A Critique of Faḍil al-Miqdad's Perspective on the Criminal Offense of 'Moharebeh' under Article 279 of the 1392 Islamic Penal Code

This article, through several arguments, examines the interpretation of the term 'Moharebeh' (waging war against God) by the jurist and prominent exegete Faḍil al-Miqdad. It questions why this eminent jurist asserts that 'Moharebeh against God...according to the jurists, is the act of every person who has unsheathed a weapon to terrify people... whether he is of ill repute or not... he is a Mohaarib (wager of war).' One of the points of discussion is the phrase 'ind al-fuqahā' (according to the jurists), given that the definite article 'al' in Arabic denotes generality, implying that this is the view of all jurists. However, upon examining the works of past jurists, including Sheikh al-Mufid, Sheikh al-Tā'ifah, and their students, up to the contemporary jurist Faḍil al-Miqdad himself, it is observed that there are divergent and contradictory opinions in classical fiqh literature regarding the stipulation 'whether he is of ill repute or not.' In fact, some past jurists have clearly stated that a Mohaarib is one who is of 'deceit' and 'ill repute,' and the linguistic meaning of this stipulation is interpreted as 'wicked ones.' Multiple jurists have critiqued the ambiguities in this stipulation and its relevance or irrelevance. Given that this fiqh source is referred to as an important reference in relation to Article 167 of the Iranian Constitution, it is necessary that these criticisms be examined and addressed within the framework of a narrow interpretation of the criminal term in Article 279 of the Islamic Penal Code. Therefore, the conclusion of this research is a recommendation to amend Article 279 of the Islamic Penal Code. The present paper has utilized a descriptive-analytical method and library resources.