Qisas

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This is a sub-article of Islamic criminal jurisprudence and Blood money (term).

Qisas (Arabic: قصاص) is an Islamic term meaning retaliation, similar to the biblical principle of an eye for an eye. In the case of murder, it means the right of the heirs of a murder victim to demand execution of the murderer.

O you who believe, equivalence is the law decreed for you when dealing with murder - the free for the free, the slave for the slave, the female for the female. If one is pardoned by the victim's kin, an appreciative response is in order, and an equitable compensation shall be paid. This is an alleviation from your Lord and mercy. Anyone who transgresses beyond this incurs a painful retribution.^[1]^[2]

However, the Quran also prescribes that one should seek compensation (Diyya) and not demand retribution.^[3]

As execution for murder was conceived as the retaliation of the victim's heirs, traditionally the state could only carry out the execution with their permission, and they were free to forgive the murderer, either as an act of charity or in return for compensation.

Qisas is enforced today in countries which follow the Sharia, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran^[4] and Pakistan^[5]