سُوْرَةُ المَآئِدَةِ
Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 95
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَقْتُلُوا۟ ٱلصَّيْدَ وَأَنتُمْ حُرُمٌ ۚ وَمَن قَتَلَهُۥ مِنكُم مُّتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَآءٌ مِّثْلُ مَا قَتَلَ مِنَ ٱلنَّعَمِ يَحْكُمُ بِهِۦ ذَوَا عَدْلٍ مِّنكُمْ هَدْيًۢا بَـٰلِغَ ٱلْكَعْبَةِ أَوْ كَفَّـٰرَةٌ طَعَامُ مَسَـٰكِينَ أَوْ عَدْلُ ذَٰلِكَ صِيَامًا لِّيَذُوقَ وَبَالَ أَمْرِهِۦ ۗ عَفَا ٱللَّهُ عَمَّا سَلَفَ ۚ وَمَنْ عَادَ فَيَنتَقِمُ ٱللَّهُ مِنْهُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ ذُو ٱنتِقَامٍ ﴿95﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! Kill not the game while you are in a state of Ihrâm [for Hajj or ‘Umrah (pilgrimage)], and whosoever of you kills it intentionally, the penalty is an offering, brought to the Ka‘bah, of an eatable animal (i.e. sheep, goat, cow) equivalent to the one he killed, as adjudged by two just men among you; or, for expiation, he should feed Masâkîn (poor persons), or its equivalent in Saum (fasting), that he may taste the heaviness (punishment) of his deed. Allâh has forgiven what is past, but whosoever commits it again, Allâh will take retribution from him. And Allâh is All-Mighty, All-Able of Retribution.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe
لَا
lā
(Do) not
تَقْتُلُوا۟
taqtulū
kill
ٱلصَّيْدَ
l-ṣayda
the game
وَأَنتُمْ
wa-antum
while you
حُرُمٌۭ ۚ
ḥurumun
(are in) Ihram
وَمَن
waman
And whoever
قَتَلَهُۥ
qatalahu
killed it
مِنكُم
minkum
among you
مُّتَعَمِّدًۭا
mutaʿammidan
intentionally
فَجَزَآءٌۭ
fajazāon
then penalty
مِّثْلُ
mith'lu
(is) similar
مَا
mā
(to) what
قَتَلَ
qatala
he killed
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلنَّعَمِ
l-naʿami
the cattle
يَحْكُمُ
yaḥkumu
judging
بِهِۦ
bihi
it
ذَوَا
dhawā
two men
عَدْلٍۢ
ʿadlin
just
مِّنكُمْ
minkum
among you
هَدْيًۢا
hadyan
(as) an offering
بَـٰلِغَ
bāligha
reaching
ٱلْكَعْبَةِ
l-kaʿbati
the Kabah
أَوْ
aw
or
كَفَّـٰرَةٌۭ
kaffāratun
an expiation
طَعَامُ
ṭaʿāmu
feeding
مَسَـٰكِينَ
masākīna
needy people
أَوْ
aw
or
عَدْلُ
ʿadlu
equivalent
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
(of) that
صِيَامًۭا
ṣiyāman
(in) fasting
لِّيَذُوقَ
liyadhūqa
that he may taste
وَبَالَ
wabāla
(the) consequence
أَمْرِهِۦ ۗ
amrihi
(of) his deed
عَفَا
ʿafā
Pardoned
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
(by) Allah
عَمَّا
ʿammā
what
سَلَفَ ۚ
salafa
(has) passed
وَمَنْ
waman
but whoever
عَادَ
ʿāda
returned
فَيَنتَقِمُ
fayantaqimu
then will take retribution
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
مِنْهُ ۗ
min'hu
from him
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
عَزِيزٌۭ
ʿazīzun
(is) All-Mighty
ذُو
dhū
Owner
ٱنتِقَامٍ
intiqāmin
(of) Retribution
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 95)➊ {يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا لَا تَقْتُلُوا الصَّيْدَ وَ اَنْتُمْ حُرُمٌ :} A person in the state of ihram (muhrim) should neither hunt nor assist in hunting in any way. He said: «وَ لَا تَعَاوَنُوْا عَلَى الْاِثْمِ وَ الْعُدْوَانِ » [ المائدۃ : ۲ ] “And do not help one another in sin and transgression.” However, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “There are five wicked animals that may be killed even in the Haram: the rat, the scorpion, the kite, the crow, and the biting dog.” [بخاری، بدء الخلق، باب إذا وقع الذباب أحدکم… : ۳۳۱۴ ]
The scholars have derived permission to kill snakes, wolves, leopards, and lions, etc., due to their inclusion among the fawasiq, i.e., animals that cause unnecessary harm, as mentioned in {’’اَلْكَلْبُ الْعَقُوْرُ‘‘}.
