سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ

Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 92

The Women · Medinan · Juz 5 · Page 93

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ أَن يَقْتُلَ مُؤْمِنًا إِلَّا خَطَـًٔا ۚ وَمَن قَتَلَ مُؤْمِنًا خَطَـًٔا فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُّؤْمِنَةٍ وَدِيَةٌ مُّسَلَّمَةٌ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَن يَصَّدَّقُوا۟ ۚ فَإِن كَانَ مِن قَوْمٍ عَدُوٍّ لَّكُمْ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُّؤْمِنَةٍ ۖ وَإِن كَانَ مِن قَوْمٍۭ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُم مِّيثَـٰقٌ فَدِيَةٌ مُّسَلَّمَةٌ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِۦ وَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُّؤْمِنَةٍ ۖ فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ تَوْبَةً مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا ﴿92﴾
It is not for a believer to kill a believer except (that it be) by mistake; and whosoever kills a believer by mistake, (it is ordained that) he must set free a believing slave and a compensation (blood-money, i.e. Diya) be given to the deceased’s family unless they remit it. If the deceased belonged to a people at war with you and he was a believer, the freeing of a believing slave (is prescribed); and if he belonged to a people with whom you have a treaty of mutual alliance, compensation (blood-money - Diya) must be paid to his family, and a believing slave must be freed. And whoso finds this (the penance of freeing a slave) beyond his means, he must fast for two consecutive months in order to seek repentance from Allâh. And Allâh is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise.
وَمَا wamā And not
كَانَ kāna is
لِمُؤْمِنٍ limu'minin for a believer
أَن an that
يَقْتُلَ yaqtula he kills
مُؤْمِنًا mu'minan a believer
إِلَّا illā except
خَطَـًۭٔا ۚ khaṭa-an (by) mistake
وَمَن waman And whoever
قَتَلَ qatala killed
مُؤْمِنًا mu'minan a believer
خَطَـًۭٔا khaṭa-an (by) mistake
فَتَحْرِيرُ fataḥrīru then freeing
رَقَبَةٍۢ raqabatin (of) a slave
مُّؤْمِنَةٍۢ mu'minatin believing
وَدِيَةٌۭ wadiyatun and blood money
مُّسَلَّمَةٌ musallamatun (is to be) paid
إِلَىٰٓ ilā to
أَهْلِهِۦٓ ahlihi his family
إِلَّآ illā unless
أَن an that
يَصَّدَّقُوا۟ ۚ yaṣṣaddaqū they remit (as) charity
فَإِن fa-in But if
كَانَ kāna (he) was
مِن min from
قَوْمٍ qawmin a people
عَدُوٍّۢ ʿaduwwin hostile
لَّكُمْ lakum to you
وَهُوَ wahuwa and he was
مُؤْمِنٌۭ mu'minun a believer
فَتَحْرِيرُ fataḥrīru then freeing
رَقَبَةٍۢ raqabatin (of) a believing slave
مُّؤْمِنَةٍۢ ۖ mu'minatin believing
وَإِن wa-in And if
كَانَ kāna (he) was
مِن min from
قَوْمٍۭ qawmin a people
بَيْنَكُمْ baynakum between you
وَبَيْنَهُم wabaynahum and between them
مِّيثَـٰقٌۭ mīthāqun (is) a treaty
فَدِيَةٌۭ fadiyatun then blood money
مُّسَلَّمَةٌ musallamatun (is to be) paid
إِلَىٰٓ ilā to
أَهْلِهِۦ ahlihi his family
وَتَحْرِيرُ wataḥrīru and freeing
رَقَبَةٍۢ raqabatin (of) a slave
مُّؤْمِنَةٍۢ ۖ mu'minatin believing
فَمَن faman And whoever
لَّمْ lam (does) not
يَجِدْ yajid find
فَصِيَامُ faṣiyāmu then fasting
شَهْرَيْنِ shahrayni (for) two months
مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ mutatābiʿayni consecutively
تَوْبَةًۭ tawbatan (seeking) repentance
مِّنَ mina from
ٱللَّهِ ۗ l-lahi Allah
وَكَانَ wakāna and is
ٱللَّهُ l-lahu Allah
عَلِيمًا ʿalīman All-Knowing
حَكِيمًۭا ḥakīman All-Wise

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.

92. 1 This is a negation. It is in the sense of prohibition, which necessitates unlawfulness, meaning it is forbidden and unlawful for a believer to kill. It is not befitting for you to harm the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, meaning it is forbidden.
92. 2 The causes and reasons for a mistake can be numerous. The purpose is that there should be no intention or will to kill, but due to some reason, killing occurs.
92. 3 This is the penalty for accidental killing, which consists of two things. One is as expiation and seeking forgiveness, that is, freeing a Muslim slave, and the second is as the right of the servants, which is what is given to the heirs of the slain in exchange for his blood, that is, the amount of blood money. According to the spirit of the hadith, it is one hundred camels or their equivalent value in gold, silver, or currency.
92. 4 Expressing forgiveness as charity is meant to encourage forgiveness.
92. 5 That is, in this case, there will be no blood money. Some have explained the reason as being that since his heirs are harbi disbelievers, they are not entitled to receive the blood money of a Muslim, and because of this, the sanctity of his blood is less. (Fath al-Qadeer)
92. 6 This is a third case. In this as well, the same expiation and blood money apply as in the first case. Some have said that if the slain is a mu'ahid (dhimmi), then his blood money will be half that of a Muslim, because in the hadith, the blood money of a disbeliever is stated to be half that of a Muslim. But the more authentic view seems to be that in this third case as well, the ruling is being stated for a slain Muslim.
92. 7 That is, if one is not able to free a slave, then in the first and this last case, along with the blood money, there are two consecutive (without interruption) months of fasting. If there is an interruption in between, then it will be necessary to start the fasts anew, unless the interruption is due to a valid excuse such as menstruation, postpartum bleeding, or severe illness that prevents fasting. There is a difference of opinion regarding travel being a valid excuse. (Ibn Kathir)