Surah 5. Al-Maida, Ayah 45
| وَكَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ فِيهَا أَنَّ النَّفْسَ بِالنَّفْسِ وَالْعَيْنَ بِالْعَيْنِ وَالْأَنْفَ بِالْأَنْفِ وَالْأُذُنَ بِالْأُذُنِ وَالسِّنَّ بِالسِّنِّ وَالْجُرُوحَ قِصَاصٌ ۚ فَمَنْ تَصَدَّقَ بِهِ فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٌ لَهُ ۚ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ |
| Transliteration | : | sammaacon li- al- kadhib 'akkaalon li- as- suh.t fa- 'in jaa'o -ka fa- uh.kum bayna -hum 'aw acrid. can -hum wa- 'in tucrid. can -hum fa- lan yad.urro -ka shay'(an) wa- 'in h.akamta fa- uh.kum bayna -hum bi- al- qist. 'inna 'allaah yuh.ibb al- muqsit.en |
| Pickthall | : | And We prescribed for them therein: The life for the life, and the eye for the eye, and the nose for the nose, and the ear for the ear, and the tooth for the tooth, and for wounds retaliation. But whoso forgoeth it (in the way of charity) it shall be expiation for him. Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed: such are wrong-doers. |
| Asad | : | And We ordained for them in that [Torah]: A life for a life, and an eye for an eye, and a nose for a nose, and an ear for an ear, and a tooth for a tooth, and a [similar] retribution for wounds;61 but he who shall forgo it out of charity will atone thereby for some of his past sins.62 And they who do not judge in accordance with what God has revealed - they, they are the evildoers! |
| Malik | : | We ordained in Taurat for them: "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 a wound an equal retaliation." But if anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity it will be an act of atonement for him; those who do not judge by the law which Allah has revealed, they are the wrongdoers. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | We ordained therein for them: "Life for life eye for eye nose for nose ear for ear tooth for tooth and wounds equal for equal." But if anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity it is an act of atonement for himself. And if any fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed they are (no better than) wrong-doers. 754 755 756 |
Note - 61See Exodus xxi, 23 ff., where details of the extremely
harsh penalties provided under Mosaic Law are given.
|
Note - 62Lit., "it shall be an atonement for him". The Pentateuch
does not contain this call to forgiveness which is
brought out with great clarity not only in the Qur'an but
also in the teachings of Jesus, especially in the Sermon
on the Mount: and this, read in conjunction with the
following verses, would seem to be an allusion to the
time-bound quality of Mosaic Law. Alternatively, the
above admonition may have been part of the original
teachings of the Torah which have been subsequently
corrupted or deliberately abandoned by its followers,
whom the Qur'an accuses of "distorting the meaning of the
revealed words" (see verse {41} above).
|
Note - 754The retaliation is prescribed in three places in the
Pentateuch, viz,. Exod. xxi, 23-25: Leviticus xxiv.
18-21, and Deut, xix. 21. The wording in the three
quotations is different, but in none of them is found the
additional rider for mercy, as here. Note that in Matt.
v. 38. Jesus quotes the Old Law "eye for eye," etc,, and
modifies it in the direction of forgiveness, but the
Quranic injunction is more practical. Even where the
injured one forgives, the State or Ruler is competent to
take such action as is necessary for the preservation of
law and order in Society. For crime has a bearing that
goes beyond the interests of the person injured: the
Community is affected: see Q. v. 32.
|
Note - 755This is not part of the Mosaic Law, but the teaching of
Jesus and of Muhammad. Notice how the teaching of Jesus
is gradually introduced as leading up to the Qur-an.
|
Note - 756The seeming repetitions at the end of verses 47, 48 and
50 are not real repetitions. The significant words in the
three cases are: Unbelievers, wrong-doers, and
rebellious; and each fits the context. If the Jews tamper
with their books they are Unbelievers; if they give false
judgments, they are wrong-doers. If the Christians follow
not their light, they are rebellious.
|
Share your thoughts about this with others by posting a comment. Visit our FAQ for some ideas.
Filter Comments 
 |
See Exodus xxi, 23 ff., where details of the extremely harsh penalties provided under Mosaic Law are given. |
| |
Lit., "it shall be an atonement for him". The Pentateuch does not contain this call to forgiveness which is brought out with great clarity not only in the Qur'an but also in the teachings of Jesus, especially in the Sermon on the Mount: and this, read in conjunction with the following verses, would seem to be an allusion to the time-bound quality of Mosaic Law. Alternatively, the above admonition may have been part of the original teachings of the Torah which have been subsequently corrupted or deliberately abandoned by its followers, whom the Qur'an accuses of "distorting the meaning of the revealed words" (see verse {41} above). |
| |
The retaliation is prescribed in three places in the Pentateuch, viz,. Exod. xxi, 23-25: Leviticus xxiv. 18-21, and Deut, xix. 21. The wording in the three quotations is different, but in none of them is found the additional rider for mercy, as here. Note that in Matt. v. 38. Jesus quotes the Old Law "eye for eye," etc,, and modifies it in the direction of forgiveness, but the Quranic injunction is more practical. Even where the injured one forgives, the State or Ruler is competent to take such action as is necessary for the preservation of law and order in Society. For crime has a bearing that goes beyond the interests of the person injured: the Community is affected: see Q. v. 32. |
| |
This is not part of the Mosaic Law, but the teaching of Jesus and of Muhammad. Notice how the teaching of Jesus is gradually introduced as leading up to the Qur-an. |
| |
The seeming repetitions at the end of verses 47, 48 and 50 are not real repetitions. The significant words in the three cases are: Unbelievers, wrong-doers, and rebellious; and each fits the context. If the Jews tamper with their books they are Unbelievers; if they give false judgments, they are wrong-doers. If the Christians follow not their light, they are rebellious. |
