Analytical Assessment of the Viewpoint of the Criminal Immunity (Legal Punishments) of Criminals Who Take Refuge in Holy Shrines

According to the opinion of well-known jurists, a criminal who commits a crime outside the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Ḥarām) in Makkah and then takes refuge in this holy place, is subject to Islamic treatment and is immune from punishment as long as he/she resides in the holy shrine. The important question is raised whether it is possible to extend the ruling of “criminal immunity for criminals who reside in the Sacred Mosque” to other holy shrines as well or not. In response to that, some jurists consider holy shrines to be the same as the Sacred Mosque and cite four reasons to prove their claims, but another group does not accept the association of other holy shrines with the Sacred Mosque. In this regard, they citing to this evidence that “there is no special reason” and “adhering to the principle.” Using the descriptive-analytical method and with a critical approach, this study strengthens the second group’s point of view and analyses and criticizes the first group’s point of view. Therefore, in the end, the conclusion has been reached that the view of the second group is correct. But, if the immunity of criminals who take refuge in the Sacred Mosque is based on the security of the shrine, as the religious texts clearly state this matter, due to the existence of a special text (naṣṣ) regarding the security of the Holy Shrine of Imām al-Ḥusayn’s (ʻa), only this holy shrine can be associated with the Sacred Mosque and not the other holy shrines.