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 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.
95. O you who believe! Do not hunt while you are in the state of ihram. And whoever deliberately kills game, the penalty is an animal of equivalent value to the one killed [142], as judged by two just men among you, to be brought as an offering to the Ka‘bah, or as an expiation, feeding the needy, or its equivalent in fasting, so that he may taste the consequence of his deed. Allah has pardoned what is past, but whoever repeats it, Allah will take retribution from him. And Allah [142.1] is Mighty, capable of retribution.
[142]
The Expiation for Hunting:
That is, two reliable and just-minded individuals will decide which animal, from the same species and of equal value, should be given in exchange for the hunted animal. This animal will be taken to the Ka'bah and slaughtered there, and the one offering the expiation cannot eat anything from it himself. If such an animal is not available, then two just individuals will decide what the value of the hunted animal is; grain of that value should be taken and either fed to the needy or distributed among them. Also, it will depend on their decision as to how many needy people can be fed with that amount of grain, which determines the number of fasts. The one who hunted intentionally will also fast the same number of days as expiation.
As for the matter of someone hunting by mistake or if his arrow accidentally hits the prey, is expiation also required in this case? Some jurists do not differentiate between accidental and intentional killing, but from the word "intentionally" in the verse, it appears that expiation should not be required for accidental killing. Similarly, there is a difference of opinion as to whether expiation is required if the hunted animal is not killed but only wounded. Apparently, from the verse, expiation is only for the case of killing; however, some jurists are of the opinion that expiation is also required in proportion to the wound, because the act was done intentionally. Another difference of opinion is whether those who point towards the prey or assist in the act are also liable for expiation, because the Sunnah also commands abstaining from such acts. And from the aforementioned hadith of Abu Qatadah, it appears that expiation should also be required from them.
However, there are five animals that can be killed even in the state of Ihram and within the Haram. Thus, Abdullah bin Umar ؓ narrates from Sayyidah Hafsah Umm al-Mu'mineen ؓ that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: There are five animals whose killing carries no blame: the crow, the kite, the rat, the scorpion, and the biting dog. [بخاري۔ ابو اب العمرة۔ باب مايقتل المحرم من الدواب]
[142۔1] That is, whoever does not comply with Allah's command or does not honor His symbols, Allah will afflict him with various earthly and heavenly calamities. And for such people, the punishment of the Hereafter is, in any case, certain.
[142]
The Expiation for Hunting:
That is, two reliable and just-minded individuals will decide which animal, from the same species and of equal value, should be given in exchange for the hunted animal. This animal will be taken to the Ka'bah and slaughtered there, and the one offering the expiation cannot eat anything from it himself. If such an animal is not available, then two just individuals will decide what the value of the hunted animal is; grain of that value should be taken and either fed to the needy or distributed among them. Also, it will depend on their decision as to how many needy people can be fed with that amount of grain, which determines the number of fasts. The one who hunted intentionally will also fast the same number of days as expiation.
As for the matter of someone hunting by mistake or if his arrow accidentally hits the prey, is expiation also required in this case? Some jurists do not differentiate between accidental and intentional killing, but from the word "intentionally" in the verse, it appears that expiation should not be required for accidental killing. Similarly, there is a difference of opinion as to whether expiation is required if the hunted animal is not killed but only wounded. Apparently, from the verse, expiation is only for the case of killing; however, some jurists are of the opinion that expiation is also required in proportion to the wound, because the act was done intentionally. Another difference of opinion is whether those who point towards the prey or assist in the act are also liable for expiation, because the Sunnah also commands abstaining from such acts. And from the aforementioned hadith of Abu Qatadah, it appears that expiation should also be required from them.
However, there are five animals that can be killed even in the state of Ihram and within the Haram. Thus, Abdullah bin Umar ؓ narrates from Sayyidah Hafsah Umm al-Mu'mineen ؓ that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: There are five animals whose killing carries no blame: the crow, the kite, the rat, the scorpion, and the biting dog. [بخاري۔ ابو اب العمرة۔ باب مايقتل المحرم من الدواب]
[142۔1] That is, whoever does not comply with Allah's command or does not honor His symbols, Allah will afflict him with various earthly and heavenly calamities. And for such people, the punishment of the Hereafter is, in any case, certain.
