Who are meant by: "and strive throughout the land [to cause] corruption" in His, the Almighty's, saying: "Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive throughout the land [to cause] corruption"? And what is the corruption intended in the verse?

A muharib (highway robber/brigand) is one who comes out against people with a weapon, assaulting their lives, property, and honor. The hadd (prescribed punishment) of hirabah (brigandage) is applied to him under specific conditions. As for fasad fil-ardh (corruption in the land), it has multiple forms, encompassing all acts of sabotage, aggression, injustice, and disobedience. It is forbidden by Islamic law, and does not require carrying a weapon. Corruption includes transforming what is good into what is harmful, removing benefit, corrupting systems, and resisting righteousness. In contrast, zina (unlawful sexual intercourse) and sariqah (theft) have their own specific prescribed punishments (hadd) in Islamic law (stoning or lashing for zina, and cutting off the hand for sariqah).