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Surah Al-Ma'idah, verse 45: meaning and tafsir
وَكَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ فِيهَآ أَنَّ ٱلنَّفْسَ بِٱلنَّفْسِ وَٱلْعَيْنَ بِٱلْعَيْنِ وَٱلْأَنفَ بِٱلْأَنفِ وَٱلْأُذُنَ بِٱلْأُذُنِ وَٱلسِّنَّ بِٱلسِّنِّ وَٱلْجُرُوحَ قِصَاصٌ ۚ فَمَن تَصَدَّقَ بِهِۦ فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٌ لَّهُۥ ۚ وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ ٤٥
We ordained for them therein, “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 wounds equal retaliation[42].” But if anyone waives it charitably, then it will be an expiation for him[43]. Whoever does not judge according to what Allah has revealed, it is they who are the wrongdoers.
Translation of the meanings: Rowwad Translation Center — version 1.0.19 · QuranEnc.com
[42] This verse alludes to the law known as "lex talionis" (law of retaliation/reciprocal justice) which states that justice should be carried out: ‘ayin tachat ‘ayin, “an eye for an eye”, as told in the Torah (Exodus 21: 24) but which was distorted from its proper, fully-known position. The Qur’an re-establishes this principle.
[43] Forgiveness is not only encouraged by Allah but is also rewarded for.
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Al-Mukhtasar: Abridged Explanation of the Quran
Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies · QuranEnc.com
45. I ordered the Jews in the Torah that if any person deliberately and wrongfully kills another he will be killed in retribution. If any person deliberately removes the eye of another person, his eye will be removed. If any person cuts the nose of another person, his nose will be cut. If any person cuts the ear of another person, his ear will be cut. If any person removes the tooth of another person, his tooth will be removed. I also ordered them with respect to wounds that the offender will be penalised with retribution for his offence. Whoever voluntarily pardons the offender, then such pardon shall be a compensation for their sins, as they have pardoned one who has wronged them. Whoever does not judge according to what Allah has revealed with respect to the law of retribution and other laws, then such person has overstepped Allah’s limits.
Quran text: Tanzil Project (Tanzil Quran Text, Uthmani v1.1, CC BY 3.0). The translation and tafsir are quoted word for word, unchanged, from the Noble Quran Encyclopedia, QuranEnc.com, each credited to its source. Details on our sources page. These texts are quoted exactly as published; no answer is written by AI. Quran Chat does not issue fatwas.