Imam Khomeini's Innovations in Principle of No Harm and Its Similarity with Abuse of Rights in Civil Liability

The “principle of no harm” is one of the most important and widely used jurisdictional terms that, given its origin, has long been used by the revered Shia and Sunni jurists. However, the way it has been used and the inclusiveness of this principle are two areas of discord among the jurists. Imam Khomeini has reviewed this prophetic principle in quite an innovative way with a different approach to find a different connotation for this narration, according to which, the principle of no harm embraces all material and immaterial damages. Moreover, it is an indication of the initial rule along with other preliminary rules and in no contradiction with any rule except the rule on principle of monarchy. This understanding is in perfect accord with the expressions of the jurists on the abuse of rights in civil liability that has been largely covered in discussions on civil liability and confines the scope of fulfilling the rights.