Fasad

Fasād (Arabic: فساد [fasaːd]) is an Arabic word meaning rottenness, corruption, or depravity.[1] In an Islamic context it can refer to spreading corruption on Earth or spreading mischief in a Muslim land,[2] moral corruption against God,[3] or disturbance of the public peace.[4]

The spread of fasad is a major theme in the Quran, and the notion is often contrasted with islah (setting things aright).[5] Classical Quranic commentators commonly interpreted "corruption in the land" as open disobedience against God or its result.[5] In certain contexts, classical jurists took it to refer to the legal category of Hirabah, comprising armed assault, rape and murder.[6] Some contemporary Muslims view destruction of the natural environment to be among the central meanings of verses referring to fasad.[5]

In recent decades the term has been used in the legal codes of the Islamic Republics of Pakistan and Iran. In Iran, laws referencing it have been used to prosecute or threaten political opposition figures.

  1. ^ Hans Wehr, J. Milton Cowan (1976). A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic (3rd ed.). Spoken Language Services. p. 712.
  2. ^ Oliver Leaman (2013), Controversies in Contemporary Islam, Routledge, ISBN 978-0415676137, Chapter 9
  3. ^ Oliver Leaman (2009), Islamic Philosophy, ISBN 978-0745645988, pp. 140-141
  4. ^ Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture, Editors: Coeli Fitzpatrick and Adam Hani Walker, ISBN 978-1610691772, p. 59
  5. ^ a b c Nasr, Seyyed Hossein; Dagli, Caner K.; Dakake, Maria Massi; Lumbard, Joseph E.B.; Rustom, Mohammed. (2015). The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary. HarperCollins (Kindle edition). p. Loc. 3292 (Commentary to 2:11-12).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference study-quran-5-33 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).