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Al-Ma'idah 45

Ayah 45 of 120 · Medinan

وَكَتَبۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ فِيهَآ أَنَّ ٱلنَّفۡسَ بِٱلنَّفۡسِ وَٱلۡعَيۡنَ بِٱلۡعَيۡنِ وَٱلۡأَنفَ بِٱلۡأَنفِ وَٱلۡأُذُنَ بِٱلۡأُذُنِ وَٱلسِّنَّ بِٱلسِّنِّ وَٱلۡجُرُوحَ قِصَاصٞۚ فَمَن تَصَدَّقَ بِهِۦ فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٞ لَّهُۥۚ وَمَن لَّمۡ يَحۡكُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ ٤٥

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 Allāh has revealed - then it is those who are the wrongdoers [i.e., the unjust].

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. وَكَتَبۡنَاAnd We ordainedwakatabnā
  2. عَلَيۡهِمۡfor themʿalayhim
  3. فِيهَآin itfīhā
  4. أَنَّthat anna
  5. ٱلنَّفۡسَthe lifel-nafsa
  6. بِٱلنَّفۡسِfor the lifebil-nafsi
  7. وَٱلۡعَيۡنَand the eyewal-ʿayna
  8. بِٱلۡعَيۡنِfor the eyebil-ʿayni
  9. وَٱلۡأَنفَand the nosewal-anfa
  10. بِٱلۡأَنفِfor the nosebil-anfi
  11. وَٱلۡأُذُنَand the earwal-udhuna
  12. بِٱلۡأُذُنِfor the earbil-udhuni
  13. وَٱلسِّنَّand the toothwal-sina
  14. بِٱلسِّنِّfor the toothbil-sini
  15. وَٱلۡجُرُوحَand (for) woundswal-jurūḥa
  16. قِصَاصٞۚ(is) retributionqiṣāṣun
  17. فَمَنBut whoeverfaman
  18. تَصَدَّقَgives charitytaṣaddaqa
  19. بِهِۦwith itbihi
  20. فَهُوَthen it isfahuwa
  21. كَفَّارَةٞan expiationkaffāratun
  22. لَّهُۥۚfor himlahu
  23. وَمَنAnd whoeverwaman
  24. لَّمۡ(does) notlam
  25. يَحۡكُمjudgeyaḥkum
  26. بِمَآby whatbimā
  27. أَنزَلَhas revealedanzala
  28. ٱللَّهُAllahl-lahu
  29. فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَthen thosefa-ulāika
  30. هُمُ[they]humu
  31. ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ(are) the wrongdoersl-ẓālimūna

Tafsir

I ordered the Jews in the Torah that if any person deliberately and wrongfully kills another he will be killed in retribution. If any person deliberately removes the eye of another person, his eye will be removed. If any person cuts the nose of another person, his nose will be cut. If any person cuts the ear of another person, his ear will be cut. If any person removes the tooth of another person, his tooth will be removed. I also ordered them with respect to wounds that the offender will be penalised with retribution for his offence. Whoever voluntarily pardons the offender, then such pardon shall be a compensation for their sins, as they have pardoned one who has wronged them. Whoever does not judge according to what Allah has revealed with respect to the law of retribution and other laws, then such person has overstepped Allah’s limits.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran