Qisas
/ˈkiː.sæs/noun
A principle in Islamic law allowing proportionate retaliation for certain offenses, especially homicide or bodily injury.
Did you know?The Qur’an presents qisas not only as retaliation but also as a path toward preserving life, because the victim’s family may choose forgiveness or compensation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*q-ṣ-ṣ
“To cut, divide, follow a trace, or relate an account; the precise prehistoric sense is reconstructed.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
qaṣṣa
“To follow a trace, recount a story, or requite an action with an equivalent act.”
Qur’anic Arabic
Arabic
qiṣāṣ
“Retaliation or legally proportionate retribution, especially in cases of killing or bodily injury.”
Medieval Islamic law
Arabic
qiṣāṣ
“A technical legal category of reciprocal punishment, distinct from compensation and discretionary punishment.”
20th Century
English
qisas
“An English transliteration used in writing about Islamic law and criminal justice.”