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Is it permissible for the Muslim ruler to suspend some hudud punishments, such as the hadd of theft, at certain times, as Umar ibn al-Khattab did during the Year of the Ash?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is obligatory upon Muslims to establish God's Hudud (prescribed punishments), which are duties revealed by God. Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, clarified that abandoning stoning is a form of misguidance due to abandoning an obligatory duty. God has ordained the cutting of the thief's hand, the lashing of the fornicator, and the killing of belligerents, or the cutting off of their hands and feet from opposite sides, or their exile. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, warned against discrimination in the application of the Hudud. It is not permissible to suspend the Hudud except in the presence of a doubt, as in the case of Umar, may God be pleased with him, during the year of famine, where it is probable that he lifted the punishment for the thief due to the doubt of necessity. Today, many rulers have suspended the Hudud out of consideration for enemies, which has led to an increase in crimes.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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