سُوْرَةُ الإِسۡرَاءِ
Surah Al-Israa (17) — Ayah 31
وَلَا تَقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَوْلَـٰدَكُمْ خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَـٰقٍ ۖ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ قَتْلَهُمْ كَانَ خِطْـًٔا كَبِيرًا ﴿31﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And kill not your children for fear of poverty. We shall provide for them as well as for you. Surely, the killing of them is a great sin.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَا
walā
And (do) not
تَقْتُلُوٓا۟
taqtulū
kill
أَوْلَـٰدَكُمْ
awlādakum
your children
خَشْيَةَ
khashyata
(for) fear
إِمْلَـٰقٍۢ ۖ
im'lāqin
(of) poverty
نَّحْنُ
naḥnu
We
نَرْزُقُهُمْ
narzuquhum
(We) provide for them
وَإِيَّاكُمْ ۚ
wa-iyyākum
and for you
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
قَتْلَهُمْ
qatlahum
their killing
كَانَ
kāna
is
خِطْـًۭٔا
khiṭ'an
a sin
كَبِيرًۭا
kabīran
great
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
And do not kill your children for fear of poverty [36]. We provide for them and for you. Surely, killing them is a great sin.
[36]
Killing Children and Family Planning Out of Fear of Poverty:
Killing children out of fear of poverty is, in fact, a sign of lack of trust in Allah’s attribute of being the Provider, or a direct attack on it. Allah has answered this by saying that He is already providing for you, and just as He provides for you, He will surely provide for your children as well. And if you are so afraid of poverty, then you should die yourself first—why do you kill your children? So that this worry of yours may end altogether. And in the end, it is stated that this act of yours is a very great sin. In Arabia, the killing of children used to happen individually, but nowadays, similar acts are being carried out collectively and by governments, and very attractive names are given to the departments responsible for this, such as the Department of Family Planning or the Department of Population Welfare. And the motivating force behind this act is the same “fear of poverty.” Also, in this regard, please see the footnotes of Surah Al-An’am, verses 137 and 151.
[36]
Killing Children and Family Planning Out of Fear of Poverty:
Killing children out of fear of poverty is, in fact, a sign of lack of trust in Allah’s attribute of being the Provider, or a direct attack on it. Allah has answered this by saying that He is already providing for you, and just as He provides for you, He will surely provide for your children as well. And if you are so afraid of poverty, then you should die yourself first—why do you kill your children? So that this worry of yours may end altogether. And in the end, it is stated that this act of yours is a very great sin. In Arabia, the killing of children used to happen individually, but nowadays, similar acts are being carried out collectively and by governments, and very attractive names are given to the departments responsible for this, such as the Department of Family Planning or the Department of Population Welfare. And the motivating force behind this act is the same “fear of poverty.” Also, in this regard, please see the footnotes of Surah Al-An’am, verses 137 and 151.
