Al-Baqarah 2:178
The Cow · Juz 2 · Page 27
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡقِصَاصُ فِي ٱلۡقَتۡلَىۖ ٱلۡحُرُّ بِٱلۡحُرِّ وَٱلۡعَبۡدُ بِٱلۡعَبۡدِ وَٱلۡأُنثَىٰ بِٱلۡأُنثَىٰۚ فَمَنۡ عُفِيَ لَهُۥ مِنۡ أَخِيهِ شَيۡءٞ فَٱتِّبَاعُۢ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَأَدَآءٌ إِلَيۡهِ بِإِحۡسَٰنٖۗ ذَٰلِكَ تَخۡفِيفٞ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَةٞۗ فَمَنِ ٱعۡتَدَىٰ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَهُۥ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ ١٧٨
O you who have believed, prescribed for you is legal retribution for those murdered - the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female.1 But whoever overlooks from his brother [i.e., the killer] anything,2 then there should be a suitable follow-up and payment to him [i.e., the deceased's heir or legal representative] with good conduct. This is an alleviation from your Lord and a mercy. But whoever transgresses after that3 will have a painful punishment.
Tafsir · in Arabic
Al-Wahidi (al-Wajiz)
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Commentary on 2:178
﴿يا أيها الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى﴾ نزلت في حَيَّينِ من العرب أحدهما أشرف من الآخر فقتل الأوضع من الأشرف قتلى فقال الأشرف: لنقتلنَّ الحرَّ بالعبد والذَّكر بالأنثى ولَنُضاعِفَنَّ الجراح فأنزل الله تعالى هذه الآية وقوله: ﴿كُتب﴾ : أُوجب وفُرض ﴿عليكم القصاص﴾ اعتبار المماثلة والتَّساوي بين القتلى حتى لا يجوز أن يقتل حرٌّ بعبدٍ أو مسلمٌ بكافرٍ فاعتبارُ المماثلةِ واجبٌ وهو قوله: ﴿الحرُّ بالحرِّ والعبدُ بالعبدِ والأنثى بالأنثى﴾ ودلَّ قوله في سورة المائدة: ﴿أنَّ النَّفس بالنَّفس﴾ على أنَّ الذَّكر يُقتل بالأنثى فيقتل الحرُّ بالحرَّة ﴿فمن عفي له﴾ أَيْ: تُرك له ﴿من﴾ دم ﴿أخيه﴾ المقتول ﴿شيءٌ﴾ وهو أن يعفو بعض الأولياء فيسقط القود ﴿فاتباع بالمعروف﴾ أَيْ: فعلى العافي الذي هو ولي الدَّم أن يتبع القاتل بالمعروف وهو أن يطالبه بالمال من غير تشدُّد وأذىً وعلى المطلوب منه المال ﴿أداءٌ﴾ تأدية المال إلى العافي ﴿بإحسانٍ﴾ وهو ترك المطل والتَّسويف ﴿ذلك تخفيفٌ من ربكم ورحمة﴾ هو أنَّ الله تعالى خَيَّرَ هذه الأمَّة بين القصاص والدية والعفو ولم يكن ذلك إلاَّ لهذه الأُمَّة ﴿فمن اعتدى﴾ أَيْ: ظلم بقتل القاتل بعد أخذ الدية ﴿فَلَهُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ﴾
Page 27
2:177
۞ لَّيۡسَ ٱلۡبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ قِبَلَ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلۡبِرَّ مَنۡ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِ وَٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلۡمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينَ وَٱبۡنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِي ٱلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلۡمُوفُونَ بِعَهۡدِهِمۡ إِذَا عَٰهَدُواْۖ وَٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ فِي ٱلۡبَأۡسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَ ٱلۡبَأۡسِۗ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْۖ وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُتَّقُونَ ١٧٧
Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allāh, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakāh; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.
2:178
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡقِصَاصُ فِي ٱلۡقَتۡلَىۖ ٱلۡحُرُّ بِٱلۡحُرِّ وَٱلۡعَبۡدُ بِٱلۡعَبۡدِ وَٱلۡأُنثَىٰ بِٱلۡأُنثَىٰۚ فَمَنۡ عُفِيَ لَهُۥ مِنۡ أَخِيهِ شَيۡءٞ فَٱتِّبَاعُۢ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَأَدَآءٌ إِلَيۡهِ بِإِحۡسَٰنٖۗ ذَٰلِكَ تَخۡفِيفٞ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَةٞۗ فَمَنِ ٱعۡتَدَىٰ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَهُۥ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ ١٧٨
O you who have believed, prescribed for you is legal retribution for those murdered - the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female.1 But whoever overlooks from his brother [i.e., the killer] anything,2 then there should be a suitable follow-up and payment to him [i.e., the deceased's heir or legal representative] with good conduct. This is an alleviation from your Lord and a mercy. But whoever transgresses after that3 will have a painful punishment.
2:179
وَلَكُمۡ فِي ٱلۡقِصَاصِ حَيَوٰةٞ يَٰٓأُوْلِي ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ ١٧٩
And there is for you in legal retribution [saving of] life, O you [people] of understanding, that you may become righteous.1
1 translator’s note
- Or, "that you may avoid [sin]." ↩
2:180
كُتِبَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ إِن تَرَكَ خَيۡرًا ٱلۡوَصِيَّةُ لِلۡوَٰلِدَيۡنِ وَٱلۡأَقۡرَبِينَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۖ حَقًّا عَلَى ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ ١٨٠
Prescribed for you when death approaches [any] one of you if he leaves wealth [is that he should make] a bequest for the parents and near relatives according to what is acceptable - a duty upon the righteous.1
1 translator’s note
- This ruling was abrogated by the revelation in Sūrah an-Nisā’ stipulating obligatory shares for parents and close relatives. Those who do not inherit by law may be remembered in a bequest. See 4:11-12. ↩
2:181
فَمَنۢ بَدَّلَهُۥ بَعۡدَ مَا سَمِعَهُۥ فَإِنَّمَآ إِثۡمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يُبَدِّلُونَهُۥٓۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٞ ١٨١
Then whoever alters it [i.e., the bequest] after he has heard it - the sin is only upon those who have altered it. Indeed, Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.