Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Prohibition of killing Children This Ayah indicates that Allah is more compassionate towards His servants than a father to his child, because He forbids killing children just as He enjoins parents to take care of their children in matters of inheritance. The people of Jahiliyyah would not allow their daughters to inherit from them, and some would even kill their daughters lest they make them more poor. Allah forbade that and said: وَلاَ تَقْتُلُواْ أَوْلادَكُمْ خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَـقٍ (And kill not your children for fear of poverty.) meaning, lest they may make you poor in the future. This is why Allah mentions the children's provision first: نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ (We shall provide for them as well as for you.) In Surat Al-An`am, Allah says: وَلاَ تَقْتُلُواْ أَوْلَـدَكُمْ مِّنْ إمْلَـقٍ (kill not your children because of poverty.) 6:151 نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُم (We provide sustenance for you and for them) 6:151 and, إنَّ قَتْلَهُمْ كَانَ خِطْئًا كَبِيرًا (Surely, the killing of them is a great sin.) means, a major sin. In Two Sahihs it is recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said: "I said, `O Messenger of Allah, which sin is the worst' He said, «أَنْ تَجْعَلَ لِلّهِ نِدًّا وَهُوَ خَلَقَكَ . قُلْتُ: ثُمَّ أَيٌّ؟ قَالَ: أَنْ تَقْتُلَ وَلَدَكَ خَشْيَةَ أَنْ يَطْعَمَ مَعَكَ . قُلْتُ: ثُمَّ أَيٌّ؟ قَالَ: أَنْ تُزَانِيَ بِحَلِيلَةِ جَارِك» (To appoint rivals of Allah when He has created you.) I asked, `Then what' He said, (To kill your child lest he should eat with you.) I asked, `Then what' He said, (To commit adultery with your neighbor's wife.)"

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Command to avoid Zina (Unlawful Sex) and Everything that leads to it Allah says, forbidding His servants to commit Zina or to approach it or to do anything that may lead to it: وَلاَ تَقْرَبُواْ الزِّنَى إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً (And come not near to unlawful sex. Verily, it is a Fahishah (immoral sin)) meaning a major sin, وَسَآءَ سَبِيلاً (and an evil way.) meaning, a terrible way to behave. Imam Ahmad recorded Abu Umamah saying that a young man came to the Prophet and said, "O Messenger of Allah! Give me permission to commit Zina (unlawful sex)." The people surrounded him and rebuked him, saying, "Stop! Stop!" But the Prophet said, «ادْنُه» (Come close) The young man came to him, and he said, «اجْلِس» (Sit down) so he sat down. The Prophet said, «أَتُحِبُّهُ لِأُمِّك» (Would you like it (unlawful sex) for your mother) He said, "No, by Allah, may I be ransomed for you." The Prophet said, «وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِأُمَّهَاتِهِم» (Neither do the people like it for their mothers.) The Prophet said, «أَفَتُحِبُّهُ لِابْنَتِكَ؟» (Would you like it for your daughter) He said, "No, by Allah, may I be ransomed for you." The Prophet said, «وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِبَنَاتِهِم» (Neither do the people like it for their daughters. ) The Prophet said, «أَفَتُحِبُّهُ لِأُخْتِكَ؟» (Would you like it for your sister) He said, "No, by Allah, may I be ransomed for you." The Prophet said, «وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِأَخَوَاتِهِم» (Neither do the people like it for their sisters.) The Prophet said, «أَفَتُحِبُّهُ لِعَمَّتِكَ؟» (Would you like it for your paternal aunt) He said, "No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger! may I be ransomed for you." The Prophet said, «وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِعَمَّاتِهِم» (Neither do the people like it for their paternal aunts.) The Prophet said, «أَفَتُحِبُّهُ لِخَالَتِكَ؟» (Would you like it for your maternal aunt) He said, "No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger! may I be ransomed for you." The Prophet said, «وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِخَالَاتِهِم» (Neither do the people like it for their maternal aunts.) Then the Prophet put his hand on him and said, «اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ ذَنْبَهُ، وَطَهِّرْ قَلْبَهُ، وَأَحْصِنْ فَرْجَه» (O Allah, forgive his sin, purify his heart and guard his chastity.) After that the young man never paid attention to anything of that nature.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Prohibition of Unlawful Killing Allah forbids killing with no legitimate reason It was reported in the Two Sahihs that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «لَا يَحِلُّ دَمُ امْرِىءٍ مُسْلِمٍ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ، إِلَّا بِإِحْدَى ثَلَاثٍ: النَّفْسُ بِالنَّفْسِ، وَالزَّانِي الْمُحْصَنُ، وَالتَّارِكُ لِدِينِهِ الْمُفَارِقُ لِلْجَمَاعَة» (The blood of a Muslim who bears witness to La ilaha illallah and that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah, is not permissible (to be shed) except in three cases: a soul for a soul (i.e., in the case of murder), an adulterer who is married, and a person who leaves his religion and deserts the Jama'ah.) The following is recorded in the books of the Sunan: «لَزَوَالُ الدُّنْيَا عِنْدَ اللهِ أَهْوَنُ مِنْ قَتْلِ مُسْلِم» (If the world were to be destroyed, it would be of less importance to Allah than the killing of a Muslim.) وَمَن قُتِلَ مَظْلُومًا فَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا لِوَلِيِّهِ سُلْطَـناً (And whoever is killed wrongfully, We have given his heir the authority.) The authority is over the killer. The heir has the choice; if he wishes, he may have him killed in retaliation, or he may forgive him in return for the payment of the Diyah (blood money), or he may forgive him with no payment, as is reported in the Sunnah. The great scholar and Imam Ibn `Abbas understood from the general meaning of this Ayah that Mu`awiyah should take power, because he was the heir of `Uthman, who had been killed wrongfully, may Allah be pleased with him, and Mu`awiyah did event- ually take power, as Ibn `Abbas said on the basis of this Ayah. This is one of the stranger of matters. فَلاَ يُسْرِف فِّى الْقَتْلِ (But let him not exceed limits in the matter of taking life.) They said: this means the heir should not go to extremes in killing the killer, such as mutilating the body or taking revenge on persons other than the killer. إِنَّهُ كَانَ مَنْصُورًا (Verily, he is helped.) means, the heir is helped against the killer by the Shari`ah and by divine decree.