Evaluation of the Documentation on the Punishment of the Claimant to the Prophethood (Mutanabbī) from the Perspective of the Qur'an

The majority of Imamiyah jurists believe that anyone who falsely claims to be a prophet should be sentenced to death. All people can carry out this punishment without needing the permission of the ruling authority. This is contrary to the sound teaching of the Qur'an, which indicates that the primary principle regarding human life is to preserve everyone's blood, and any violation of this principle requires valid justification. Given the importance of the issue, this article will look at the documentation of this sentence and criticise such a view based on the Qur'anic principles. Accepting the notion that the claimant of the prophecy deserves to die (mahdūr al-dam), in the author's opinion, contradicts the necessity of caution in this matter, as the evidence presented is not sufficient to prove the claim. Moreover, this assertion does not seem to be justified in the light of the verse 33 of surah al-Māʾidah, which describes the verdict of corruption on earth (al-ifsād fī al-arḍ). This is because the separate criminalisation of corruption on earth from fighting against Allah (al-muḥārabah) cannot be inferred from the verse in question. Therefore, the punishment of such a person should be determined in the light of the rules and evidence of Sharia punishments i.e. the Ruler of the Sharia should consider the appropriate punishment for him, taking into account the circumstances.