Islamic Studies and Quranic Research in the Contemporary World

Islamic Studies and Quranic Research in the Contemporary World

Conditional Pardon in the Islamic Correctional System: Functions, Conditions, and Its Relationship with Justice

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
maryam saderi 1
Mahmoud Tabatabai 2
1 ersityVisiting Researcher, Imam Reza (AS) International Research Institute, Al-Mustafa International University (Khorasan Branch).
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran.
10.22034/iscw.2026.2091693.1254
Abstract
Despite its educational significance, the concept of pardon and leniency in Islam has sometimes been subject to misconceptions and extremes in application. The tension between recommendations for pardon and mandatory legal rulings—such as *Hudud* (fixed penal sanctions) and *Qisas* (retribution)—raises serious questions regarding the relationship between pardon and justice. Through an analysis of Islamic sources, this theoretical-analytical study examines the concepts of pardon and leniency and identifies seven educational functions: character reconstruction, fostering the motivation for restitution, preserving dignity, self-control, facilitating repentance, strengthening relationships, and providing a model for behavior. These functions are realized only when specific conditions are met across four dimensions—religious, ethical, legal, and educational (e.g., the prospect of rehabilitation, the rights of the victim, maintaining deterrence, supporting reform, and upholding justice). The distinction between the "Right of God" (*Haqq Allah*) and the "Right of People" (*Haqq al-Nas*) plays a pivotal role in defining the scope of pardon; in crimes affecting the public interest, the enforcement of *Hudud* takes precedence over pardon, as indiscriminate pardon in this realm undermines deterrence. Disregarding these conditions leads to detrimental consequences, such as the violation of rights and the erosion of justice. A key finding of the research is that pardon and justice are complementary; pardon takes precedence in matters of personal rights, whereas justice holds priority in matters of public rights. In Islam, pardon is a conditional virtue grounded in justice. The study’s innovation lies in presenting a "conditional model..."
Keywords
Pardon and forgiveness
criminal justice
conditions for the effectiveness of pardon
conditional pardon model
rights of God and rights of the people
Subjects
The Holy Quran.
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  • Receive Date 15 June 2026
  • Revise Date 11 October 2026
  • Accept Date 20 September 2026
  • First Publish Date 21 September 2026
  • Publish Date 21 September 2026