401. The right to forgive a murderer.

In verse (2:178) of the Quran it is being said the heirs of the murdered person can forgive the murderer.

The murderer of a person should be awarded death sentence is the criminal law procedure in Islam. 

But if the heirs of the murdered persons desire to forgive him, he can be saved from such a punishment. 

But the murderer needs to adequately financially compensate the murdered’s family. Even if a single member of the murdered person’s family desires to forgive the murderer he does not face the death sentence. 

This can be understood from the phrase in this verse of the Quran ‘But whoever overlooks from his brother anything’ meaning any part of the heirs wishing to overlook the crime and desire to forgive the murderer, he is saved from execution and the compensation money needs to be paid to the heirs of the murdered.    The word ‘anything’ in this phrase refers to something small,(i.e.) for example if there were ten heirs for the murdered person, even if one is ready to forgive the murderer, he gets absolved of the murder by paying a financial compensation as demanded by the family of the murdered person. We observe many countries, that have death penalty as punishment for murders committed, have granted the power to forgive the murderer to the president of the country.

When a peron is killed, murdered, the ones affected are his family members. Only they can feel the pain, the difficulties,and the anxiety of his absence. Hence the right to forgive should rest with only those who are affected. Granting such a right to the president of a country who is not affected in any way, amounts to a great injustice.

When a person who’s father has been murdered is awaiting justice, it is very unbecoming for the president of the country pardoning the murderer of is own accord.

This intelligent and justifiable law is found in these verses of the Quran.