Surah 17. Al-Isra

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-22 [2], 23-30 [3], 31-40 [4], 41-52 [5], 53-60 [6], 61-70 [7], 71-77 [8], 78-84 [9], 85-93 [10], 94-100 [11], 101-111 [12]

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Quran Text of Verse 31-40وَ لَاAnd (do) notتَقْتُلُوْۤاkillاَوْلَادَكُمْyour childrenخَشْیَةَ(for) fearاِمْلَاقٍ ؕ(of) povertyنَحْنُWeنَرْزُقُهُمْ(We) provide for themوَ اِیَّاكُمْ ؕand for youاِنَّIndeedقَتْلَهُمْtheir killingكَانَisخِطْاًa sinكَبِیْرًا great وَ لَاAnd (do) notتَقْرَبُواgo nearالزِّنٰۤیadulteryاِنَّهٗIndeed itكَانَisفَاحِشَةً ؕan immoralityوَ سَآءَand (an) evilسَبِیْلًا way وَ لَاAnd (do) notتَقْتُلُواkillالنَّفْسَthe soulالَّتِیْwhichحَرَّمَAllah has forbiddenاللّٰهُAllah has forbiddenاِلَّاexceptبِالْحَقِّ ؕby rightوَ مَنْAnd whoeverقُتِلَ(is) killedمَظْلُوْمًاwrongfullyفَقَدْverilyجَعَلْنَاWe have madeلِوَلِیِّهٖfor his heirسُلْطٰنًاan authorityفَلَاbut notیُسْرِفْhe should exceedفِّیinالْقَتْلِ ؕthe killingاِنَّهٗIndeed, heكَانَisمَنْصُوْرًا helped وَ لَاAnd (do) notتَقْرَبُوْاcome nearمَالَ(the) wealthالْیَتِیْمِ(of) the orphanاِلَّاexceptبِالَّتِیْwith whatهِیَ[it] isاَحْسَنُbestحَتّٰیuntilیَبْلُغَhe reachesاَشُدَّهٗ ۪his maturityوَ اَوْفُوْاAnd fulfilبِالْعَهْدِ ۚthe covenantاِنَّIndeedالْعَهْدَthe covenantكَانَwill beمَسْـُٔوْلًا questioned وَ اَوْفُواAnd give fullالْكَیْلَ[the] measureاِذَاwhenكِلْتُمْyou measureوَ زِنُوْاand weighبِالْقِسْطَاسِwith the balanceالْمُسْتَقِیْمِ ؕthe straightذٰلِكَThatخَیْرٌ(is) goodوَّ اَحْسَنُand bestتَاْوِیْلًا (in) result وَ لَاAnd (do) notتَقْفُpursueمَاwhatلَیْسَnotلَكَyou haveبِهٖof itعِلْمٌ ؕany knowledgeاِنَّIndeedالسَّمْعَthe hearingوَ الْبَصَرَand the sightوَ الْفُؤَادَand the heartكُلُّallاُولٰٓىِٕكَthoseكَانَwill beعَنْهُ[about it]مَسْـُٔوْلًا questioned وَ لَاAnd (do) notتَمْشِwalkفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthمَرَحًا ۚ(with) insolenceاِنَّكَIndeed youلَنْwill neverتَخْرِقَtearالْاَرْضَthe earthوَ لَنْand will neverتَبْلُغَreachالْجِبَالَthe mountainsطُوْلًا (in) height كُلُّAllذٰلِكَthatكَانَisسَیِّئُهٗ[its] evilعِنْدَnearرَبِّكَyour Lordمَكْرُوْهًا hateful 17. Al-Isra Page 286ذٰلِكَThatمِمَّاۤ(is) from whatاَوْحٰۤی(was) revealedاِلَیْكَto youرَبُّكَ(from) your Lordمِنَofالْحِكْمَةِ ؕthe wisdomوَ لَاAnd (do) notتَجْعَلْmakeمَعَwithاللّٰهِAllahاِلٰهًاgodاٰخَرَotherفَتُلْقٰیlest you should be thrownفِیْinجَهَنَّمَHellمَلُوْمًاblameworthyمَّدْحُوْرًا abandoned اَفَاَصْفٰىكُمْThen has chosen (for) youرَبُّكُمْyour Lordبِالْبَنِیْنَsonsوَ اتَّخَذَand He has takenمِنَfromالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةِthe Angelsاِنَاثًا ؕdaughtersاِنَّكُمْIndeed, youلَتَقُوْلُوْنَsurely sayقَوْلًاa wordعَظِیْمًا۠grave

