steals livestock before they are brought into the enclosure: he is to receive lashes as a deterrent and pay twice their value.”

Likewise, ʿUmar ibn al-Khattāb ruled that compensation for a concealed stray animal should be doubled. A number of scholars, including Ahmad and others, upheld all these rulings. ʿUmar and others doubled the compensation for a Bedouin’s she-camel taken by hungry slaves: he imposed double compensation on their master and spared the slaves the penalty of amputation. ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān ruled that a Muslim who deliberately killed a non-Muslim under Muslim protection must pay double the blood money, since the blood money for such a non-Muslim is half that for a Muslim. Ahmad ibn Hanbal adopted this position.

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Reward and punishment correspond in kind to the deed, both in Allah’s decree and in His revealed law. This is part of the justice by which the heavens and the earth are upheld. As Allah Most High says:

“Whether you reveal something good or conceal it, or pardon an evil, Allah is ever Pardoning and All-Powerful.”

He also says:

“Let them pardon and overlook. Would you not love for Allah to forgive you?”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Whoever shows no mercy will be shown no mercy.”

He also said:

“Allah is One and loves what is odd-numbered.”

He also said:

“Allah is beautiful and loves beauty.”

He also said:

“Allah is pure and accepts only what is pure.”

He also said:

“Allah is clean