Law of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vices

Conditions for Referring an Offender to Court

Article Twenty-Six: The overseer shall refer an offender to court under the following conditions:
1. If a person repeatedly neglects the obligatory prayers without a valid excuse.
2. If a person repeatedly neglects congregational prayers without a valid excuse.
3. If the residents of an area collectively neglect the call to prayer and congregational prayers.
4. If a person repeatedly fails to fast during the holy month of Ramadan without a valid excuse.
5. If children persistently disobey their parents.
6. If a person mistreats orphans or wastes their property.
7. If a person persistently fails to perform all obligatory good deeds or refrains from avoiding all prohibited acts.

Article 26 authorizes legal prosecution for personal or communal failure to observe prescribed Islamic duties, including prayer and fasting. This not only enforces a punitive and non-voluntary model of religious practice but also allows for state intervention into family matters and private belief. By referring even children to courts for parental disobedience, the article violates fundamental human rights, including freedom of religion, child protection standards, and personal autonomy, institutionalizing religious coercion as legal obligation.