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Translation of Verse 31-40

31. Do not slay your children for fear of poverty, We provide for them also as We provide for you.³⁹ Verily their slaying is great sin.⁴⁰

32. Do not go near to adultery. Verily it is open shamefulness and an evil way.⁴¹

33. And slay not the life which Allah has forbidden save with right.⁴² And whoever is slain wrongfully, We have given the authority to his heir, so let him not commit excess in slaying.⁴³ Verily he has been helped.⁴⁴

34. And do not go near the wealth of the orphan save with that which is better until he attains his age of strength;⁴⁵ and keep the covenant. Verily, of the covenant it will be asked.

35. Give full measure, when you measure,⁴⁶ and weigh with even scales. That is fair and better in the end.⁴⁷

36. Do not be after that of which you have no knowledge.⁴⁸ Verily, the hearing, the sight and the heart each of these will be asked.⁴⁹

37. Do not walk proudly on earth. Verily you cannot rend the earth, nor can you stretch to the height of the hills.⁵⁰

38. The evil of all that is hateful in the sight of your Lord.⁵¹

39. This is (part) of that wisdom which your Lord sent you as revelation.⁵² And do not set up with Allah another god,⁵³ lest you be thrown into Hell, reproved, rejected.

40. Has your Lord then blessed you by giving you sons, and has taken for Himself angels as female (children)?⁵⁴ Verily you speak a very harsh word!

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Commentary

39. This has been explained in Surah An’am Note No.276.

40. That is: To kill one’s own children is not an ordinary thing, but it is a great sin.

In pre-Islamic Arabia children used to be buried alive for fear of poverty, or they used to be killed by other methods, therefore, its mention has been made specifically, otherwise whatever be the motive for killing the children, this heinous act is a great sin.

Modern civilization has made unlawful sex a common thing, with the result that illegitimate children are conceived in large numbers, and in order to hide this people do not hesitate to kill the children as soon as they are born. Thus they become guilty of first illegal sexual act and secondly of wrongful murder.

41. Illegal sex out of wedlock is forbidden in Islam in all circumstances, even if the male or the female or both commit it willingly, and irrespective of the fact whether the person or persons concerned are married or unmarried.

The fact of illegal sex being a shameful act is a self-evident truth. Its being an evil way is also well-known, for once a person enters this lane he loses his morality and follows the evil way.

The instruction to keep away from adultery has been given in the ayah with such an emphasis that it requires a person to totally’ avoid all those things which lead to it. (See Surah Al-An’am Note No.277).

In a hadith the Prophet (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) has listed the preamble of adultery (things that lead to it) in this way: “

The part which a man plays in adultery is written, which (i.e. his sin) he will definitely get. Accordingly the adultery of the eyes is (lustful) look, the adultery of the ears is hearing ( sexy talk), the adultery of the tongue is talking (about romantic things), the adultery of the hand is gripping (with lust), and the adultery of the feet are the steps (which proceed in this direction). The heart desires and longs, and the genitals either confirm or contradict it.” -(Muslim -Kitabul Qadr).

42. For explanation, please see’Surah Al- An’am, Note No.278).

43. The word ‘Wali’ used here means heir, that can be one or more. The heir has been given the authority to either accept from the killer compensation (blood money) or to kill him in retaliation. Committing excess in this connection means that no person other than the murderer be killed. In the pre-Islamic days (Jahiliyah) in retaliation of one person killed more than one person used to be killed, or instead of the killer an influential person of the tribe used to be killed. These practices were against justice and fairplay, and were therefore, forbidden.

