💰 Understanding Ghurrah (غرة): A Fine of Five Hundred Dirhams
Comprehensive Definition
Ghurrah (غرة) in Islamic law refers to a fine specifically quantified as five hundred dirhams. This fine is often imposed as compensation for causing an injury that leads to a miscarriage. The concept is detailed in the Hidāyah, a prominent text in Hanafi jurisprudence, which stipulates that if a person strikes a woman resulting in her miscarriage, they are liable to pay this fine.
Etymology and Background
The word “غرة” (Ghurrah) in Arabic carries meanings related to brightness or radiance, perhaps metaphorically linked to the substantial significance and gravity of the fine. Historically, the dirham was a unit of currency in the Islamic world, closely related to counteracting and compensating injurious actions.
Legal Context
In Islamic jurisprudence, the principle of diya or blood money extends to situations like induced miscarriages. Ghurrah is thus a form of legal redress, reflecting Islamic law’s framework for ensuring justice and compensation for wrongful actions, particularly those affecting human life and potential.
Cultural Differences and Similarities
The principle of Ghurrah in Islamic law shares similarities with compensatory legal systems in other cultures, such as the concept of wergild in early Germanic law, which also entailed monetary compensation for crimes, including injury. However, it differs in its specific applications and religious foundation.
Related Terms
- Diya (دية): Blood money or financial compensation paid to the victim or their family for bodily harm or death.
- Qisas (قصاص): Retribution or equitable punishment corresponding to the crime committed.
- Hadd (حد): Prescribed punishments in Islamic law for specific offenses.
Synonyms and Antonyms
- Synonyms: Fine, Compensation, Penalty
- Antonyms: Reward, Exemption, Subsidy
Exciting Facts
- Ghurrah is a benchmark for many other fines in Islamic jurisprudence, influencing how monetary penalties are structured for various misdemeanors.
- Historically, the computation of Ghurrah based on dirhams ties it intrinsically to the economic realities of early Islamic society.
Quotations
“Irshād al-Sariyy says: ‘Ghurrah (brightness) is for the womb what diya is for the soul.’” - Shaykh Ahmad al-Sarqaṣṭī
Suggested Literature and Further Studies
- Hidāyah - Translations and commentaries of this primary Hanafi text.
- Al-Muwatta by Imam Malik - Discusses early Islamic jurisprudence.
- Origins of Islamic Law - The Qur’an, the Muwatta and Madinan ‘Amal by Yasin Dutton
- Islamic Jurisprudence in the Classical Era by Norman Calder
Quizzes
May the pursuit of knowledge lead you to ever deeper understanding and compassion.
🌟 Author: Amina Al-Fahad | October 3, 2023 🌟
