وَمَن يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُّتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَآؤُهُۥ جَهَنَّمُ خَـٰلِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُۥ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُۥ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا 93
Translations
But whoever kills a believer intentionally - his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally, and Allāh has become angry with him and has cursed him and has prepared for him a great punishment.
Transliteration
Wa man yaqtul mu'minan mutamassidan fa jazā'uhu jahannamu khālidān fīhā wa ghadiba Allāhu alayhi wa la'anahu wa a'adda lahu 'adhāban 'adhīmā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes that whoever intentionally kills a believer faces the severe punishment of eternal hellfire, Allah's wrath, and curse. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that the qualifier 'mutammadan' (intentionally) is crucial—it distinguishes premeditated murder from unintentional killing, which has different legal consequences in Islamic law. The severity of the punishment reflects the sanctity of a believer's life in Islam and the gravity of this transgression.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah An-Nisa's broader discussion of rights and prohibitions in the Islamic community. It follows verses concerning inheritance and women's rights, and precedes verse 4:94 which warns against hasty judgments in killing. The context emphasizes the protection of life as a fundamental principle in Islamic law.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever kills a mu'min intentionally, his recompense is Hell-fire, to abide therein; and the Wrath and the Curse of Allah are upon him, and a dreadful chastisement is prepared for him' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1395). Also relevant: 'The greatest sins are to associate partners with Allah, to disobey parents, to commit murder...' (Sahih Bukhari 2653).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that taking an innocent believer's life is among the gravest sins, emphasizing the inviolable sanctity of human life in Islam and the certainty of divine justice for such transgressions. For modern readers, it reinforces personal responsibility and the weightiness of our actions, especially regarding harm to others.
Related Ayahs
ٱلَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ وَيَأْمُرُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ بِٱلْبُخْلِ وَيَكْتُمُونَ مَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ ۗ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا
Who are stingy and enjoin upon [other] people stinginess and conceal what Allāh has given them of His bounty - and We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment -
وَلَا تُجَـٰدِلْ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ خَوَّانًا أَثِيمًا
And do not argue on behalf of those who deceive themselves. Indeed, Allāh loves not one who is a habitually sinful deceiver.
وَلَوْ أَنَّا كَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَنِ ٱقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ أَوِ ٱخْرُجُوا۟ مِن دِيَـٰرِكُم مَّا فَعَلُوهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ مِّنْهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ فَعَلُوا۟ مَا يُوعَظُونَ بِهِۦ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ تَثْبِيتًا
And if We had decreed upon them, "Kill yourselves" or "Leave your homes," they would not have done it, except for a few of them. But if they had done what they were instructed, it would have been better for them and a firmer position [for them in faith].
لَّعَنَهُ ٱللَّهُ ۘ وَقَالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيبًا مَّفْرُوضًا
Whom Allāh has cursed. For he had said, "I will surely take from among Your servants a specific portion.