Hirabah is a hudud offense under Islamic law comprising highway robbery and banditry, treated by modern scholarship as the closest classical equivalent to terrorism, distinguished from ordinary theft by the added element of violence or intimidation against travelers or against society at large. Classical jurists described it as banditry in open country that destabilizes civil order, covering acts such as robbery on the road, assassination, arson, and poisoning water supplies, whether committed alone or with accomplices. It is classified as one of the few capital hudud crimes, with Quranic verse 5:33 specifying a range of punishments a ruler may impose, including execution, crucifixion, amputation of a hand and foot from opposite sides, or exile.
Facts
Typical PenaltyExecution, crucifixion, cross-amputation of hands and feet, or exile 1 Elements of OffenseHighway robbery and banditry in open country 1 Notable Example2022 moharebeh charges against Mahsa Amini protesters in Iran 1 Jurisdiction VariationCapital crime in Saudi Arabia and Iran 1 Classification
Offense GradeSerious or Indictable Offense 1 Connections
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Sources
1. Hirabah (Wikipedia)
Crime
referred specifically to banditry in open country
Scriptural basis
execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land
Lead section, paragraph 3
It is a capital crime in Saudi Arabia and Iran.
In current legal systems, Iran
In 2022, dozens were charged with moharabeh for their involvement in the Mahsa Amini protests
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