Q1: What is the historical context of these verses, and why were they revealed?
After the comprehensive definition of righteousness in verse 177, the Quran transitions to specific legal and social injunctions for the nascent Muslim community in Medina. These verses introduce the Islamic law of retaliation (Qisas) for murder and physical injury. This marked a revolutionary reform, replacing the chaotic tribal system of unlimited vengeance with a principle of strict, proportional justice designed to protect societal life.
Q2: What does Verse 178 say, and what is its core command?
Arabic:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى ۖ الْحُرُّ بِالْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ وَالْأُنثَىٰ بِالْأُنثَىٰ ۚ فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَيْءٌ فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَاءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۗ فَمَنِ اعْتَدَىٰ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَهُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
Translation: “O you who have believed, prescribed for you is legal retribution for those murdered – the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But if there is a remission from the victim’s brother, then grant a fair follow-up and payment to him with good conduct. This is an alleviation from your Lord and a mercy. But whoever transgresses after that will have a painful punishment.”
Maududi emphasizes that Qisas is not merely a recommendation — it is a divinely prescribed obligation (kutiba ’alaykum), binding upon the Muslim community as a pillar of social justice.
Q3: What does the principle “the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female” establish in Islamic law?
This establishes the fundamental equality of human life before the law. No class of person holds greater value than another — a free man cannot be killed in retaliation for a slave, nor a man for a woman. This was a radical departure from pre-Islamic Arab custom, where the death of one tribesman could justify the massacre of an entire rival clan. Qisas replaced collective vengeance with individual, proportional accountability.
Q4: Does the verse allow any alternative to execution?
Yes. The verse opens the door to mercy and compensation. The heirs of the victim may choose to forgive the murderer entirely, or to accept blood money (diyyah) in place of retaliation. If compensation is chosen, the verse commands two things: the heirs must pursue it fairly, without harassment, and the murderer must pay it with good conduct and without delay. This alternative is described by Allah as “an alleviation from your Lord and a mercy,” tempering strict justice with compassion.
Q5: Who does the warning “whoever transgresses after that will have a painful punishment” apply to?
Maududi identifies three categories of transgression this warning covers. First, the heir who accepts blood money but later seeks to kill the murderer anyway. Second, the murderer who, after being pardoned, kills again or harms the victim’s family. Third, any authority that fails to enforce the law justly after a settlement has been reached. All three invite both legal consequences and divine punishment.
Q6: What does Verse 179 say, and what philosophical question does it raise?
Arabic:
وَلَكُمْ فِي الْقِصَاصِ حَيَاةٌ يَا أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
Translation: “And there is for you in legal retribution [the saving of] life, O you of understanding, that you may become righteous.”
This verse presents what Maududi calls a profound paradox: how can a law that mandates taking a life actually save life? The answer requires intellect to grasp, which is why it is addressed specifically to “people of understanding” (ulul albab).
Q7: How does Qisas save life rather than destroy it?
Maududi explains this through the deterrent effect. When a potential murderer knows with certainty that killing will result in his own death — unless the victim’s heirs choose mercy — he is far less likely to commit the act. This certainty of equal consequence protects countless innocent lives before a crime ever occurs. Without such a law, society descends into endless cycles of tribal vengeance where one killing triggers many more, destroying communal life entirely. Qisas contains violence by transforming it from a private feud into state-administered, proportionate justice.
Q8: What is the ultimate spiritual goal behind establishing this law?
The verse concludes with the phrase “that you may become righteous (la’allakum tattaqun).” Maududi explains that the administration of justice is not separate from spirituality — it is a path to it. By creating a social order where life is sacred and justice is certain, the law cultivates God-consciousness (Taqwa) within the community. People who live under such a system internalize the fear of transgression and develop a genuine reverence for life. Justice, in this framework, is an act of collective piety.
Q9: How do these two verses together summarize the Islamic vision of social justice?
Taken together, Maududi’s commentary identifies four core contributions of these verses. They replace unlimited tribal revenge with state-enforced, proportional legal retribution. They establish the equal value of all human lives regardless of social status or gender. They balance strict justice with mercy by encouraging forgiveness and compensation as a divinely praised alternative. And they present Qisas as rational and life-giving — a law that protects society precisely because of its firmness, while remaining open to the higher virtue of forgiveness. A just social order, in the Quranic vision, is inseparable from a righteous and God-conscious community.
Messages from Quran 