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Command to handle the Orphan's Wealth properly and to be Honest in Weights and Measures وَلاَ تَقْرَبُواْ مَالَ الْيَتِيمِ إِلاَّ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ (And come not near to the orphan's property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength.) meaning, do not dispose of the orphan's wealth except in a proper manner. وَلاَ تَأْكُلُوهَآ إِسْرَافاً وَبِدَاراً أَن يَكْبَرُواْ وَمَن كَانَ غَنِيّاً فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ وَمَن كَانَ فَقِيراً فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ (but consume it the orphan's property not wastefully and hastily fearing that they should grow up, and whoever (among guardians) is rich, he should take no wages, but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable (according to his labor).) 4:6 In Sahih Muslim it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Abu Dharr: «يَا أَبَا ذَرَ إِنِّي أَرَاكَ ضَعِيفًا، وَإِنِّي أُحِبُّ لَكَ مَا أُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِي: لَا تَأَمَّرَنَّ عَلَى اثْنَيْنِ، وَلَا تَوَلَّيَنَّ مَالَ الْيَتِيم» (O Abu Dharr, I see that you are weak (in adiministering), and I like for you that which I like for myself. Do not let yourself be appointed as Amir over two people, and do not let yourself be appointed as guardian of an orphan's property.) وَأَوْفُواْ بِالْعَهْدِ (And fulfill (every) covenant.) meaning, everything that you promise people, and the covenants that you agree to, because the person who makes a covenant or a promise will be asked about it: إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْؤُولاً (Verily, the covenant will be questioned about.) وَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ إِذا كِلْتُمْ (And give full measure when you measure.) meaning, do not try to make it weigh less nor wrong people with their belongings. وَزِنُواْ بِالْقِسْطَاسِ (and weigh with a balance) meaning scales, الْمُسْتَقِيمَ (that is straight.) meaning that which is not distorted nor that which will cause confusion. ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ (that is good) for you, in your daily life and in your Hereafter. So Allah says: وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلاً (and better in the end.) meaning, with regard to your ultimate end in the Hereafter. ذلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلاً (That is good (advantageous) and better in the end.) Sa`id narrated that Qatadah said that this means "Better in reward and a better end. " Ibn `Abbas used to say: "O people, you are entrusted with two things for which the people who came before you were destroyed - these weights and measures."

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Command to handle the Orphan's Wealth properly and to be Honest in Weights and Measures وَلاَ تَقْرَبُواْ مَالَ الْيَتِيمِ إِلاَّ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ (And come not near to the orphan's property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength.) meaning, do not dispose of the orphan's wealth except in a proper manner. وَلاَ تَأْكُلُوهَآ إِسْرَافاً وَبِدَاراً أَن يَكْبَرُواْ وَمَن كَانَ غَنِيّاً فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ وَمَن كَانَ فَقِيراً فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ (but consume it the orphan's property not wastefully and hastily fearing that they should grow up, and whoever (among guardians) is rich, he should take no wages, but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable (according to his labor).) 4:6 In Sahih Muslim it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Abu Dharr: «يَا أَبَا ذَرَ إِنِّي أَرَاكَ ضَعِيفًا، وَإِنِّي أُحِبُّ لَكَ مَا أُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِي: لَا تَأَمَّرَنَّ عَلَى اثْنَيْنِ، وَلَا تَوَلَّيَنَّ مَالَ الْيَتِيم» (O Abu Dharr, I see that you are weak (in adiministering), and I like for you that which I like for myself. Do not let yourself be appointed as Amir over two people, and do not let yourself be appointed as guardian of an orphan's property.) وَأَوْفُواْ بِالْعَهْدِ (And fulfill (every) covenant.) meaning, everything that you promise people, and the covenants that you agree to, because the person who makes a covenant or a promise will be asked about it: إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْؤُولاً (Verily, the covenant will be questioned about.) وَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ إِذا كِلْتُمْ (And give full measure when you measure.) meaning, do not try to make it weigh less nor wrong people with their belongings. وَزِنُواْ بِالْقِسْطَاسِ (and weigh with a balance) meaning scales, الْمُسْتَقِيمَ (that is straight.) meaning that which is not distorted nor that which will cause confusion. ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ (that is good) for you, in your daily life and in your Hereafter. So Allah says: وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلاً (and better in the end.) meaning, with regard to your ultimate end in the Hereafter. ذلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلاً (That is good (advantageous) and better in the end.) Sa`id narrated that Qatadah said that this means "Better in reward and a better end. " Ibn `Abbas used to say: "O people, you are entrusted with two things for which the people who came before you were destroyed - these weights and measures."