The Approach of the Qur’an and Narrations in the Legislation of Criminal Intent

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Jurisprudence and Judicial Law, Al-Mustafa International University, Qom, Iran.

2 PhD Graduate, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Al-Mustafa International University, College of Humanities Sciences, Qom, Iran.

Abstract

Criminal intention is a controversial issue in Islamic criminal jurisprudence. Jurists have so far paid attention to extracting the initial rule of it (being forbidden) and have not discussed its rationale and secondary rule. Moreover, there are some inattentions and incompatibility in extraction of rationales. For instance, initial and secondary rulings have been presumed to be contradictive and the rule of accumulation whenever possible has been considered correct. Meanwhile, the presumption of contradiction and accumulation in these two types of rationales are subjectively impossible. The goal is to explain the approach of Quran and narrations in legislation of the initial and secondary rulings of this subject with a descriptive-analytical approach. Analyzing evidence, the paper reached out to two independent legislations on the issue, each having different nature, basics and functions. In the initial legislation, criminal intention is forbidden and is the source of punitiveness including Hadd and Ta’zir. Meanwhile, in the secondary legislation granting mercy for God believers is considered to be more important. Considering these two independent legislations, first the issue and rationales have been altered and the contradiction of narrations has been resolved. Second, Islamic rationalizing of mens rea in intentional offenses has become plausible and criminalization in instances of disagreement in criminal law (preparation of the offense, attempt, inchoate offense) has been facilitated.

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Main Subjects

References

 
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Criminal Law Doctrines
Volume 22, Issue 30 - Serial Number 30
December 2025
Pages 167-212

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History

  • Receive Date: 22 September 2025
  • Revise Date: 29 March 2026
  • Accept Date: 05 April 2026
  • Publish Date: 22 December 2025

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