Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 179

(Ayah 179) The meaning of "there is life in retribution" is that, due to the fear of this punishment, people will refrain from committing murder and no one will dare to kill another. Thus, the meaning of {”تَتَّقُوْنَ“} is "so that you may refrain from killing others," but it is better to take its meaning in a general sense: "so that you may avoid sin and be saved from Allah's punishment in the Hereafter." The scholars have written that this verse is unparalleled in its brevity and comprehensiveness. The unparalleled peace in Saudi Arabia is a blessing of acting upon this verse.

179. 1. When the murderer fears that he too will be killed in retribution, then he will not dare to kill anyone, and in the society where the law of retribution is enforced, this fear protects the society from murder and bloodshed, resulting in great peace and tranquility in the society. This can still be observed today in Saudi society, where, by the grace of Allah, the blessings of enforcing Islamic punishments are present. If only other countries would also enforce Islamic punishments and provide their people with this peaceful life.

179. And there is life for you in retribution, O people of understanding [225], so that you may refrain (from wrongdoing).

[225] How is there life in retribution (qisas)? This is an extremely eloquent and articulate sentence, which left the eloquent ones of Arabia in awe. Because in this brief sentence, an ocean has been contained in a pitcher. That is, qisas apparently seems to be death, but in reality, the secret of the entire life lies within it. The eloquent idiom used among the Arabs was "al-qatlu anfa al-qatl," meaning "killing is erased only by killing." But in "fī al-qiṣāṣi ḥayāh" there is far greater subtlety, eloquence, and articulation, and the meaning is much more comprehensive. In the era of ignorance, if someone was killed, there was no established rule for qisas. Therefore, in retaliation, thousands of lives would be taken from both sides, yet the root of corruption would not be eliminated. All the civil wars of Arabia, which continued for years and had destroyed the peace and tranquility of the entire Arab world, were due to this very reason. Through this verse, Allah Almighty has granted the right to live to all people of the world by giving the just law of qisas.

Some Necessary Issues Regarding Qisas and Blood Money (Diyat):

1. There are three situations for the killer: (i) The heirs of the murdered insist on qisas only; (ii) They forgive qisas but wish to take blood money (diyat); (iii) They forgive everything. The heirs of the murdered have the authority over all these matters.
2. If even one of the heirs of the murdered forgives qisas, then the matter of qisas is finished, and in the remaining cases, the possible option will be acted upon. Because Allah Almighty prefers forgiving or taking blood money over taking qisas.
3. A Muslim should not be killed in retaliation for a disbeliever [بخاري، كتاب الديات، باب لا يقتل المسلم بالكافر]. This is in the case when the disbeliever is a harbi (enemy combatant), and if he is a dhimmi (protected non-Muslim), then his qisas, blood money, or pardon is necessary.
4. If a father kills his son, qisas will not be taken from him [احمد بيهقي بسند صحيح، بلوغ الاماني جلد 16 ص 320].
5. Nowadays, the ignorant custom no longer exists, and the era of slavery has also ended. Now, the situation remains that if a woman kills a man or a man kills a woman, then what should be done? The Shariah is silent on this matter, and it will be at the discretion of the judge.
6. The blood money for a life is one hundred camels [نسائي، كتاب العقود والديات، عن عمرو بن جزم], or the equivalent of their value, or whatever the government of the time determines as approximately equivalent.
7. The blood money is the responsibility of the 'asabat (paternal relatives) [بخاري، كتاب الديات باب جنين المراة، نيز مسلم، كتاب القسامة باب ديت الجنين]. For detailed issues, refer to the books of hadith.