سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 29
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَأْكُلُوٓا۟ أَمْوَٰلَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ إِلَّآ أَن تَكُونَ تِجَـٰرَةً عَن تَرَاضٍ مِّنكُمْ ۚ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًا ﴿29﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves unjustly except it be a trade amongst you, by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allâh is Most Merciful to you.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe[d]
لَا
lā
(Do) not
تَأْكُلُوٓا۟
takulū
eat
أَمْوَٰلَكُم
amwālakum
your wealth
بَيْنَكُم
baynakum
between yourselves
بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ
bil-bāṭili
unjustly
إِلَّآ
illā
But
أَن
an
that
تَكُونَ
takūna
(there) be
تِجَـٰرَةً
tijāratan
business
عَن
ʿan
on
تَرَاضٍۢ
tarāḍin
mutual consent
مِّنكُمْ ۚ
minkum
among you
وَلَا
walā
And (do) not
تَقْتُلُوٓا۟
taqtulū
kill
أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ
anfusakum
yourselves
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
كَانَ
kāna
is
بِكُمْ
bikum
to you
رَحِيمًۭا
raḥīman
Most Merciful
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 29) ➊ { لَا تَاْكُلُوْۤا اَمْوَالَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ بِالْبَاطِلِ: } All forms of unlawful earning are included in {’’ بِالْبَاطِلِ ‘‘}, even consuming someone’s wealth through trickery is forbidden, and squandering one’s own wealth in a wrongful manner is also included in this. (Razi, Ibn Kathir)
➋ {اِلَّاۤ اَنْ تَكُوْنَ تِجَارَةً عَنْ تَرَاضٍ مِّنْكُمْ :} That is, the trade and transactions (industry, crafts, etc.) in which there is genuine mutual consent—earn and consume through these. In mutual consent, it is also necessary that it should not be against the Shariah, because that is not true consent, but compelled consent. For example, in bribery and usury, there appears to be consent, but it is not genuine, because one party is taking advantage of the other’s compulsion. Similarly, in gambling and lottery, both parties are acting under the deception of a hoped-for gain, and this deception cannot be called true consent. Complete mutual consent also includes that as long as the seller and buyer have not separated from the place of sale, both have the right to cancel the sale. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Each of the two parties involved in a sale has the right (to cancel the sale) as long as they have not separated from each other, except in the transaction in which this option is retained.” [ بخاری، البیوع، باب البیعان بالخیار ما لم یتفرقا : ۲۱۱۱، عن ابن عمر رضی اللہ عنھما ]
➌ { وَ لَا تَقْتُلُوْۤا اَنْفُسَكُمْ:} This can have three meanings, and all three are intended. The first is that if you conduct transactions in opposition to the Shariah, without genuine mutual consent, the result will be mutual killing and bloodshed, as in gambling, where the loser sometimes kills the winner; therefore, do not do this. The second is: do not kill one another, because this is like killing your own self. And the third is: do not commit suicide. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever kills himself with a knife, the knife will be in his hand in Hell, and he will keep stabbing his belly with it, abiding therein forever. Whoever kills himself with poison, his poison will be in his hand in Hell, and he will keep sipping it, abiding therein forever. And whoever kills himself by falling from a mountain, he will keep falling in the Fire of Hell, abiding therein forever.” [ مسلم، الإیمان، باب بیان غلظ تحریم… : ۱۰۹۔ بخاری : ۵۷۷۸، عن أبی ہریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ]
➋ {اِلَّاۤ اَنْ تَكُوْنَ تِجَارَةً عَنْ تَرَاضٍ مِّنْكُمْ :} That is, the trade and transactions (industry, crafts, etc.) in which there is genuine mutual consent—earn and consume through these. In mutual consent, it is also necessary that it should not be against the Shariah, because that is not true consent, but compelled consent. For example, in bribery and usury, there appears to be consent, but it is not genuine, because one party is taking advantage of the other’s compulsion. Similarly, in gambling and lottery, both parties are acting under the deception of a hoped-for gain, and this deception cannot be called true consent. Complete mutual consent also includes that as long as the seller and buyer have not separated from the place of sale, both have the right to cancel the sale. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Each of the two parties involved in a sale has the right (to cancel the sale) as long as they have not separated from each other, except in the transaction in which this option is retained.” [ بخاری، البیوع، باب البیعان بالخیار ما لم یتفرقا : ۲۱۱۱، عن ابن عمر رضی اللہ عنھما ]
➌ { وَ لَا تَقْتُلُوْۤا اَنْفُسَكُمْ:} This can have three meanings, and all three are intended. The first is that if you conduct transactions in opposition to the Shariah, without genuine mutual consent, the result will be mutual killing and bloodshed, as in gambling, where the loser sometimes kills the winner; therefore, do not do this. The second is: do not kill one another, because this is like killing your own self. And the third is: do not commit suicide. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever kills himself with a knife, the knife will be in his hand in Hell, and he will keep stabbing his belly with it, abiding therein forever. Whoever kills himself with poison, his poison will be in his hand in Hell, and he will keep sipping it, abiding therein forever. And whoever kills himself by falling from a mountain, he will keep falling in the Fire of Hell, abiding therein forever.” [ مسلم، الإیمان، باب بیان غلظ تحریم… : ۱۰۹۔ بخاری : ۵۷۷۸، عن أبی ہریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ]
