6. [al-Anam, Cattle, Mecca 55]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
قَدْ
خَسِرَ
الَّذِينَ
قَتَلُواْ
أَوْلاَدَهُمْ
سَفَهًا
بِغَيْرِ
عِلْمٍ...
6: 140. Lost are those who slay their children, from folly, without knowledge,
...وَحَرَّمُواْ مَا رَزَقَهُمُ اللّهُ افْتِرَاء عَلَى اللّهِ...
and forbid food which Allah hath provided for them, inventing (lies) against Allah.
...قَدْ ضَلُّواْ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُهْتَدِينَ ﴿١٤٠﴾
They have indeed gone astray and heeded no guidance.
قُلْ
تَعَالَوْاْ
أَتْلُ
مَا
حَرَّمَ
رَبُّكُمْ
عَلَيْكُمْ
...
6: 151. Say:
"Come, I will rehearse what Allah hath (really) prohibited you from":
C976. Instead of following Pagan superstitions, and being in constant terror of imaginary taboos and prohibitions, we should study the true moral law, whose sanction is Allah's Law.
The first step is that we should recognise that He is the One and Only Lord and Cherisher. The mention of goodness to parents immediately afterwards suggests:
- that Allah's love of us and care for us may -on an infinitely higher plane- be understood by our ideal of parental love, which is purely unselfish;
- that our first duty among our fellow creatures is to our father and mother, whose love leads us to the conception of divine love.
Arising from that is the conception of our converse duties to our children. Allah provides sustenance (material and spiritual) not only for us, but for them; hence any custom like the Pagan custom of sacrificing children of Moloch stands condemned.
Then come the moral prohibitions against lewdness and all unseemly acts, relating to sex or otherwise, open or secret. This is followed by the prohibition of killing or fighting.
All these things are conformable to our own interests, and therefore true wisdom from our own point of view.
...أَلاَّ تُشْرِكُواْ بِهِ شَيْئًا ...
- join not anything as equal with Him;
...وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا...
- be good to your parents:
...وَلاَ تَقْتُلُواْ أَوْلاَدَكُم مِّنْ إمْلاَقٍ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ...
- kill not your children on a plea of want; -- We provide sustenance for you and for them; --
...وَلاَ تَقْرَبُواْ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ...
- come not nigh to shameful deeds, whether open or secret;
...وَلاَ تَقْتُلُواْ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللّهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ...
- take not life, which Allah hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law:
C977. For the comprehensive word haqq I have used the two words "justice and law"; other significations implied are:
right, truth, what is becoming, etc.
It is not only that human life is sacred, but all life is sacred. Even in killing animals for food, a dedicatory formula "in the name of Allah" has to be employed, to make it lawful:
see 698 to 5:4, and n. 962 to 6:138.
...ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُمْ بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿١٥١﴾
thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom.
وَلاَ
تَقْرَبُواْ
مَالَ
الْيَتِيمِ
إِلاَّ
بِالَّتِي
هِيَ
أَحْسَنُ
حَتَّى
يَبْلُغَ
أَشُدَّهُ...
6: 152. - And come not nigh to the orphan's property, except to improve it, until he attain the age of full strength;
...وَأَوْفُواْ الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ ...
- give measure and weight with (full) justice;
...لاَ نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا...
no burden do We place on any soul, but that which it can bear;
...وَإِذَا قُلْتُمْ فَاعْدِلُواْ وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَى...
- whenever ye speak, speak justly, even if a near relative is concerned;
...وَبِعَهْدِ اللّهِ أَوْفُواْ...
- and fulfil the Covenant of Allah:
...ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُم بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿١٥٢﴾
thus doth He command you, that ye may remember.
6: 140
Asad Lost, indeed, are they who, in their weak minded ignorance, slay their children and declare as forbidden that which God has provided for them as sustenance, falsely ascribing [such prohibitions] to God; they have gone astray and have not found the right path.
Pickthall They are losers who besottedly have slain their children without knowledge, and have forbidden that which Allah bestowed upon them, inventing a lie against Allah. They indeed have gone astray and are not guided.
Transliteration Qad khasiral lazina qatalu_ aula_dahum safaham bi gairi 'ilmiw wa harramu_ ma_ razaqahumulla_huftira_'an'alalla_h(i), qad dallu_ wa ma_ ka_nu_ muhtadin(a).
Asad’s Version:
6: 151 Say: “Come, let me convey unto you what God has [really] forbidden to you;
Do not ascribe divinity, in any way, to aught beside Him;
and do good unto your parents;
and do not kill your children for fear of poverty – for it is We who shall provide sustenance for you as well as for them;
and do not commit any shameful deeds, be they open or secret;
and do not take any human being’s life – which God has declared to be sacred –otherwise than in [the pursuit of] justice;
this has He enjoined upon you so that you might use your reason;
6: 152 And do not touch the substance of an orphan – save to improve it – before he comes of age.”
And give full measure and weight, with equity : [however], We do not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear; and when you voice an opinion, be just, even though it be against one near of kin.”
And [always] observe your bond with God: this has He enjoined upon you, so that you might keep it in mind.
6: 153 and [know] that this is the way leading straight unto Me: follow it, then, and follow not other ways, lest they cause you to deviate from His way. [All] this has He enjoined upon you, so that you might remain conscious of Him.
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17. [al-Israa, Mecca 50 ]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَلاَ تَقْتُلُواْ
أَوْلادَكُمْ
خَشْيَةَ
إِمْلاقٍ...
17: 31. Kill not your children for fear of want:
C2214. The Arabs were addicted to female infanticide. In a society perpetually at war a son was a source of strength whereas a daughter was a source of weakness. Even now infanticide is not unknown in other countries for economic reasons.
This crime against children's lives is here characterized as one of the greatest of sins.
...نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُم...
We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you:
...إنَّ قَتْلَهُمْ كَانَ خِطْءًا كَبِيرًا ﴿٣١﴾
verily the killing of them is a great sin.
Pickthall’s Version:
17: 31
Pickthall Slay not your children, fearing a fall to poverty, We shall provide for them and for you. Lo! the slaying of them is great sin.
Transliteration Wa la_ taqtulu_ aula_dakum khasy-yata imla_q(in), nahnu narzuquhum wa iyya_kum, inna qatlahum ka_na khit'an kabira_(n).