Islam stopped the vigilantism and extreme retaliation that we see today
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Islam stopped the vigilantism and extreme retaliation that we see today from certain groups of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Zionists
Allah [The Exalted] said:
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡقِصَاصُ فِى ٱلۡقَتۡلَىۖ ٱلۡحُرُّ بِٱلۡحُرِّ وَٱلۡعَبۡدُ بِٱلۡعَبۡدِ وَٱلۡأُنثَىٰ بِٱلۡأُنثَىٰۚ فَمَنۡ عُفِىَ لَهُ ۥ مِنۡ أَخِيهِ شَىۡءٌ۬ فَٱتِّبَاعُۢ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَأَدَآءٌ إِلَيۡهِ بِإِحۡسَـٰنٍ۬ۗ ذَٲلِكَ تَخۡفِيفٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَةٌ۬ۗ فَمَنِ ٱعۡتَدَىٰ بَعۡدَ ذَٲلِكَ فَلَهُ ۥ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ۬
وَلَكُمۡ فِى ٱلۡقِصَاصِ حَيَوٰةٌ۬ يَـٰٓأُوْلِى ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ لَعَلَّڪُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ
O you who believe! Al-Qisas (the Law of Equality in punishment) is prescribed for you in case of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But if the killer is forgiven by the brother (or the relatives, etc.) of the killed against blood money, then adhering to it with fairness and payment of the blood money, to the heir should be made in fairness. This is an alleviation and a mercy from your Lord. So after this whoever transgresses the limits (i.e. kills the killer after taking the blood money), he shall have a painful torment. And there is (a saving of) life for you in Al-Qisas (the Law of Equality in punishment), O men of understanding, that you may become pious. [Al-Baqarah. 178-179]
Ash-Shayban, may Allah have mercy upon him, narrated from Qatadah, may Allah have mercy upon him, who stated, “Amongst the people of the pre-Islamic era, there were those who transgressed and followed shaytan. If a person possessed strength and had many supporters, and a slave of theirs was killed by a slave from another group, they would declare, ‘We will not (seek revenge) by killing anyone except a free person from their side.’ Similarly, if a woman killed another woman from a different tribe, they would assert, ‘We will not (seek revenge) by killing anyone except a man from their side.’ Consequently, Allah revealed this verse.”
Regarding the statement: [وَلَكُمۡ فِى ٱلۡقِصَاصِ حَيَوٰةٌ۬ يَـٰٓأُوْلِى ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ لَعَلَّڪُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ – And there is (a saving of) life for you in Al-Qisas (the Law of Equality in punishment), O men of understanding, that you may become pious], Az-Zujaaj, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, “When a man knows that he’ll be killed if he murders someone, he will refrain from murder, thus both his life and that of others are preserved”.
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
He abstains from taking a life out of love and a prioritisation of his own existence, thereby ensuring the safety of both his own life and that of his intended victim. When an individual took the life of another from a different family or tribe, the victim’s family or tribe killed anyone they could find from the murderer’s family, tribe, or community, leading to widespread corruption and devastation. In response to this cycle of violence, Allah established the principle of equal retribution, allowing only the perpetrator of the murder to be punished. This law serves to protect the lives of the murderer’s relatives and the inhabitants of his community.
An Excerpt from Miftaah Daar As-Sa’adah 431-432