Skip to content
MyDeenTools

Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread)

Verse 45of 120

وَكَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ فِيهَآ أَنَّ ٱلنَّفْسَ بِٱلنَّفْسِ وَٱلْعَيْنَ بِٱلْعَيْنِ وَٱلْأَنفَ بِٱلْأَنفِ وَٱلْأُذُنَ بِٱلْأُذُنِ وَٱلسِّنَّ بِٱلسِّنِّ وَٱلْجُرُوحَ قِصَاصٌۭ ۚ فَمَن تَصَدَّقَ بِهِۦ فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٌۭ لَّهُۥ ۚ وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ﴿٤٥

Translation (Sahih International)

And We ordained for them therein a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds is legal retribution. But whoever gives [up his right as] charity, it is an expiation for him. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed - then it is those who are the wrongdoers.

Word-by-word meaning

وَكَتَبْنَاwakatabnāAnd We ordained
عَلَيْهِمْʿalayhimfor them
فِيهَآfīhāin it
أَنَّannathat
ٱلنَّفْسَl-nafsathe life
بِٱلنَّفْسِbil-nafsifor the life
وَٱلْعَيْنَwal-ʿaynaand the eye
بِٱلْعَيْنِbil-ʿaynifor the eye
وَٱلْأَنفَwal-anfaand the nose
بِٱلْأَنفِbil-anfifor the nose
وَٱلْأُذُنَwal-udhunaand the ear
بِٱلْأُذُنِbil-udhunifor the ear
وَٱلسِّنَّwal-sinaand the tooth
بِٱلسِّنِّbil-sinifor the tooth
وَٱلْجُرُوحَwal-jurūḥaand (for) wounds
قِصَاصٌۭ ۚqiṣāṣun(is) retribution
فَمَنfamanBut whoever
تَصَدَّقَtaṣaddaqagives charity
بِهِۦbihiwith it
فَهُوَfahuwathen it is
كَفَّارَةٌۭkaffāratunan expiation
لَّهُۥ ۚlahufor him
وَمَنwamanAnd whoever
لَّمْlam(does) not
يَحْكُمyaḥkumjudge
بِمَآbimāby what
أَنزَلَanzalahas revealed
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَfa-ulāikathen those
هُمُhumu[they]
ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَl-ẓālimūna(are) the wrongdoers

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْكَـفِرُونَ(And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the disbelievers.) because they rejected Allah's command with full intention and with transgression and rebellion. In this Ayah, Allah said,فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الظَّـلِمُونَ(such are the unjust.) because they did not exact the oppressed his due rights from the oppressor in a matter which Allah ordered that all be treated equally and fairly.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

Share this verse with others

WhatsAppX

These tools are free because of generous Muslims.

$10/month keeps this platform free for 50,000 people. Every visit earns you reward — Sadaqah Jariyah.

Support this project