➋ {وَ مَنْ قَتَلَهٗ مِنْكُمْ مُّتَعَمِّدًا … :} That is, in the state of ihram, for whatever game is killed, he must give a ransom of its “like.” By “like” is meant an animal similar in body, stature, and appearance, such as a goat in place of a gazelle.
➌ {يَحْكُمُ بِهٖ ذَوَا عَدْلٍ مِّنْكُمْ …:} That is, two just Muslims should decide together which animal could be considered similar to the hunted animal.
➍ {هَدْيًۢا بٰلِغَ الْكَعْبَةِ:} That is, the animal should be taken to Makkah al-Mukarramah and slaughtered there, and its meat distributed among the needy there; there is no difference of opinion about this.
➎ {اَوْ كَفَّارَةٌ طَعَامُ مَسٰكِيْنَ …:} In this verse, {’’ اَوْ ‘‘} is for choice, meaning the one who hunted has the option to pay any one of these three expiations: to sacrifice an animal similar to the hunted one at the Ka‘bah, i.e., in the Haram, or to distribute grain equal in value to the similar animal as expiation among the needy, or to fast an equivalent number of days. In Qamus and other lexicons, the definition of {’’مُد‘‘} is that if a man of average height spreads both palms and lifts something, that is one mudd. The author of Qamus says, “I have tested it and found it correct.” A sa‘ is four mudds. You can test it yourself; in one mudd, wheat does not exceed half a kilo, and obviously, the weight of other grains will differ. That is, for every two mudds of grain (i.e., one kilo), one fast should be observed. As mentioned in Surah al-Baqarah, verse (196), in the narration of Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah (may Allah be pleased with him), which is found in Sahih Bukhari (4517, 4191, 5916).
➏ {عَفَا اللّٰهُ عَمَّا سَلَفَ:} That is, whatever hunting you did in the state of ihram during the time of ignorance or before this ruling came, Allah Almighty has forgiven it; now it is not necessary to give compensation for it.
The scholars have derived permission to kill snakes, wolves, leopards, and lions, etc., due to their inclusion among the fawasiq, i.e., animals that cause unnecessary harm, as mentioned in {’’اَلْكَلْبُ الْعَقُوْرُ‘‘}.
➋ {وَ مَنْ قَتَلَهٗ مِنْكُمْ مُّتَعَمِّدًا … :} That is, in the state of ihram, for whatever game is killed, he must give a ransom of its “like.” By “like” is meant an animal similar in body, stature, and appearance, such as a goat in place of a gazelle.
➌ {يَحْكُمُ بِهٖ ذَوَا عَدْلٍ مِّنْكُمْ …:} That is, two just Muslims should decide together which animal could be considered similar to the hunted animal.
➍ {هَدْيًۢا بٰلِغَ الْكَعْبَةِ:} That is, the animal should be taken to Makkah al-Mukarramah and slaughtered there, and its meat distributed among the needy there; there is no difference of opinion about this.
➎ {اَوْ كَفَّارَةٌ طَعَامُ مَسٰكِيْنَ …:} In this verse, {’’ اَوْ ‘‘} is for choice, meaning the one who hunted has the option to pay any one of these three expiations: to sacrifice an animal similar to the hunted one at the Ka‘bah, i.e., in the Haram, or to distribute grain equal in value to the similar animal as expiation among the needy, or to fast an equivalent number of days. In Qamus and other lexicons, the definition of {’’مُد‘‘} is that if a man of average height spreads both palms and lifts something, that is one mudd. The author of Qamus says, “I have tested it and found it correct.” A sa‘ is four mudds. You can test it yourself; in one mudd, wheat does not exceed half a kilo, and obviously, the weight of other grains will differ. That is, for every two mudds of grain (i.e., one kilo), one fast should be observed. As mentioned in Surah al-Baqarah, verse (196), in the narration of Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah (may Allah be pleased with him), which is found in Sahih Bukhari (4517, 4191, 5916).
➏ {عَفَا اللّٰهُ عَمَّا سَلَفَ:} That is, whatever hunting you did in the state of ihram during the time of ignorance or before this ruling came, Allah Almighty has forgiven it; now it is not necessary to give compensation for it.
