سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 178
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْقِصَاصُ فِى ٱلْقَتْلَى ۖ ٱلْحُرُّ بِٱلْحُرِّ وَٱلْعَبْدُ بِٱلْعَبْدِ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰ بِٱلْأُنثَىٰ ۚ فَمَنْ عُفِىَ لَهُۥ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَىْءٌ فَٱتِّبَاعٌۢ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَآءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَـٰنٍ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۗ فَمَنِ ٱعْتَدَىٰ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَهُۥ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿178﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! Al-Qisâs (the Law of Equality in punishment) is prescribed for you in case of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But if the killer is forgiven by the brother (or the relatives, etc.) of the killed against blood-money, then adhering to it with fairness and payment of the blood-money to the heir should be made in fairness. This is an alleviation and a mercy from your Lord. So after this whoever transgresses the limits (i.e. kills the killer after taking the blood-money), he shall have a painful torment.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe[d]
كُتِبَ
kutiba
Prescribed
عَلَيْكُمُ
ʿalaykumu
for you
ٱلْقِصَاصُ
l-qiṣāṣu
(is) the legal retribution
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْقَتْلَى ۖ
l-qatlā
(the matter of) the murdered
ٱلْحُرُّ
l-ḥuru
the freeman
بِٱلْحُرِّ
bil-ḥuri
for the freeman
وَٱلْعَبْدُ
wal-ʿabdu
and the slave
بِٱلْعَبْدِ
bil-ʿabdi
for the slave
وَٱلْأُنثَىٰ
wal-unthā
and the female
بِٱلْأُنثَىٰ ۚ
bil-unthā
for the female
فَمَنْ
faman
But whoever
عُفِىَ
ʿufiya
is pardoned
لَهُۥ
lahu
[for it]
مِنْ
min
from
أَخِيهِ
akhīhi
his brother
شَىْءٌۭ
shayon
anything
فَٱتِّبَاعٌۢ
fa-ittibāʿun
then follows up
بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ
bil-maʿrūfi
with suitable
وَأَدَآءٌ
wa-adāon
[and] payment
إِلَيْهِ
ilayhi
to him
بِإِحْسَـٰنٍۢ ۗ
bi-iḥ'sānin
with kindness
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
That (is)
تَخْفِيفٌۭ
takhfīfun
a concession
مِّن
min
from
رَّبِّكُمْ
rabbikum
your Lord
وَرَحْمَةٌۭ ۗ
waraḥmatun
and mercy
فَمَنِ
famani
Then whoever
ٱعْتَدَىٰ
iʿ'tadā
transgresses
بَعْدَ
baʿda
after
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that
فَلَهُۥ
falahu
then for him
عَذَابٌ
ʿadhābun
(is) a punishment
أَلِيمٌۭ
alīmun
painful
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
178. 1. In the era of ignorance, there was no system or law, so powerful tribes would commit oppression against weaker tribes as they wished. One form of oppression was that if a man from a powerful tribe was killed, instead of killing only the murderer, they would try to destroy many men or sometimes the entire tribe of the murderer, and would kill a man in place of a woman and a free man in place of a slave. Allah Almighty ended this distinction and discrimination, stating that only the murderer will be killed in retribution (qisas). This makes it clear that in qisas, only the murderer will be killed. (Fath al-Qadeer) See also Surah Ma'idah, verse 45.
178. 2. There are two forms of forgiveness: one is to forgive without any compensation, that is, to forgive purely for the pleasure of Allah without taking blood money (diyah); in the second case, instead of qisas, to accept diyah. If this second option is chosen, it is being said that the claimant of diyah should follow goodness in demanding it, and the one liable should pay the diyah in a good manner without causing hardship. The heirs of the murdered person have shown kindness by sparing his life, so the response should also be with kindness.
178. 3. This concession and mercy (i.e., qisas, forgiveness, or diyah) are three forms that have been made specific for you by Allah Almighty; otherwise, before this, for the people of the Torah, there was only qisas or forgiveness, not diyah, and among the people of the Gospel (Christians), there was only forgiveness, neither qisas nor diyah. (Ibn Kathir)
178. 4. If, after accepting or taking diyah, he still commits murder, then this is rebellion and excess, for which he will face punishment in this world and the Hereafter.
178. 2. There are two forms of forgiveness: one is to forgive without any compensation, that is, to forgive purely for the pleasure of Allah without taking blood money (diyah); in the second case, instead of qisas, to accept diyah. If this second option is chosen, it is being said that the claimant of diyah should follow goodness in demanding it, and the one liable should pay the diyah in a good manner without causing hardship. The heirs of the murdered person have shown kindness by sparing his life, so the response should also be with kindness.
178. 3. This concession and mercy (i.e., qisas, forgiveness, or diyah) are three forms that have been made specific for you by Allah Almighty; otherwise, before this, for the people of the Torah, there was only qisas or forgiveness, not diyah, and among the people of the Gospel (Christians), there was only forgiveness, neither qisas nor diyah. (Ibn Kathir)
178. 4. If, after accepting or taking diyah, he still commits murder, then this is rebellion and excess, for which he will face punishment in this world and the Hereafter.
