Decapitation was a standard method of capital punishment in pre-modern Islamic law. By the end of the 20th century, its use had been abandoned in most countries. Decapitation is still a legal method of execution in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.[1] It is also a legal method for execution in Zamfara State, Nigeria under Sharia.[2] In Iran, beheading was last used in 2001 according to Amnesty International, but it is no longer in use.[3] In recent decades, extremist Salafi jihadist groups have used beheading as a method of killing captives and terror tactic.
The use of decapitation for punishment continued well into the 20th century in both Islamic and non-Islamic nations.[4][5] When done properly, it was once[specify] considered a humane and honorable method of execution.
There is a debate as to whether the Quran discusses decapitation.[6] Two surahs could potentially be used to provide a justification for decapitation in the context of war:[6]
When the Lord inspired the angels (saying) I am with you. So make those who believe stand firm. I will throw fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Then smite the necks and smite of them each finger. (8:12)[7]
Now when ye meet in battle those who disbelieve, then it is smiting of the necks until, when ye have routed them, making fast of bonds; and afterward either grace or ransom 'til the war lay down its burdens. (47:4)[8]
Among classical commentators, Fakhr al-Din al-Razi interprets the last sentence of 8:12 to mean striking at the enemies in any way possible, from their head to the tips of their extremities.[9]Al-Qurtubi reads the reference to striking at the necks as conveying the gravity and severity of the fighting.[10] For al-Qurtubi, al-Tabari, and Ibn Kathir, the expression indicates the brevity of the act, as it is confined to battle and is not a continuous command.[10]
Some commentators have suggested that terrorists use alternative interpretations of these surahs to justify decapitation captives, however there is agreement among scholars that they have a different meaning.[6] Furthermore, according to Rachel Saloom, surah 47:4 goes on to recommend generosity or ransom when waging war, and it refers to a period when Muslims were persecuted and had to fight for their survival.[6]
Decapitation was the normal method of executing the death penalty under classical Islamic law.[11][12] It was also, together with hanging, one of the ordinary methods of execution in the Ottoman Empire.[13]
According to Amnesty, decapitation have been carried out by state authorities in Iran as recently as 2001,[14][18][19] but as of 2014 is no longer in use.[18] It is a legal form of execution in Yemen,[1] but the punishment has been suspended. It is also a legal form of execution under Sharia in Zamfara State, Nigeria.[2]
The Islamic followers of the Prophet Muhammad executed the men of the Jewish Arab tribe of Banu Qurayza for a treaty violation that lead to the deaths of many Muslims, with several hundreds killed in 627.[20]
Muhammad Ahmad declared himself Mahdi in 1880 and led Jihad against the Ottoman Empire and their British allies. He and his followers beheaded opponents, Christian and Muslim alike including the British general Charles Gordon.[24]
Extremist Salafi jihadist groups such as ISIS and Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad have used beheading as a method of killing captives. Since 2002, ISIS have circulated beheading videos as a form of terror and propaganda.[12][25] Their actions have been condemned by militant and other terrorist groups, as well as by mainstream Islamic scholars and organizations, who have contrasted Saudi government executions, which conform to standards that minimize pain, with the non-state actors who have "chosen a slow, torturous sawing method to terrorize the Western audience".[26]
^"Beheading was last used as a method of execution in 2001....beheading is no longer in use." Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide, Death Penalty Worldwide: IranArchived 27 July 2019 at the Wayback Machine
^ abcdRachel Saloom (2005), "Is Beheading Permissible under Islamic Law – Comparing Terrorist Jihad and the Saudi Arabian Death Penalty", UCLA Journal of International Law and Foreign Affairs, vol. 10, pp. 221–49.
^Nasr, Seyyed Hossein; Dagli, Caner K.; Dakake, Maria Massi; Lumbard, Joseph E.B.; Rustom, Mohammed (2015). The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary. HarperCollins (Kindle edition). p. Commentary to 8:12, Loc. 23676–23678.
^ abNasr, Seyyed Hossein; Dagli, Caner K.; Dakake, Maria Massi; Lumbard, Joseph E.B.; Rustom, Mohammed (2015). The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary. HarperCollins (Kindle edition). p. Commentary to 47:4, Loc. 59632–59635.
^Watt, W. Montgomery (2012). "Ḳurayẓa". In P. Bearman; Th. Bianquis; C.E. Bosworth; E. van Donzel; W.P. Heinrichs (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam (2nd ed.). Brill. doi:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_SIM_4535.
^Newman, Sharan (2007). The Real History Behind the Templars. Penguin. p. 133. ISBN978-0425215333.
