Al-Siyasa al-Shar'iyya - Ibn Taimiya - (الكتاب/156)

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The flogging prescribed by Islamic law consists of moderate strokes administered with a whip (1), for the best course lies between extremes. Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “A stroke between two extremes, and a whip between two extremes” (2).

Flogging may not be carried out with sticks or cudgels, nor is a switch sufficient. Rather (3), the switch is used for discretionary punishment.

As for prescribed penalties, they must be administered by flogging with a whip. Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, would discipline people with a switch, but when a prescribed penalty was to be carried out, he would call for the whip.

The offender is not to be stripped of all his clothing. Rather, anything that would prevent him from feeling the blows—such as padded garments, furs, and the like—is to be removed. He is not to be bound unless necessary, nor is his face to be struck, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “When any of you fights, let him avoid the face” (4). Nor may he be struck on any vital part, for the purpose is to discipline him, not to kill him. The blows should be distributed so that each part of his body receives its due share (5), such as the back,

(1) F adds: “the intermediate one.” (2) Al-Hāfiz said in *al-Talkhīs* (4:86): “I have not found it narrated from him in this form. However, 'Abd al-Razzāq (7:369–370) and al-Bayhaqī (8:326) reported from Abū 'Uthmān al-Nahdī, who said: A man liable to a prescribed punishment was brought before 'Umar ibn al-Khattāb, may Allah be pleased with him. A rather severe whip was brought to him, and he said, ‘I want one softer than this.’ Then a soft whip was brought, and he said, ‘I want one harsher than this.’ A whip intermediate between the two was then brought, and he said, ‘Strike…’” (3) Y reads: “then indeed.” (4) Al-Bukhārī (2560) and Muslim (2612), from the hadith of Abū Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him. (5) The remaining manuscripts read: “his share.”

فصل والجلد الذي جاءت به الشريعة: هو الجلد المعتدل بالسوط (١)، فإن خيار الأمور أوسطها، قال علي ﵁: ضَربٌ بين ضَرْبَين، وسَوطٌ بين سَوطَين (٢). ولا يكون الجلد بالعِصي ولا المقارع، ولا يُكْتفى فيه بالدِّرَّة، بل (٣) الدِّرَّة تُستعمل في التعزير. أما الحدود فلابد فيها من الجلد بالسوط، وكان عمر بن الخطاب ﵁ يؤدِّب بالدِّرَّة فإذا جاءت الحدود دعا بالسوط. ولا تجرَّد ثيابه كلها، بل يُنزع عنه ما يمنع ألم الضرب من الحشايا والفراء ونحو ذلك، ولا يُربط إذا لم يحتج إلى ذلك، ولا يضرب وجهُه، فإن النبي ﷺ قال: «إذا قاتل أحدكم فليتق الوجه» (٤). ولا يضرب مَقاتِلَه فإن المقصود تأديُبه لا قتلُه. ويُعطَى كلُّ عضوٍ حقَّه (٥) من الضرب؛ كالظهر

(١) (ف) زيادة: «الوسط». (٢) قال الحافظ في «التلخيص»: (٤/ ٨٦): لم أره عنه هكذا. لكن أخرج عبد الرزاق: (٧/ ٣٦٩ - ٣٧٠)، والبيهقي: (٨/ ٣٢٦) عن أبي عثمان النهدي قال: أُتيَ عمرُ بن الخطاب ﵁ برجل في حد، فأتي بسوط فيه شدة، فقال: أريد ألين من هذا، ثم أتي بسوط فيه لين، فقال: أريد أشد من هذا، فأتي بسوط بين السوطين، فقال: اضرب ... (٣) (ي): «فإن». (٤) أخرجه البخاري (٢٥٦٠)، ومسلم (٢٦١٢) من حديث أبي هريرة ﵁. (٥) بقية النسخ: «حظه».