Chapter on the Prescribed Punishment for Highway Robbers

Allah, exalted is He, wants the Muslims to travel throughout His land in safety—so that they may exchange their interests, increase their wealth, maintain family ties, and cooperate in righteousness and godfearingness, especially when making the journey to His Ancient House to perform the rites of ḥajj and ʿumrah.

Whoever seeks to hinder their movement, block their roads, or instil fear in them while they travel, Allah has ordained for him a deterrent penalty that removes the obstacle and clears harm from the road. The Most High says: “The recompense of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive to spread corruption in the land is that they be killed, or crucified, or have their hands and feet cut off on opposite sides, or be banished from the land. That is their disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter they will have a tremendous punishment—except for those who repent before you overpower them; know that Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful” (Q 5:33–34).

The ones meant by “those who wage war” and “strive to spread corruption in the land” are the highway robbers: men who waylay travellers in the desert or within settled areas and, by open force rather than covert theft, snatch their property in broad daylight.

For the ḥadd to be applied against them, the value of what they seize must reach the legal threshold for theft,