The penalty law in the Quran

Islamic law, as any other law has prescribed penalties for those who do wrongs. This part of Islamic law is known as criminal law. Criminal law has three types of penalties. The first one is prescribed and fixed on Quranic text and has mandatory performance. It is called hudud. (Arabic hadd: a “limit” set by God). The second one is known as ta’zir (chastisement). Ta’zir covers penalties not treated under hudud punishments. The third one is known as qisas (retribution). Qisas covers wrongs against person and punishment is set by law. Victim or his family has right to pardon this crime, or to accept financial compensation.  (1)
Major penalties, legitimated by the Quran, are the penalty for murder, the penalty for highway robbery, the penalty for theft, the penalty for adultery, and the penalty for false accusation for adultery.  (2) All of these punishments are much controversial in the contemporary world and majority of Muslim countries do not perform these penalties.  (3) 
The penalty for theft is prescribed for taking, from another, determined amount of property. The determined amount is called nisab. The punishment is amputation of the hand. 
“As for the thief, male and female, cut off their hands” (4)
The penalty for adultery (zina) is prescribed when two unmarried individuals have sexual relationship. There are two types of penalty; one for married couples and one for unmarried couples. For unmarried sexual relationship the punishment shall be one hundred lashes. 
“The man who fornicates and the woman who fornicates, scourge each of them with a hundred lashes.” (5)  
Quran requires four eye witnesses who shall undoubtedly confirm that they saw sexual relationship between accused couple. After four testimonies the punishment can be proceeded. If accusation is not met with four eyewitnesses (or self-confession) it is considered to be false and therefor punishable. 
“And those who accuse chaste women but do not produce four witnesses, punish them with eighty stripes…” (6)
Zina punishment is most controversial in the contemporary world.  Its punishment is generaly seen as much disproportionate to damage it causes.  Contemporary scholar, Tariq Ramadan called (2005) for moratorium on all hudud until greater scholarly consensus…” (7)
The penalty for highway robbery (haraba) is preceded by amputation or in some cases by execution. Haraba refers to crimes that affect community. It includes terrorism and piracy crimes.  
“This is the recompense of those who…move about in the earth spreading corruption that they shall be killed, or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off…” (8)
The penalty for intentional murder is prescribed as qisas (retribution). The family has the right to pardon execution, or to accept a financial compensation. 
“O you who believe! Al-Qisas is prescribed for you in the case of murder…” (9)

The criminal law is subject of wide disagreement among Muslims scholars. All hudud punishments are treated and performed differently through Islamic history and places. Contemporary Muslim scholars are debating on possible reform of hudud penalties in try to harmonize or equalize these penalties with general human rights defined by UN resolutions. 



References
1.	The Oxford Encyclopaedia of the Islamic World, Online.  Farhat J. Ziadeh.
2.	Towards understanding Islam. Sayyid Abdul A’la Mawdudi. Islamic Foundation. 1980 Leicester.
3.	An introduction to Islamic Law. Wael Hallaq. Cambridge University Press. 2009.
4.	Quran 5:38. M.M. Ghali
5.	Quran 24:2 M. M. Ghali
6.	Quran 24:4
7.	www.tariqramadan.com
8.	Quran 5:33. M. M. Ghali
9.	Quran 2:178 M. M. Ghali