Capital Punishment: Legal and Religious Perspectives by

Abstract

The right to life is one of the natural and basic human rights. It is not only provided; it is also guaranteed by the constitutions concerned in the contemporary world. However, this right is not absolute; rather, it is a qualified, and is subject to law. Murdering a person without justification is against natural justice and prohibited in almost all laws of land and religions. This act is considered to be a heinous crime on earth, and its punishment is also severe, as the death penalty. This type of punishment is prevalent in most countries, including Pakistan, and has become a dominant issue of contemporary jurisprudence. Different religions, such as Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Jainism and Judaism, have different set of punishments, including the death penalty. Several religions support capital punishment, while some do not; it has been influenced by the law of the land. Islam, Christianity and Judaism mostly favors the capital punishment (death penalty), but some other disfavors the same. The question arises that what may be the plausible interpretation of different approaches concerning capital punishment regarding execution thereof, in Islam comparing with other religions in contemporary jurisprudence. Currently, different countries of the world are observing it in different ways. To answer the question, the authors have adopted a qualitative way of research using both primary and secondary methods for data collection. The data analysis is descriptive in nature to elaborate the conclusion of the study. This research study suggests that the sentence to death may be executed, keeping in view the background of the law of land.