(Muniza Wasi, KARACHI)
Punishment and reward plays a very important role in running an economy of a country. If the citizens of a country are left on their own without any guidelines and laws they are apt to misbehave because it is very easy for anyone to make the other person lose his temper by taunting and misbehaving; making the person commit some minor or major crime depending on the situation presented to him. People can easily be misguided but to make them disciplined takes a long time and hard work plus the introduction towards punishment and reward which induces them to act accordingly. The topic to debate is whether the Islamic punishments are just or not? Every religion introduces certain rules and regulations for the followers to obey. Islam is the religion of peace and humanity therefore it enhances the protection of its followers and to get the desired protection certain safety measures are always taken everywhere throughout the world's every religion, since Islam introduces maximum safety of the citizens of an Islamic country and all the Muslims around the world its appropriate laws are exercised which are not made by men but commanded by the Almighty Allah who knows the needs of his creatures the best. First of all in Islam the concept of equality is followed for every Muslim, if a rich man commits a crime he is treated in the same way as the poor no distinctions are made on the behalf of poverty. The decisions regarding criminals are taken after thoroughly researching the facts and witnesses proved against or in favour of the accused. Nobody is allowed to murder the other; if he does so without any exception he is to be killed as a punishment or if the relatives of the murdered want to forgive the killer he is to pay "Qasas" which can be any amount of money asked by the other party. This law not only decreases the rate of killings but also introduces the forgiving behavior of the victim's side. Similarly the matter of theft is treated in which the thief's hand is ordered to cut by which he has committed the theft. As a result the crime rate would decrease to zero percent as no one would like to spare his or her hand if he is assured of the implementation of the law. Mistreating women or men will also disappear from a society where Islamic laws are implemented. In the light of above described facts how is it possible to say that Islamic punishments are harsh since they play an essential role in making and maintaining a society peaceful and protected. The people residing in such an Islamic country remain free from depressions and worries of hazards and dangers found in other parts of the world.