for fornication, the ḥadd for drinking, and the ḥadd for theft. A sound report states that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said to Usāmah b. Zayd, “Are you interceding regarding one of the penal limits set by Allah?!” He meant the ḥadd for theft. These punishments must therefore be applied exactly as Allah has prescribed them, with neither augmentation nor diminution.

It is appropriate, at the outset, to cite this tremendous ḥadīth. Al-Dāraqutnī and others relate—on the authority of Abū Thaʿlabah al-Khushani, may Allah be pleased with him—that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“Allah has imposed obligatory duties, so do not neglect them; He has set prohibitions, so do not violate them; He has fixed limits, so do not overstep them; and He has remained silent about certain matters—out of mercy, not forgetfulness—so do not probe into them.” Al-Nawawī ruled the narration good (ḥasan).

Al-Samʿānī remarked, “This ḥadīth is a great foundation of the religion, touching both its roots and its branches. Whoever acts upon it—by performing the obligations, avoiding the forbidden, observing the limits, and refraining from prying into what lies beyond him—has attained every degree of excellence and fulfilled the rights of the faith.”

Some scholars even said, “The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, encapsulated the whole religion in four phrases,” and then cited this ḥadīth.

The deterrent ḥudūd are established by the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the unanimous agreement of the scholars in general; sound analogical reasoning likewise confirms them. They are the recompense for violating Allah’s sacred prohibitions.

Legislative wisdom
These ḥudūd embody exalted wisdoms, lofty meanings, and noble objectives. They must be enforced for the purposes of discipline, purification, and remedy—not out of spite or revenge—so that blessing and benefit may ensue. They are a great favor from Allah to His creation: for the culprit they constitute a purification from the sin of his offense and an expiation for its punishment in the Hereafter, while for him and for others they serve as a deterrent against falling into sin.

They also block and restrain the spread of evils and corruption on earth. When they are upheld, the cosmos is set right, the earth prospers, calm and tranquility prevail, and the blessing is perfected as the people of wickedness and corruption are suppressed. But when they are neglected—Allah’s refuge is sought—evil proliferates and corruption becomes rife.