Is it permissible for one who has committed a crime subject to a fixed punishment to travel to a country where such punishments are carried out so that the punishment may be executed upon him?
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The questioner : A man committed a crime subject to a fixed punishment, and there is no [punishment] here.
The Shaykh : [Punishments].
The questioner : [Punishments], so for example, is it permissible for him to travel, for instance, to a country that enforces punishments so that the punishment may be carried out upon him?
The Shaykh : The hadiths are explicit regarding concealment; even in a country where punishments are enforced, he should repent between himself and Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). This is as if the punishment were carried out upon him. However, if he is in a country where punishments are enforced and he is able to conceal his sin, that is better for him than exposing himself to the ruler who enforces punishments in his country. It is even more so, and certainly, that it is not prescribed for him to move to another country where punishments are enforced.
The questioner : Okay, and is the punishment dropped from him?
The Shaykh : With repentance.
The questioner : Does repentance drop the punishment?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : So, are the fixed punishments expiations or deterrents?
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : The fixed punishments, I mean, are they deterrents or expiations?
The Shaykh : No, they are expiations, as stated in the hadith. But not everyone upon whom a punishment is carried out is assumed to have repented and turned back. However, if we imagine a man, for example, who committed unlawful sexual intercourse.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Whether he was married or unmarried, and the punishment was not carried out upon him, then he repented to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and turned back, repentance erases the sin. The fixed punishments are expiations for their perpetrators, more specific than repentance, in the sense that they erase the sinner's sin, even if we assume he did not repent between himself and his Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He).
The Shaykh : [Punishments].
The questioner : [Punishments], so for example, is it permissible for him to travel, for instance, to a country that enforces punishments so that the punishment may be carried out upon him?
The Shaykh : The hadiths are explicit regarding concealment; even in a country where punishments are enforced, he should repent between himself and Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). This is as if the punishment were carried out upon him. However, if he is in a country where punishments are enforced and he is able to conceal his sin, that is better for him than exposing himself to the ruler who enforces punishments in his country. It is even more so, and certainly, that it is not prescribed for him to move to another country where punishments are enforced.
The questioner : Okay, and is the punishment dropped from him?
The Shaykh : With repentance.
The questioner : Does repentance drop the punishment?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : So, are the fixed punishments expiations or deterrents?
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : The fixed punishments, I mean, are they deterrents or expiations?
The Shaykh : No, they are expiations, as stated in the hadith. But not everyone upon whom a punishment is carried out is assumed to have repented and turned back. However, if we imagine a man, for example, who committed unlawful sexual intercourse.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Whether he was married or unmarried, and the punishment was not carried out upon him, then he repented to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and turned back, repentance erases the sin. The fixed punishments are expiations for their perpetrators, more specific than repentance, in the sense that they erase the sinner's sin, even if we assume he did not repent between himself and his Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He).
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.