The Taliban reinstated the retaliatory justice Qisas “an eye for an eye” in Afghanistan

Islamic verdicts such as Qisas, “an eye for an eye,” though perceived as a 7th-century novel invention, are pre-Islamic.

Last December, the Taliban reinstated their retaliatory justice called Qisas and executed a man accused of murder. Here is a history of this practice in pre-Islamic cultures.

The phrase “an eye for an eye” is a well-known expression used for thousands of years to describe the principle of retaliation or retributive justice. This principle is often associated with the idea of lex talionis, a Latin term that translates to “the law of retaliation.” The principle of an eye for an eye can be traced back to ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia and Egypt, where the concept of retaliation was used as a form of punishment for criminal offenses.

The principle of an eye for an eye is often associated with the Code of Hammurabi, a set of laws from ancient Babylon dating back to around 1754 BC. The code contains several laws that prescribe specific punishments for various crimes, and many of the punishments involve the principle of retaliation. For example, the code states that if a person causes the loss of another person’s eye, their own eye will be taken in return. Similarly, if a person causes the loss of another person’s tooth, their own tooth will be taken in return.