(Discouraging Capital Punishment*)
O you who believe, equivalence is the law decreed for you when dealing with murder – the free for the free, the slave for the slave, the female for the female. If one is pardoned by the victim’s kin, an appreciative response is in order, and an equitable compensation shall be paid. This is an alleviation from your Lord and mercy. Anyone who transgresses beyond this incurs a painful retribution.
يٰأَيُّهَا الَّذينَ ءامَنوا كُتِبَ عَلَيكُمُ القِصاصُ فِى القَتلَى الحُرُّ بِالحُرِّ وَالعَبدُ بِالعَبدِ وَالأُنثىٰ بِالأُنثىٰ فَمَن عُفِىَ لَهُ مِن أَخيهِ شَىءٌ فَاتِّباعٌ بِالمَعروفِ وَأَداءٌ إِلَيهِ بِإِحسٰنٍ ذٰلِكَ تَخفيفٌ مِن رَبِّكُم وَرَحمَةٌ فَمَنِ اعتَدىٰ بَعدَ ذٰلِكَ فَلَهُ عَذابٌ أَليمٌ
yaaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanoo kutiba alaikumul qisaasu fil qatlaa alhurru bilhurri wal’abdu bil’abdi wal unsaa bil unsaa; faman ‘ufiya lahoo min akheehi shai’un fattibaa’um bilma’roofi wa adaaa’un ilaihi bi ihsaan; zaalika takhfeefum mir rabikum wa rahmah; famani’ tadaa ba’da zaalika falahoo ‘azaabun aleem
2:178 The Quran clearly discourages capital punishment. Every kind of excuse is provided to spare lives, including the life of the murderer. The victim’s kin may find it better, under certain circumstances, to spare the life of the murderer in exchange for an equitable compensation. Also capital punishment is not applicable if, for example, a woman kills a man, or vice versa.