The Night Journey (Al-Isra’)
Verses 31-32 GROUP_628 17.31-32
31
وَلاَ تَقْتُلُواْ أَوْلادَكُمْ خَشْيَةَ إِمْلاقٍ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُم إنَّ قَتْلَهُمْ كَانَ خِطْءًا كَبِيرًا
You shall not kill your offspring for fear of want. It is We who provide for them, and for you. Indeed, killing them is a great sin.
32
وَلاَ تَقْرَبُواْ الزِّنَى إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاء سَبِيلاً
Do not commit adultery,a for it is an indecent thing and an evil course.
No class discussions published for this verse group yet.
Commentary
(b) It was the Lord who created all living creatures and it was He who made provision for their sustenance. In view of this, man’s action in killing anyone on the pretext of a lack of the means to survive amounts to committing a totally unjustifiable act. When God Himself undertakes the sustenance of all His creatures, nobody has the right to kill anybody for fear that another’s continuing to exist will reduce his own chances of survival. ‘It is We who provide (sustenance) for them, and for you.’ Through these words the thinking of man is directed towards construction rather than destruction. It is worth considering that if human beings at present can earn their livelihood, it is by their utilizing the productive resources provided by God. This will hold good for future generations also. (c) Literally ‘do not go near adultery.’ One of the evils, which God wants to root out completely, is adultery, or zina. That is what God says: ‘Do not go near adultery.’ That is, adultery is such a great evil and is proof of such shamelessness, that man should abstain even from its initial stages. Here, only a basic command has been given on this subject. Detailed orders have been given in chapter 24.