Date : 17-08-2016

Question :

What is the ruling of Sharia on running a red light and making a wrong pass?


The Answer :

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds, and may His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions



. Protection of human life is among the key objectives of Sharia; therefore, any act of transgression against it isn`t permissible. Islam has legislated rules that guarantee the fulfillment of this objective, so it has forbidden taking human life. Allah, The Almighty, says: " If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein (For ever): And the wrath and the curse of God are upon him, and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him."{An-Nisaa`/93}. Moreover, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "The blood, honour and property of a Muslim is inviolable for another Muslim."{Related by Muslim}. Islamic Sharia has given the Muslim ruler the authority to make laws that preserve public order to guarantee the protection of human life and property without conflicting with the texts of Sharia.



Based on the fact that the Jordan Traffic Law bans running a red light and making a wrong pass, and penalizes for doing so, this means that it agrees with Sharia`s texts and higher objectives in terms of protecting human life and property because the aforementioned violations could lead to substantial harm, and they could end with fatalities in the worst-case scenario. Accordingly, enforcing this traffic law has become a legal obligation since matters that lead to achieving a legal obligation are by themselves obligatory. By analogy, since protecting human life and property is a legal obligation, adherence and enactment of traffic laws is an obligation as well.



In conclusion, it is forbidden for a Muslim to make the aforementioned traffic violations because they lead to serious repercussions that are prohibited in Sharia, and the Prophet(PBUH) says in this regard, "There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm."{Ibn Majah}. In addition, committing them means non-obedience to the commands of the Muslim ruler. We advise drivers to adhere to the rules and regulations of the Jordan Traffic Department for their safety and that of others. And Allah knows best.