Surah Al-Israa (17) — Ayah 33

(Ayah 33) ➊ { وَ لَا تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِيْ حَرَّمَ اللّٰهُ …:} After forbidding the killing of children and approaching adultery for the protection of human life and honor, now it is forbidden to unjustly kill any person. When is the killing of a Muslim unjust and when is it justified? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ لَا يَحِلُّ دَمُ امْرِیءٍ مُسْلِمٍ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَّا إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ، وَ أَنِّيْ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ إِلاَّ بِإِحْدٰی ثَلاَثٍ النَّفْسُ بِالنَّفْسِ، وَالثَّيِّبُ الزَّانِيْ، وَالْمُفَارِقُ لِدِيْنِهِ التَّارِكُ لِلْجَمَاعَةِ] [بخاری، الدیات، باب قول اللّٰہ تعالٰی : « إن النفس بالنفس… » : ۶۸۷۸، عن عبد اللّٰہ بن مسعود رضی اللہ عنہ ] "It is not lawful to kill a Muslim who recites the statement 'There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,' except for one of three reasons: a life for a life, a married adulterer, and one who abandons his religion and separates from the community." However, this is not an absolute restriction, because in some other crimes, the justification for killing is also established, for example, insulting the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and marrying a mahram, etc. (Bukhari: 1846. Abu Dawood: 4456) Suicide is also included in this killing, that is, it is not permissible to kill oneself either. (See Nisa: 29) For the gravity of intentional murder, see Surah Nisa (93).

➋ { وَ مَنْ قُتِلَ مَظْلُوْمًا فَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا لِوَلِيِّهٖ سُلْطٰنًا :} If a person unjustly kills a Muslim, then Allah Almighty has given the next of kin of the murdered person full authority to either take retribution (qisas), accept blood money (diyat), or forgive without compensation. The meaning of {’’سُلْطٰنًا‘‘} is that it is obligatory upon the Muslim ruler, by Allah's command, to give him the choice of these three options; then if he wishes to take retribution, he should be given retribution, and if the killer or his associates resist, then fight them for rebelling against the Shariah. This retribution is the only way to eliminate unjust killing from society. For details, see Surah Baqarah (178, 179). The reason for insecurity and countless murders in the societies of the disbelievers is the absence of retribution. Now, except for a few, Muslim rulers have also abandoned the command of retribution and its Shariah method and adopted the law of the disbelievers, as a result of which they too have become victims of fear and insecurity instead of peace. Like the countries of the disbelievers, neither anyone's life is safe there, nor wealth, nor honor and dignity, and this is being called progress.

➌ { فَلَا يُسْرِفْ فِّي الْقَتْلِ :} Excess in retribution is to kill someone other than the killer, or to kill those along with the killer who were not involved in the murder, or to mutilate before killing, that is, to cut off his limbs or to torture him in various ways before killing. The only exception in this is that the killer may be killed in the same manner in which he killed. For details, see Surah Baqarah (194), Surah Nahl (126), and the verses of retribution in Surah Baqarah (178, 179).

➍ { اِنَّهٗ كَانَ مَنْصُوْرًا :} That is, the Muslim government and all Muslims will help him; it is obligatory upon all of them to assist him, and even Allah Almighty will grant him victory in this world and the Hereafter.