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Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 178of 286

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْقِصَاصُ فِى ٱلْقَتْلَى ۖ ٱلْحُرُّ بِٱلْحُرِّ وَٱلْعَبْدُ بِٱلْعَبْدِ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰ بِٱلْأُنثَىٰ ۚ فَمَنْ عُفِىَ لَهُۥ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَىْءٌۭ فَٱتِّبَاعٌۢ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَآءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَٰنٍۢ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَرَحْمَةٌۭ ۗ فَمَنِ ٱعْتَدَىٰ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَهُۥ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ﴿١٧٨

Translation (Sahih International)

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. But whoever overlooks from his brother anything, then there should be a suitable follow-up and payment to him with good conduct. This is an alleviation from your Lord and a mercy. But whoever transgresses after that will have a painful punishment.

Word-by-word meaning

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاyāayyuhāO you
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnawho
ءَامَنُوا۟āmanūbelieve[d]
كُتِبَkutibaPrescribed
عَلَيْكُمُʿalaykumufor you
ٱلْقِصَاصُl-qiṣāṣu(is) the legal retribution
فِىin
ٱلْقَتْلَى ۖl-qatlā(the matter of) the murdered
ٱلْحُرُّl-ḥuruthe freeman
بِٱلْحُرِّbil-ḥurifor the freeman
وَٱلْعَبْدُwal-ʿabduand the slave
بِٱلْعَبْدِbil-ʿabdifor the slave
وَٱلْأُنثَىٰwal-unthāand the female
بِٱلْأُنثَىٰ ۚbil-unthāfor the female
فَمَنْfamanBut whoever
عُفِىَʿufiyais pardoned
لَهُۥlahu[for it]
مِنْminfrom
أَخِيهِakhīhihis brother
شَىْءٌۭshayonanything
فَٱتِّبَاعٌۢfa-ittibāʿunthen follows up
بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِbil-maʿrūfiwith suitable
وَأَدَآءٌwa-adāon[and] payment
إِلَيْهِilayhito him
بِإِحْسَـٰنٍۢ ۗbi-iḥ'sāninwith kindness
ذَٰلِكَdhālikaThat (is)
تَخْفِيفٌۭtakhfīfuna concession
مِّنminfrom
رَّبِّكُمْrabbikumyour Lord
وَرَحْمَةٌۭ ۗwaraḥmatunand mercy
فَمَنِfamaniThen whoever
ٱعْتَدَىٰiʿ'tadātransgresses
بَعْدَbaʿdaafter
ذَٰلِكَdhālikathat
فَلَهُۥfalahuthen for him
عَذَابٌʿadhābun(is) a punishment
أَلِيمٌۭalīmunpainful

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Command and the Wisdom behind the Law of EqualityAllah states: O believers! The Law of equality has been ordained on you (for cases of murder), the free for the free, the slave for the slave and the female for the female. Therefore, do not transgress the set limits, as others before you transgressed them, and thus changed what Allah has ordained for them.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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