In sociology, the basic principle is justice which is respecting other people’s rights. Everyone realizes the importance and necessity of morality, but the problem is in practicing it. In practice, the morality and gains are in conflict. The only thing which encourages human beings towards morality is the faith. A person is bound to the morality and justice to the extent he is bound with Allah (s.w.t.). The more he is attached to Allah (s.w.t.), the more he is attached to morality and justice. In Islam, morality and justice is directly linked to worship of Allah.

     A guilty person usually flees from justice. No one will voluntarily come forward and offer himself for punishment. Faith only will make a person voluntarily seek justice against himself. In the days of early Islam, many instances were seen when guilty persons presented themselves for justice and punishment.

     For every type of sins the Islamic judicial system had prescribed punishments. But there is a condition that the punishment is abandoned with the slightest degree of doubt. Possibly following the Islamic Jurisprudence, the modern judicial systems also requires that a person should be proven guilty beyond a trace of doubt for punishment.

     In Islam, the executive and judicial officers do not search the guilty person but rather it is a beauty of Islam that it places an urge within a guilty person to come forward and seek justice and ultimate punishment.

     A man came to the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) and confessed to have committed adultery. In such cases the confession must be repeated four times to be credible. The Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) asked four times in separate ways hoping to save the man, but he was determined to confess and confirmed his crime and begged for punishment to be relieved from punishment in the hereafter.

     Similarly, a woman came to the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s.) and said, “O Commander of the Faithful, I am married and in the absence of my husband, I have committed adultery and I am now pregnant. I wish to be purified from my sin.” Imam Ali (a.s.) said, “One confession is not sufficient. It should be repeated four times.” Then he said, “The punishment for adultery of a married woman is being stoned to death. If you are given this punishment, what happens to the baby in your womb? The baby has done no wrong and must not be stoned. Go away until your baby is born.” After a few months, the woman came again with a baby in her arms and asked to be purified as the baby was born. That was her second confession. Imam Ali (a.s.) said, “We might stone you but this baby is not guilty. It needs milk and a mother to nurse it. So, go away now since the baby needs you.” The woman returned home reluctantly and after two years reappeared before the Imam Ali (a.s.) and said, “Purify me now as the baby has been weaned and is growing up.” Imam Ali (a.s.) said, “Go away, the child still needs a mother.” The woman wept and said, “Oh God, I have confessed three times but the Imam has sent me back three times and refuse to stone me. I cannot bear being polluted with sin.”

     A hypocrite, Amr bin Harris saw the woman and asked what the matter was. She explained what had happened and the man said, “I will settle this. Give me the child and let me be his guardian.” The woman was not aware that Imam Ali (a.s.) wanted her not to make the fourth confession. They went back to Imam Ali (a.s.), and the woman asked to be purified since the man had agreed to look after the child. Imam Ali (a.s.) felt very uncomfortable that the matter reached a point where no alternative was left for him but to order her to be punished.

Source: Condensed from “Spiritual Discourses” by Martyr Murtadha Mutahari (r.a.)