The Legal Bases of Banning the Production or Stockpile of Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear weapon, the most advanced military equipment of the century, is the most powerful weapon in destructing the foundation of human, animal, and plant life, causing a wide and deep annihilation where the explosion takes place.  The production or stockpile of the nuclear weapons, whether with intent to use them or threat and deter the enemies, is one of the controversial issues which has been focused by many thinkers and scholars in recent years. The viewpoints of Islam about the production of such weapons can be educed from the textual and rational reasons. The interpretation that nuclear weapons are effectively important from a security as well as a strategic point of view is the main cause of the claimants for issuing the production license of nuclear weapons. Sometimes the proponents of the nuclear weapons production support themselves with interpreting and overgeneralizing some texts from Quran. Discussing both the reasons for permitting or prohibiting the producing or stockpiling the nuclear weapons, and also expurgating and modifying them, the present article aims at clarifying the viewpoints of the legal system of Islam about this contemporary challenging issue.