Highway robbery ( qaṭʿ al-ṭarīq, ḥirāba ) is one of the ḥudūd crimes (sing. ḥadd , an offence mentioned in the Qurʾān and entailing fixed penalties). Its essential element is the "holdup," that is, committing the robbery while frightening travellers from continuing on their way by showing drawn weapons; the crime may be aggravated by robbing or killing. The punishments are banishment, alternate amputation of hand and foot (i.e., the right hand and the left foot), or capital punishment, which, in some cases, may include the possibility of crucifixion ( ṣalb ). This