From: hyder@cs.utexas.edu (Syed Irfan Hyder)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.pakistan
Subject: Re: Islam a fascist ....
Date: 25 Aug 1992 13:59:45 -0500
Organization: U Texas Dept of Computer Sciences, Austin TX
NNTP-Posting-Host: pageboy.cs.utexas.edu

In article <1992Aug25.010334.629@sol.cs.wmich.edu> sherwani@sol.cs.wmich.edu (Naveed Sherwani) writes:
>In article <l9iqs9INN54e@pageboy.cs.utexas.edu>, hyder@cs.utexas.edu (Syed Irfan Hyder) writes:

>> In Islam, there is scope of forgiveness from Allah depending
>> upon one's relationship with HIM concerning ONLY one's
>> sins agains HIM. For sins committed against fellow
>> human beings, only the person wronged against can
>> forgive.  We, you or third party can not determine
>> forgiveness in a dispute between two people.
>
>If the person who was wronged is DEAD, then is it between 
>wrong doer and god ?

I can give you the answer in one line, but that will produce
more confusions. So, I will explain the whole concept.

In Islam  one's "rights & 
responsiblities" are divided in two groups: "Rights/responsiblitites 
towards Allah" (Huqooq-al-Allah) and "Rights/responsiblities 
towards people" (huqooq-ul-ibaad).

1: One is responsible in front of Allah for Huqooq-al-Allah. We,
   you or others can't interfere in that. 

2: One is responsible in front of people for huqooq-ul-ibaad.
   If X wrongs Y, then only Y can forgive X. Technically, infringing
   on someone's right is called "Zulm" or injustice. So, if
   X infringes on Y's rights, X has committed "Zulm" or injustice.

3: If Y knows about the "zulm" and decides to forgive X, Y can do
   that. If, however 
        (i)  Y does not know about it for instance when
             X has stolen some thing of Y without Y ever finding
             it out, or
             when Y is dead and is falsely accused of something
             he never did. (this is the case you mentioned).

	(ii) or, Y is too weak to do any thing about X's
	     injustice and zulm for instance when X is too
	     powerful, wealthy or inaccessible.
	Then,
	    the society as a whole becomes responsible for
	    bringing X to task. Society has to set up 
	    institutions and mechanisms to give "redress"
	    for the zulm committed on Y. (The answer to
	    your question is therefore that "society" must
	    attempt to redress the wrong done to a dead person).

4: When the society's institutions are unable to provide
         justice (for instance when X can not be found or can not
          be brought to justice for want of enough evidence, or
	  because of some technicality)

	Then,

	    Y's rights revert to Allah. Allah will on the day of
	    judgement bring to task (i) X for whatever injustice
	    he committed, and (ii) the responsible people of
	    the society all the way up the hierarchy from workers to the 
            incharges of dept of justice to the chief executive
	    of the state for NOT delivering the justice and for 
	    their incompetence in not fulfilling the trust
	    of the people.

NOTE:  4(ii) will put the responsiblity of that zulm committed
on Y "ultimately" on the shoulders of ALL those who had the 
opportunity and the knowledge of the injustices. This was the
"responsiblity" that I pointed out in our earlier exchange, and which
gets down on the shoulders of all educated people who feel deeply
about such things like me, you, Dr. Zhivago, and the nephew of
Monseigneur the Marquisse in "A tale of two cities".
Newsgroups: soc.culture.pakistan