The Ruling on Anesthetizing the Offender When Carrying Out the Punishment of Retaliation

Question : Is it permissible to use local anesthesia on the offender when carrying out the punishment of retaliation against him, whether it involves any part of his body? And what is the ruling if he had previously anesthetized the victim?

Answer : As for anesthetizing him if he did not anesthetize the victim, it is not permissible, because it causes the retaliation to be lost, regarding which Allah the Exalted said: “And wounds are subject to retaliation.” But if he had anesthetized the victim, perhaps someone might say that he is anesthetized. As for the punishment for theft or for highway robbers whose hands and feet are cut off, there is no harm in using anesthesia, because the intended purpose is the destruction of the limb.