Hirābah (Arabic: حرابة‎) is an Arabic word for “piracy”, or “unlawful warfare”. Hirabah comes from the root hariba, which means “to become angry and enraged”. The noun harb (حرب, pl. hurub حروب) means “war” and/or “enemy”. One who commits hirabah would be a hirabi. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, the same crime is known as "moharebeh" and one who commits it is a mohareb.

The Qur'an commands strict punishment for those who spread disorder in the land. As it is in the Qur'an:

The punishments of those who wage war against Allah and His Prophet and strive to spread disorder in the land are to execute them in an exemplary way or to crucify them or to amputate their hands and feet from opposite sides or to banish them from the land. Such is their disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom save those who repent before you overpower them; you should know that Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Ever Merciful.

According to these verses, the punishments permissible for spreading disorder in the land include: