Overview (Verses 93 - 94)

Punishment for Deliberate Killing
 
All the foregoing applies to accidental killing. A deliberate murder of a believer is a crime too horrendous to be committed by anyone who has any trace of faith in his heart. It cannot be compensated for by any indemnity or by setting slaves free. The punishment in this case is exacted by God Himself: “He who deliberately kills a believer, his punishment is hell, therein to abide permanently. God will be angry with him, and will reject him, and will prepare for him a dreadful suffering.” (Verse 93)
 
It is a crime of murder wherein the victim is not merely the human being who is killed without any justification whatsoever. It also kills the noble and dearly cherished tie established by God between one Muslim and another. It is a crime against the very idea of believing in God. For this reason, it is often associated with denying faith altogether. Some scholars of high standing including Ibn `Abbās, the Prophet’s cousin, are of the opinion that no repentance of such a crime is acceptable. Other scholars who disagree, rely for their argument on the Qur’ānic verse which states: “God does not forgive that partners should be associated with Him, but He forgives any lesser sin to whomever he wills.” (Verse 116) These latter scholars say that a deliberate murderer of a Muslim may still hope for God’s Forgiveness. They explain the statement that such a killer shall abide permanently in hell as signifying that hell will be his abode for a very long time.
 
The Prophet’s Companions who graduated in the first Islamic school used to meet others who, prior to Islam, killed their fathers, sons or brothers and some of them experienced bitter feelings as a result, but they never contemplated revenge killings. This is because they had all embraced Islam, and no thoughts of revenge were entertained by the relatives of the victims, even when their sorrow was most painful.
 
Indeed, they never thought of depriving them of any right given to them by Islam. To guard against accidental killing, and to ensure the purity of those whose hearts fight for God’s cause so that they may be totally dedicated to the service of Islam, God instructs the Muslims not to fight with anyone or to kill them until they are sure of his identity. They must accept his statement if he claims to be a Muslim, since there can be no evidence to the contrary. “Believers, when you go on an expedition to serve the cause of God, use your discernment and do not — out of a desire for the fleeting gains of this worldly life — say to one who offers you the greeting of peace: ‘You are not a believer’: for with God are abundant gains. Thus have you been in days gone by. But God has bestowed on you His grace. Therefore, use your discernment. Indeed God is always aware of what you do.” (Verse 94)
 
There are a number of reports that speak of the circumstances in which this verse was revealed. They may be summed up in such a way that suggests that a Muslim expedition once came across a man with his sheep. He greeted them with the Islamic greeting, Assalāmu `alaikum, to indicate that he was a Muslim. Some of them considered that this was merely words he spoke to save his life. Therefore, they killed him. This Qur’ānic verse was then revealed to indicate that such an action is forbidden. Believers must not entertain any thoughts which betray that they are after making any worldly gains or which show that they make hasty judgements. Both are unacceptable to Islam. When Muslims go out on a campaign of jihād for God’s cause, then the gains that they may make must never come into their reckoning. Such gains are never a motive for jihād. Similarly, a hasty judgement may lead to the shedding of a Muslim’s blood with whom the most cherished tie should exist. God reminds the believers of their recent days of ignorance which were characterised by hasty judgements and the coveting of worldly gains. He reminds them of His grace when He purified their hearts, elevated their ideals and placed their objectives on a sublime level.
 
They no longer stage war for any material gain as they used to do in the past. They are governed by His legislation, which provides a complete system for them to implement. Their judgements must not be based on rash decisions, characteristic of their days of ignorance.
 
The same statement may also be understood as implying a reference to the fact that they, themselves, used to conceal from their people the fact that they were Muslims. This is because they were too weak. They only revealed this when they felt secure in the company of other Muslims. The man who was thus killed might have concealed the truth of his being a Muslim from his own people. When he met the Muslims, he offered them the greeting of peace characteristic of Muslims, to indicate that he, himself, was a Muslim: “Thus have you been in days gone by. But God has bestowed on you His grace. Therefore, use your discernment. Indeed God is always aware of what you do.” (Verse 94)
 
We note how the Qur’ān touches the believers’ most sensitive feelings in order to remind them of God’s grace and to make them more conscious of their obligations. It is through this sensitivity and consciousness that Islam achieves full commitment by its followers to its legal system, after having explained its laws most clearly. It is this clarity and purity that characterises external relations between Islam and other communities, as explained in this passage.

Overview (Verses 93 - 94)

Punishment for Deliberate Killing
 
All the foregoing applies to accidental killing. A deliberate murder of a believer is a crime too horrendous to be committed by anyone who has any trace of faith in his heart. It cannot be compensated for by any indemnity or by setting slaves free. The punishment in this case is exacted by God Himself: “He who deliberately kills a believer, his punishment is hell, therein to abide permanently. God will be angry with him, and will reject him, and will prepare for him a dreadful suffering.” (Verse 93)
 
It is a crime of murder wherein the victim is not merely the human being who is killed without any justification whatsoever. It also kills the noble and dearly cherished tie established by God between one Muslim and another. It is a crime against the very idea of believing in God. For this reason, it is often associated with denying faith altogether. Some scholars of high standing including Ibn `Abbās, the Prophet’s cousin, are of the opinion that no repentance of such a crime is acceptable. Other scholars who disagree, rely for their argument on the Qur’ānic verse which states: “God does not forgive that partners should be associated with Him, but He forgives any lesser sin to whomever he wills.” (Verse 116) These latter scholars say that a deliberate murderer of a Muslim may still hope for God’s Forgiveness. They explain the statement that such a killer shall abide permanently in hell as signifying that hell will be his abode for a very long time.
 
The Prophet’s Companions who graduated in the first Islamic school used to meet others who, prior to Islam, killed their fathers, sons or brothers and some of them experienced bitter feelings as a result, but they never contemplated revenge killings. This is because they had all embraced Islam, and no thoughts of revenge were entertained by the relatives of the victims, even when their sorrow was most painful.
 
Indeed, they never thought of depriving them of any right given to them by Islam. To guard against accidental killing, and to ensure the purity of those whose hearts fight for God’s cause so that they may be totally dedicated to the service of Islam, God instructs the Muslims not to fight with anyone or to kill them until they are sure of his identity. They must accept his statement if he claims to be a Muslim, since there can be no evidence to the contrary. “Believers, when you go on an expedition to serve the cause of God, use your discernment and do not — out of a desire for the fleeting gains of this worldly life — say to one who offers you the greeting of peace: ‘You are not a believer’: for with God are abundant gains. Thus have you been in days gone by. But God has bestowed on you His grace. Therefore, use your discernment. Indeed God is always aware of what you do.” (Verse 94)
 
There are a number of reports that speak of the circumstances in which this verse was revealed. They may be summed up in such a way that suggests that a Muslim expedition once came across a man with his sheep. He greeted them with the Islamic greeting, Assalāmu `alaikum, to indicate that he was a Muslim. Some of them considered that this was merely words he spoke to save his life. Therefore, they killed him. This Qur’ānic verse was then revealed to indicate that such an action is forbidden. Believers must not entertain any thoughts which betray that they are after making any worldly gains or which show that they make hasty judgements. Both are unacceptable to Islam. When Muslims go out on a campaign of jihād for God’s cause, then the gains that they may make must never come into their reckoning. Such gains are never a motive for jihād. Similarly, a hasty judgement may lead to the shedding of a Muslim’s blood with whom the most cherished tie should exist. God reminds the believers of their recent days of ignorance which were characterised by hasty judgements and the coveting of worldly gains. He reminds them of His grace when He purified their hearts, elevated their ideals and placed their objectives on a sublime level.
 
They no longer stage war for any material gain as they used to do in the past. They are governed by His legislation, which provides a complete system for them to implement. Their judgements must not be based on rash decisions, characteristic of their days of ignorance.
 
The same statement may also be understood as implying a reference to the fact that they, themselves, used to conceal from their people the fact that they were Muslims. This is because they were too weak. They only revealed this when they felt secure in the company of other Muslims. The man who was thus killed might have concealed the truth of his being a Muslim from his own people. When he met the Muslims, he offered them the greeting of peace characteristic of Muslims, to indicate that he, himself, was a Muslim: “Thus have you been in days gone by. But God has bestowed on you His grace. Therefore, use your discernment. Indeed God is always aware of what you do.” (Verse 94)
 
We note how the Qur’ān touches the believers’ most sensitive feelings in order to remind them of God’s grace and to make them more conscious of their obligations. It is through this sensitivity and consciousness that Islam achieves full commitment by its followers to its legal system, after having explained its laws most clearly. It is this clarity and purity that characterises external relations between Islam and other communities, as explained in this passage.