Islam Its Belief and Practices - Radical Truth

130 ISLAM ITS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES SLAVERY AND PUNISHMENT 131
iii.
witnesses. he who thus brings a false charge
receives eighty lashes (Sura 24: 4). If the
accuser be a slave he receives forty stripes.
This punishment was established by an
alleged revelation from God. when Mu!}ammad's
favourite wife, 'Ayisha, was accused
of improper intimacy with ~afwan b.
Mu'attal (See Sura 24).
Apostasy (irtidad): A ma!e apostate is liable to
be put to death if he continue obstinate in
his error; a female apostate is not subject to
capital punishment, but she may be kept in
confinement until she recant.
iv. Drunkenness (ash-Shurb): If a Muslim drink
wine, and two witnesses testify to his having
done so, or if his breath smell of wine, or if
he shall himself confess to having taken wine
or if he be found in a state of intoxication,
he shall be beaten with eighty stipes.
v. Theft (Sariqa): Sariqa literally means secretly
taking away of another's property. Its legal
definition in the Cannon Law is as follows:
"It signifies taking away the property of
another in a secret manner, at a time
when such property is in custody,-that is,
when the effects are in supposed security
from the hands of other people; and where
the value is not less than ten dirhems, and
the effects taken the undoubted property of
some other than of him who takes them."
On the basis of this legal definition it is the
decision of the Muslim jurists that, if the
thieves make a hole in the wall, and one of
them inside put objects through this hole
into the hands of others who are outside,
this cannot be considered theft. Similarly
nor can a man be punished for theft, if after
having made a hole in the wall. he enters
the room and places the objects he intends
to take into the hole. then comes out and
carries them away.
If a Muslim adult of sound understanding
steals out of undoubted custody ten dirhems
or property to the value of ten dirhems, his
punishment is the cutting off of his hand
f Sura 5: 42). Amputation is not incurred by
the theft of the following:
(1) An amount stolen by a partyof thieves.
which when distributed among them,
each of them receives less than ten
dirhems. (2) Anything of a trifling
nature, such as wood, bamboos,
grass, fish, fowls. and garden stuff.
(3) Things which quickly decay
and spoil, such as milk or fruit.
(4) Fermentedliquor. (5) Guitaror
tabor, these being of use merely
as idle amusements. (6) A copy
of the Qur'an. (7) A crucifix.
(8) A chess board. (9) A free-born
infant, although there be ornaments
upon it, because a free person is
not property. On the other hand
amputation is incurred by stealing
an infant slave, although the
stealing of an adult slave does
not incur punishment. (10) A