All punishments are in response to sins committed by a person, and these punishments are either given according to Islamic legislations or Divine Decree. If the legislated Islamic punishments (Qasas) are implemented for a particular crime, then the divinely decreed punishment would be cancelled or reduced for the person who had committed the crime. Allah ~ does not allow both punishments for His Servant, except if one of them was not sufficient to remove the sin or its ailment. If the legislated Islamic punishment is not implemented (i.e. in the case where the ruler does not govern by the Laws of Allah), the Divinely Decreed Punishment takes place; it could either be more or less punishing than the legislated one. However, the Divinely Decreed Punishments are general, in the sense that a whole village could be punished if a group o people spread immorality, while the rest did not enjoin good nor forbid evil from spreading in their society. The legislated sentence is the punishment for the doer of the crime alone, whereas the Divinely Decreed Punishment is wide-ranging, as it covers both those who commit evil and those who try to remove it. Allah ~ has defined a legislated punishment for each crime, according to its gravity. The sentences are: killing, cutting ( off the hands), flogging. He ~ decreed punishment by killing for the crime of polytheism, adultery and homosexuality, because the first corrupts the religion, the second corrupts the lineage (kinship) and the third corrupts the nature of man. Imam Ahmad said: "After the crime of murder, I do not know a more serious crime than adultery", and he supported his statement with the Hadith oflbn Mas'ud 4l,§, who said that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah, which sin is the biggest in Allah's Sight?" The Prophet~ said: "To set up rivals unto Allah, though He Alone created you." That man asked: "What is next?" The Prophet ~ replied: "To kill your son lest he should share your food with you." The man said: "What is next?" The Prophet ~ said: "To commit illegal sexual intercourse with the wife of your neighbour." Then Allah revealed, in confirmation of that: ( ... those who invoke not with Allah any other god, nor kill such life as Allah has made sacred except for a just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse, for whoever does this shall receive the punishment ... ) 1 The Prophet ~ mentioned examples of each type of these most serious crimes: The most serious type of polytheism is to associate another god with Allah ~ - The most serious type of killing is to kill one's child for fear that the child might share one's food and drink. The most serious type of fornication is to commit adultery with one's neighbour's wife. The adultery with a married woman is graver, in terms of its sin and punishment, than with a non-married woman, because it includes the violation of the sanctity of the husband and his intimate relationship with his wife, and it corrupts his lineage . Committing fornication with a hundred unmarried women is less, in the Sight of Allah, than committing fornication with the neighbour's wife, for such an act is also a violation of the rights of neighbourhood. The Prophet ~ said: "He does not enter Paradise one who does not save his neighbour from one's evils"2 and there is no greater evil than having a sexual intercourse with the neighbour' s wife; therefore the punishment mcreases according to the seriousness of the crime. The Divinely Decreed Punishment comes in two forms: a punishment to one's heart and soul, and a punishment to one's body and property. The punishment to the heart also comes in two forms: first, as pains which affect the heart; second, the withholding of substances which give life and refinement of the heart. The punishment to the heart is the severest of all punishments because it is basically a punishment of the whole body. This type of punishment progresses and intensifies, moving from the heart to the rest of the body, just as body pains may move to the heart. When the soul is separated from the body, the punishment remains within the body, and is known as the punishment in the grave. The punishment to the body also comes in two forms: a punishment in this world, and another in the Hereafter. Its severity and intensity depends upon the consequences of the crimes. There is no basis for evil in this world and the Hereafter except the sins and their punishment. Evil originates from the self and its misdeeds, against which the Prophet ~ used to seek refuge in Allah, saying: "We seek refuge in You (Allah) from the evil within ourselves, and from the evil of our deeds." Seeking refuge in Allah is done against all evil; the evil of the self becomes manifested as evil deeds, which in their tum necessitate the appropriate punishments. The angels invoke the Mercy of Allah ~ for the believers, saying: ("Save them from (the punishment of what they did ot) sins, and whomsoever You save from (the punishment of what he did of) sins (i.e. pardon him) that day, him verily, You have taken into mercy")3 This Verse informs us of the angels' praise for the believers and their benevolence towards them, by seeking their forgiveness. The angels ask Allah ~ with His Vast Measureless Knowledge and Mercy to save the believers from punishment. Allah ~ is All-Aware of their sins and their causes, and also of their weakness before their arch enemy (Satan). Allah ~ is All-Aware of His Servants, whom He ~ created from the earth, and when they were in the form of embryos in their mothers' wombs. He ~ knew that they were going to disobey Him sometime in their lives, but He ~ · loves to pardon and forgive. The angels invoke Allah ~ for the believers to enter Paradise, which He has promised them , and say: (You are the Almighty, the All-Wise) 1 i.e. the Source and the Cause of all that comes from the Perfection of Allah's Ability and His Knowledge; for might is the perfection of ability, and wisdom is the perfection of knowledge. With these Attributes, Allah ~ decrees, commands, forbids, compensates and punishes whomsoever He ~ wishes; the basis of Allah's Creation and Commands are founded upon these two Attributes.