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 al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 178) ➊ {الْقَتْلٰى:} is the plural of { ”قَتِيْلٌ“ }, which means "the slain." From this verse, it apparently seems that a man will be killed in retaliation only if he kills a man, and not if he kills a woman. Similarly, a woman will be killed in retaliation only if she kills a woman, not if she kills a man. However, this is not the intended meaning; rather, the purpose here is to end a certain injustice of the people of ignorance, that if a woman from a weak tribe killed a man from a powerful tribe, they would kill an innocent man or several men from that tribe instead of the woman who committed the murder. Similarly, if a slave from a weak tribe killed a free man from a powerful tribe, they would insist on killing an innocent free man from that tribe instead of the slave who committed the murder. So Allah Almighty said that in retaliation, only the killer himself should be killed, not anyone else, whether the killer is free or a slave, a man or a woman. (Summary from Tabari)
➋ If a Muslim kills a disbeliever, the Muslim will not be killed in retaliation. Some people have said that if a Muslim kills a disbeliever, he should be killed, but this is contrary to the explicit statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: [ وَ اَنْ لاَّ یُقْتَلَ مُسْلِمٌ بِکَافِرٍ] "And no Muslim will be killed in retaliation for a disbeliever." [ بخاری، الدیات، باب لا یقتل المسلم بکافر : ۶۹۱۵] The reason a Muslim is not killed in retaliation for a disbeliever is that Allah Almighty has described the disbelievers as like cattle, or even more astray. See Surah Al-A'raf (179).
➌ {”مِنْ اَخِيْهِ“} Here, by calling the heir of the slain the brother of the killer, there is a kind of recommendation that, although the killer has killed your man, yet as a fellow Muslim, he is your brother, so you should grant him some forgiveness. There are two forms of forgiveness: one is to forgive him as charity without taking blood money; the other is to accept blood money, then either take the full amount or forgive some of it. If they accept blood money instead of retaliation, then it is obligatory for them to demand it in a good manner, and it is also obligatory for the killer's tribe to pay it in a good manner. To not pay the blood money despite having the means is injustice. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ مَطْلُ الْغَنِیِّ ظُلْمٌ] "Delaying payment by a wealthy person is injustice." [ بخاری، الحوالات، باب الحوالۃ وہل یرجع فی الحوالۃ : ۲۲۸۷]
➍ {تَخْفِيْفٌ مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْ :} Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that among the Children of Israel, there was only retaliation and no blood money; now Allah Almighty has granted relief by allowing the acceptance of blood money. [ بخاری، التفسیر، باب «یأیہا الذین آمنوا … » : ۴۴۹۸]
➎ {فَمَنِ اعْتَدٰى بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ :} If someone kills the murderer even after accepting blood money, then for him is a painful punishment.
➋ If a Muslim kills a disbeliever, the Muslim will not be killed in retaliation. Some people have said that if a Muslim kills a disbeliever, he should be killed, but this is contrary to the explicit statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: [ وَ اَنْ لاَّ یُقْتَلَ مُسْلِمٌ بِکَافِرٍ] "And no Muslim will be killed in retaliation for a disbeliever." [ بخاری، الدیات، باب لا یقتل المسلم بکافر : ۶۹۱۵] The reason a Muslim is not killed in retaliation for a disbeliever is that Allah Almighty has described the disbelievers as like cattle, or even more astray. See Surah Al-A'raf (179).
➌ {”مِنْ اَخِيْهِ“} Here, by calling the heir of the slain the brother of the killer, there is a kind of recommendation that, although the killer has killed your man, yet as a fellow Muslim, he is your brother, so you should grant him some forgiveness. There are two forms of forgiveness: one is to forgive him as charity without taking blood money; the other is to accept blood money, then either take the full amount or forgive some of it. If they accept blood money instead of retaliation, then it is obligatory for them to demand it in a good manner, and it is also obligatory for the killer's tribe to pay it in a good manner. To not pay the blood money despite having the means is injustice. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ مَطْلُ الْغَنِیِّ ظُلْمٌ] "Delaying payment by a wealthy person is injustice." [ بخاری، الحوالات، باب الحوالۃ وہل یرجع فی الحوالۃ : ۲۲۸۷]
➍ {تَخْفِيْفٌ مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْ :} Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that among the Children of Israel, there was only retaliation and no blood money; now Allah Almighty has granted relief by allowing the acceptance of blood money. [ بخاری، التفسیر، باب «یأیہا الذین آمنوا … » : ۴۴۹۸]
➎ {فَمَنِ اعْتَدٰى بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ :} If someone kills the murderer even after accepting blood money, then for him is a painful punishment.
