From the benefits of Our Weekly Study of the Noble Quraan based on the book “Tafseer Ibn Katheer” Verses 178- 179 of Surah Baqarah

(صحيح) عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:
من نفس عن مؤمن كربة من كرب الدنيا نفس الله عنه كربة من كرب يوم القيامة ومن ستر مسلما ستره الله في الدنيا والآخرة ومن يسر على معسر يسر الله عليه في الدنيا والآخرة والله في عون العبد ما كان العبد في عون أخيه ومن سلك طريقا يلتمس فيه علما سهل الله له به طريقا إلى الجنة وما اجتمع قوم في بيت من بيوت الله يتلون كتاب الله ويتدارسونه بينهم إلا حفتهم الملائكة ونزلت عليهم السكينة وغشيتهم الرحمة وذكرهم الله فيمن عنده ومن أبطأ به عمله لم يسرع به نسبه
رواه مسلم وأبو داود والترمذي والنسائي وابن ماجه وابن حبان في صحيحه والحاكم وقال صحيح على شرطهما

From Abu Hurairah: The Prophet said “…and a people will not gather in a house (mosque) from amongst the houses of reading/reciting the book of ALLAAH and studying it amongst themselves except that the angels will surround them and tranquility will descend on them and they will be enveloped with mercy and ALLAAH will mention them to those with HIM, and he that is lazy in his actions, his lineage will not make him faster” narrated by Muslim, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi …classified as authentic by Shayk Nasser Al-bani in the Book of Knowledge of Sahih At-Targheeb wa At-Tarheeb.Vol. I


Bismillaah Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem
Amma’ Baa’d
Salaam alaykum wa rahmatulLaah

** يَأَيّهَا الّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى الْحُرّ بِالْحُرّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ وَالاُنثَىَ بِالاُنْثَىَ فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَيْءٌ فَاتّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَآءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ ذَلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مّن رّبّكُمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ فَمَنِ اعْتَدَىَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَلَهُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ * وَلَكُمْ فِي الْقِصَاصِ حَيَاةٌ يَأُولِي الألْبَابِ لَعَلّكُمْ تَتّقُونَ
178. O You who believe! Al-Qisâs (the Law of Equality In punishment) is prescribed for you In case of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But if the killer is forgiven by the brother (or the relatives, etc.) of the killed against blood money, Then adhering to it with fairness and payment of the blood money, to the heir should be made in fairness. This is alleviation and a Mercy from Your Lord. So after this whoever transgresses the limits (i.e. kills the killer after taking the blood money), He shall have a painful torment.

179. And there is (a saving of) life for you in Al-Qisâs (the Law of Equality In punishment), O men of understanding, that you may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious)


• After ALLAAH mentions in verse 177, the basic foundation of good deeds, righteousness etc HE starts to talk about other branches of good deeds.
o The verse of righteousness (V 177) contains actions that are done on a daily basis and their rulings apply to every Muslim
o While the following verses from 178 onwards, are actions that occur once a while and their rulings may not apply to every Muslim like law of equality, will testimony, Fasting, Jihad and Hajj all discussed after the verse of Righteousness.
• This verse is amongst the basis for the book of Penal codes as contained in the Book of Fiqh (Jurisprudence & Legislations )
• This chapter (Surah Baqarah) mentions and discusses the four major aspects and division of the Book of Fiqh (Jurisprudence & Legislations )
o The books of Fiqh are divided into the following;
 Book of Worship (this includes Salat, fasting etc)
 Book of Marital Relationships (marriage, divorce, child custody etc)
 Book of Transactions ( debt, mortgage, loans etc)
 Book of Penal Codes ( law of equality etc)
• The connection of this verse with the preceding verse of Righteousness is to explain that amongst the righteous actions is the issue of Law of Equality especially when a soul is taken.
• This ruling of equality applies to some one who kills intentionally and not by mistake.
• The male relatives of the deceased can either request from the Islamic Judge that the killer be killed or take blood money.
o According to the religion, the female relatives of the deceased can not decide in this matter.
• All categories of people are included in this ruling of taking a life for another except some few like the following;
o A Free person can not be killed, if he kills a slave intentionally, because a slave is considered like a commodity and even if he his killed by mistake, it is not compulsory to pay blood money. (opinion of the Majority of the Scholars)
o A believer can not be killed, if he kills a disbeliever intentionally.(Sahih Bukhari From the Prophet as reported by Ali)
o A parent can not be killed, if he kills the child intentionally. (Sahih)
• The previous religions (Judaism and Christianity) did not have both options, the Jews were ordered to kill and had no option of blood money, while the Christians where ordered with blood money and had no option of killing.
• Allaah gave this nation (Muslims) the two options as a mercy upon them.
• The person that transgresses is that who collects the blood money and still was able to get the killer killed, so ALLAAH promises him a Severe and painful torment.
• And the ruling of taking a life for another is means of giving life, because when the person who intends to kill realizes that he will be killed also then he refrains from killing.
** كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ إِن تَرَكَ خَيْراً الْوَصِيّةُ لِلْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالأقْرَبِينَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ حَقّاً عَلَى الْمُتّقِينَ * فَمَن بَدّلَهُ بَعْدَمَا سَمِعَهُ فَإِنّمَا إِثْمُهُ عَلَى الّذِينَ يُبَدّلُونَهُ إِنّ اللّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ * فَمَنْ خَافَ مِن مّوصٍ جَنَفاً أَوْ إِثْماً فَأَصْلَحَ بَيْنَهُمْ فَلاَ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ إِنّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رّحِيمٌ

180. It is prescribed for you, when death approaches any of you, if he leaves wealth, that he make a bequest to parents and next of kin, according to reasonable manners. (This is) a duty upon Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - see V.2:2).
181. Then whoever changes the bequest after hearing it, the sin shall be on those who make the change. Truly, Allâh is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
182. But he who fears from a testator some unjust act or wrong-doing, and thereupon he makes peace between the parties concerned, there shall be no sin on him. Certainly, Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

• The previous ruling was that only the children can inherit the parent and thus this verse was revealed to explain the obligatory ruling that the parents and the relatives must be given a share of the wealth by way of will or bequest
• When ALLAAH revealed verse of inheritance in Surah Nisa (Q 4), some partial ruling of this verse became abrogated, and all those that are mentioned as been inheritors can not be willed to.
o However those relatives that are not mentioned as inheritors or those that are not allowed to inherit from the Muslim (disbelieving parents and relatives) are entitled to a share of the wealth via the will or bequest.
• The ruling of bequest applies only to the wealthy Muslims.
o However a Muslim should not allow two nights to pass except his Will is written down and kept with him.(Sahih Bukhari)
o He should write out (part of his will) all his debtors and creditors, and he should keep reviewing the will till he dies.
o This will enable him to keep the reality of death entrenched in his heart
• The extent must not exceed one third of the Deceased’s wealth, and if he willed out more than that it should not be fulfilled by the Islamic body handling such issues.
• Changing the bequest occurs in any of the following scenarios
o The content of the bequest is increased
o Some content of the bequest is deleted
o The bequest is hidden all together.

These are the points I was made to remember, whatever is correct and good, then this is from ALLAAH‘s favor and whatever mistake occurs there in, then it is from me& my Shaitan,

May ALLAAH forgive me for my errors and I ask Him to forgive you all also