Chapter Fifteen

and huquq ul-ibaad (‘rights of God’s creatures’). The former refers to the responsibilities that a person should fulfill in relation to God. If he errs with regard to the ‘rights of God’, to atone for this it is enough for him to ask for forgiveness from God. But the issue of huquq ul-ibaad is very serious. If a person errs in a matter related to the ‘rights of God’s creatures’—say, by committing an offence against another human being—then he cannot atone for it only by asking forgiveness from God. Along with asking God for forgiveness, it is incumbent on him to also ask forgiveness from the concerned person and to compensate for the damage he has inflicted on him or her. Hijacking undoubtedly involves a violation of the ‘rights of God’s creatures’. It is a form of oppression against fellow humans. It is incumbent on hijackers to atone for their crimes, otherwise they would be considered to be unpardonable criminals in God’s eyes, even if they perform various Islamic acts of worship.