A Criticism of the Description of Worldly Recompense in the Qurʾān as Violent and Harsh

A number of critics of Islam have endeavoured, among others, to describe Qurʾānic teachings as violent, harsh and inconsistent with moral standards. In order to support their claim they have quoted these Qurʾānic verses that treat the punishment of the wrongdoers by stoning, cutting off the hands, retaliation, etc, and so they have attempted to cast doubts about the Qurʾān. The present paper examines these verses in light of the traditions and verifies by evidence that severity and intensity in divine-law rulings are meant to reform the individual and society and to draw man’s attention to the necessary consequences of his acts. On this basis, it is unwise to charge the Qurʾān with violence and disregarding moral principles due to the legitimation of some penal laws.