhari 6878) was revealed in a specific situation, but Islam’s legal rulings require us to combine all Hadiths and Qur’an verses to understand the complete and final message. A married adulterer must meet strict evidentiary requirements. An apostate must be shown to have betrayed and endangered the Muslim ummah. Islam does not allow killing merely for disbelief, and emphasizes justice, not blind punishment, This is why scholars use all sources together — not just one narration — to find the balanced and just ruling that the Prophet ﷺ ultimately taught and implemented.