This was the ignorant way of the Arabs, But the ignorant way of the modern times is in no way less reprehensible, which is demonstrated in India. When there is a communal tension in a town and a person of one community is killed, then people of that community kill another man of the killer’s community, even if that person is an innocent pedestrian and had nothing to do with the first killing. And such a killing is not considered wrong although killing someone else other than the killer is absolutely wrong and tyrannous.

This is a Meccan Surah, in which the heir of the wrongfully killed person has been given the authority to kill the killer when the Islamic state had not been established. From this it is clear that the authority to kill a killer in a non-Islamic state is given to a Muslim by the Shariah, however it is a different matter if the laws of that non- Islamic state do not grant this authority to its Muslim subjects.

It should also be noted that in this ayah the authority to kill the killer has been given to the heirs of the killed person, but subsequently when an Islamic state was established in Madina, it took the responsibility to enforce this authority. In other words, the developed form of this law is that it would be enforced by the Islamic court. Accordingly, the famous Missionary and jurist of Islam, Abdul Qadir Audah Shaheed in his explanation of this law states: “

The principle is that the enforcement of the punishments for crimes of retribution, like the punishments for other crimes, has been left to the persons in authority, but in exceptional cases permission is given to execute the punishment of retribution through the heir of the killed person, and this ayah (No.33) is the source for it. And it is agreed on all sides that the heir of the killed person has the right to take the retribution, provided the execution takes place under the supervision of the government, because it is a matter in which ‘ijtihad’ ( decision taking) is involved, and in such matter any kind of excess is haram.” (At- Tashri’ul Jinaiul Islami-Vol.I, page 757).

44. That is: The help and support of the Shariah and the Islamic Society is available to the heirs of the killed person, therefore, he should be within the limits of the Shariah.

45. This has been explained in Surah An-Nisa, Note No.17).

46.That is: Measures for measurement and weighing should be correct as also they should be used honestly. Short measurement and dishonest methods in weighing and measuring are used by those who are not mindful of their accountability on the Day of Judgment.

This point leads to the principle that man should be honest in all his affairs and dealings in his daily life. (For further explanation, please see Note No.1, Surah Tatfeef).

47. This practice is good, for it creates confidence and exercises good influence. This practice results in good and auspicious progress in business.

As for the end being better, it means that the end in the Hereafter will be better and pleasant, It is only for those who prove their honesty in their dealings, and not for those who employ all kinds of tricks and dishonesty in enhancing their business prospects.

48. This is a comprehensive guidance about things which include imputing motives to Allah without any reasoning, superstition, to give importance to absurd narratives, to talk unreasonably in religious matters, to philosophies about Unseen realities and debating about them, to believe in hearsay about jinns, to form bad opinion without any valid reason, and to accuse without making sure about the facts, etc.

49. That is: The faculties of hearing, sight and thinking are a trust from God, which has been given for correct use. On the Day of Judgment every individual will be asked whether he used these faculties rightly or wrongly.

Do not walk proudly on earth. Verily you cannot rend the earth, nor can you stretch to the height of the hills. The evil of all that is hateful in the sight of your Lord. This is (part) of that wisdom which your Lord sent you as revelation. And do not set up with Allah another god, lest you be thrown into Hell, reproved, rejected. (Al-Quran)

50. That is: Do not be proud and strut haughtily. You are not powerful enough to rend the earth by striking it with your foot, nor can you reach up to the height of the mountain by stretching your neck. Then why this pride ? Man should realise the might and greatness of Allah, and considering his own helplessness should walk meekly on earth.

51. That is: Every forbidden thing which has been mentioned above is evil and therefore is disapproved of by God.

52. That is: All these commands are based on wisdom. If you contemplate, your intellect and, nature would bear witness that these are wise things and are such as will put a man on the path of virtue and betterment.

53. The command had begun with the teachings about monotheism and it is also ending on the note of monotheism. In other words, tawheed or monotheism only is the source of the Shariah and these commands are its practical demands. With monotheism, worship and obedience are also necessary.

54. Its explanation is given in Surah Nahl, Note No.79.