University of Guilan (with the participation of the Iranian Association of Penal Law) Criminal Law Research 2322-2328 16 1 2025 06 22 A Justice-Oriented Research on the Foundations of Considering Qawadi as a Ta'zir Crime A Justice-Oriented Research on the Foundations of Considering Qawadi as a Ta'zir Crime 113 126 8622 10.22124/jol.2025.27930.2491 FA Hossein Farzaneh Assistant Professor, Department of Jurisprudence and Fundamentals of Law, Razavi University of Islamic Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Rahmatollah Karimzadeh Sarcheshmeh Assistant Professor, Department of Jurisprudence and Fundamentals of Law, Razavi University of Islamic Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Journal Article 2024 07 14 Qawadi, or mediation in fornication, is one of the criminal acts classified by most jurists as a hadd crime, with a prescribed punishment of 75 lashes based on hadiths. This study is a maqasid-based exploration of the foundations of this well-known view, focusing on justice as one of the key objectives of Sharia. A justice-oriented reexamination of the evidence for qawadi reveals that the foundations for its classification as a hadd crime face significant challenges. The diversity and complexity that have emerged in the material and moral elements of this crime in contemporary times, compared to its simple nature during the era of hadith revelation, have transformed it into a layered and complex offense. The findings of this descriptive-analytical study indicate that justice, as embodied in the principle of proportionality between crime and punishment, necessitates that qawadi be categorized as a ta'zir crime. This reclassification would enhance judicial discretion in sentencing and introduce greater legal flexibility in the execution of punishments, thereby ensuring more effective realization of criminal justice. Qawadi, or mediation in fornication, is one of the criminal acts classified by most jurists as a hadd crime, with a prescribed punishment of 75 lashes based on hadiths. This study is a maqasid-based exploration of the foundations of this well-known view, focusing on justice as one of the key objectives of Sharia. A justice-oriented reexamination of the evidence for qawadi reveals that the foundations for its classification as a hadd crime face significant challenges. The diversity and complexity that have emerged in the material and moral elements of this crime in contemporary times, compared to its simple nature during the era of hadith revelation, have transformed it into a layered and complex offense. The findings of this descriptive-analytical study indicate that justice, as embodied in the principle of proportionality between crime and punishment, necessitates that qawadi be categorized as a ta'zir crime. This reclassification would enhance judicial discretion in sentencing and introduce greater legal flexibility in the execution of punishments, thereby ensuring more effective realization of criminal justice. https://jol.guilan.ac.ir/article_8622_0a45ba80d67fbbdb3e0d73e73c05c45b.pdf