Al-haraam (the Prohibited)
Al-Haraam in accordance to the Istilaah Ash-Shar’i (terminological Shar’iy definition):
It is that which the Shaari’ (Legislator) has requested not to be performed by way of a decisive request (Talab Jaazim) and it is that which its doer is censured and punished for. Al-Haraam is synonymous with the word Mahzhoor.
In the view of the Hanafiyah the word Haraam is not used unless the Daleel for the Hukm was Qat’iy (definite) and if it was Zhanniy (indefinite) they called it ‘Makrooh Tahreeman’.
There is however no difference between the Hanafiyah and others in relation to both the Haraam and the Makrooh Tahreeman in respect to the person leaving it being rewarded and the one doing it being punished.
Examples of the Haraam include that which was mentioned in the Qawl of Allah Ta’Aalaa:
Prohibited to you (for food) are: Al-Maytah (the dead animals - cattle-beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine… (Al-Maa’idah 3).
And in His Qawl (swt):
And Allah has made trade Halaal for you and has made Ribaa (usury) Haraam (Al-Baqarah 275).
And in the speech of the Messenger of Allah (saw):
Every Muslim in respect to (another) Muslim is Haraam (inviolable); his blood and his property and his honour (Muslim).
The ‘Uqoobah (punishment) for the Haraam could be in the Dunyaa (life of this world) like in His Qawl (swt):
And those who accuse chaste women, and produce not four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes, and reject their testimony forever, they indeed are the Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah) (An-Nur 4).
And the ‘Uqoobah (punishment) for the Haraam can also be in the Aakhirah (hereafter) like has come in the Qawl of Allah Ta’Aalaa:
Verily, those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans, they eat up only a fire into their bellies, and they will be burnt in the blazing Fire! (An-Nisaa’ 10).