Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nisa Verse 93

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Whoever kills a believer deliberately, his reward is Jahannam (Hell) where he shall remain forever, and Allah shall be angry with him and shall cast curse upon him, and He has prepared for him a mighty punishment.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And whoever kills a believer intentionally, their reward will be Hell—where they will stay indefinitely.[[ If a Muslim commits a major sin (such as intentional killing or adultery) and dies without repenting, they will be punished in Hell according to the severity or magnitude of the sin, then eventually be taken out of Hell. No Muslim will stay in Hell forever.]] Allah will be displeased with them, condemn them, and will prepare for them a tremendous punishment.

Ruwwad Translation Center

But anyone who kills a believer deliberately, his punishment will be Hell, abiding therein forever; Allah will be displeased with him, and will curse him, and will prepare for him a great punishment.

A. J. Arberry

And whoso slays a believer wilfully, his recompense is Gehenna, therein dwelling forever, and God will be wroth with him and will curse him, and prepare for him a mighty chastisement.

Abdul Haleem

If anyone kills a believer deliberately, the punishment for him is Hell, and there he will remain: God is angry with him, and rejects him, and has prepared a tremendous torment for him.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And whosoever slayeth a believer intentionally, His meed is Hell, as an abider therein; and Allah shall be wroth with him and shall curse him, and shall get ready for him a torment terrible.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein (For ever); And the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him, and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him.

Abul Ala Maududi

And he who slays a believer wilfully his reward is Hell, where he will abide. Allah's wrath is against him and He has cast His curse upon him, and has prepared for him a great chastisement.

Ahmed Ali

Any one who kills a believer intentionally will be cast into Hell to abide there for ever, and suffer God's anger and damnation. For him a greater punishment awaits.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And whoever slays a Muslim on purpose, his reward will be hell – to remain in it for ages – and Allah has wreaked wrath upon him and has cursed him and kept prepared a terrible punishment for him.

Ali Quli Qarai

Should anyone kill a believer intentionally, his requital shall be hell, to remain in it [forever]; Allah shall be wrathful at him and curse him and He shall prepare for him a great punishment.

Ali Ünal

Whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense (in the Hereafter) is Hell, therein to abide; and God has utterly condemned him, excluded him from His mercy, and prepared for him a tremendous punishment.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Gehenna, he shall abide therein. Allâh has shown His displeasure against him and has (also) deprived him of His blessings and prepared for him a great punishment.

English Literal

And who kills a believer intentionally/purposely, so his reward (repayment/retribution is) Hell immortally/eternally in it, and God became angry on him, and He cursed/humiliated him, and He prepared for him a great torture.

Faridul Haque

And whoever slays a Muslim on purpose, his reward will be hell - to remain in it for ages - and Allah has wreaked wrath upon him and has cursed him and kept prepared a terrible punishment for him.

Hamid S. Aziz

Not alike are those of the believers who sit at home, except those have a disability, and those who strive in Allah´s way with their wealth and their lives. Allah hath preferred those who strive with their wealth and their lives to those who sit still, by many degrees. To each hath Allah promised good, but Allah hath bestowed on those who strive a greater reward than those who sit still,

Hilali & Khan

And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein, and the Wrath and the Curse of Allah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And a believer would not kill a believer except by mistake. And he who kills a believer by mistake should free a believing slave, and blood-money should be paid to his people unless they remit it as alms. But if he be from a tribe hostile to you and he is a believer, the freeing of a believing slave (suffices). And if he be from a tribe between whom and you there is a covenant, the blood-money should be paid to his people along with the freeing of a believing slave; but he who has not the means should fast for two months successively: a penance from Allah. And Allah is ever Knowing, Wise.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his punishment is hell; he shall abide in it, and Allah will send His wrath on him and curse him and prepare for him a painful chastisement.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Whoso slayeth a believer of set purpose, his reward is hell for ever. Allah is wroth against him and He hath cursed him and prepared for him an awful doom.

Muhammad Sarwar

The punishment for one who purposely slays a believer will be to live in hell fire forever. God is angry with him and has condemned him. He has prepared for him a great torment.

Qaribullah & Darwish

The recompense for he who kills a believer deliberately is Gehenna (Hell), he is eternal there. Allah will be angry with him and will curse him and prepare for him a great punishment.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein; and the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him.

Wahiduddin Khan

If anyone kills a believer deliberately, his reward shall be eternal Hell. God will condemn him and reject him, and prepare for him a terrible punishment.

Talal Itani

Whoever kills a believer deliberately, the penalty for him is Hell, where he will remain forever. And God will be angry with him, and will curse him, and will prepare for him a terrible punishment.

Tafsir jalalayn

And whoever slays a believer deliberately, intending to kill him, with something that is lethal, aware of the fact that he [the slain] is a believer, his requital is Hell, abiding therein, and God is wroth with him and has cursed him, He has removed him from His mercy, and has prepared for him a mighty chastisement, in the Fire; this may be explained as [referring to] the person that deems such [killing] licit, or as being his requital if he were to be requited, but it would not be anything new if this threat [of punishment] were to be forgone, because of what He says; Other than that [that is, idolatry] He forgives whomever He will [Q. 4;48]. It is reported from Ibn `Abbs that it [the verse] should be understood as it stands, abrogating other verses of `forgiveness'. The verse in [srat] al-Baqara [Q. 2;178] clearly indicates that the one who kills deliberately should be killed in return, or if he is pardoned then he has to pay the blood-money, the value of which has already been mentioned. It is made clear in the Sunna that between the intentional and the unintentional, there is a type of killing that is identified as [being with] quasi-deliberate intent (shibh al- `amd), where the killer has slain with what in most cases is not [a] lethal [implement]. In such a case, there is no [right to] retaliation and blood-money is paid instead, so that it [this type of killing] is described as intentional, but [considered] unintentional in [that there applies] the fixing of the period [for payment] and the sharing of the burden [by the killer's clan]; in this [case] and that of intentional killing redemption is more urgent than in unintentional killing.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein; and the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him.

This Ayah carries a stern warning and promise for those who commit so grave a sin that it is mentioned along with Shirk in several Ayat of Allah's Book. For instance, in Surah Al-Furqan, Allah said,

وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَـهَا ءَاخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِى حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ

And those who invoke not any other god along with Allah, nor kill such person as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause. (25;68)

Allah said,

قُلْ تَعَالَوْاْ أَتْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَلاَّ تُشْرِكُواْ بِهِ شَيْياً

Say;"Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited you from;Join not anything in worship with Him. (6;151)

There are many Ayat and Hadiths that prohibit murder.

In the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that Ibn Mas`ud said that the Messenger of Allah said,

أَوَّلُ مَا يُقْضَى بَيْنَ النَّاسِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِي الدِّمَاء

Blood offenses are the first disputes to be judged between the people on the Day of Resurrection.

In a Hadith that Abu Dawud recorded, Ubadah bin As-Samit states that the Messenger of Allah said,

لَاا يَزَالُ الْمُوْمِنُ مُعْنِقًا صَالِحًا مَا لَمْ يُصِبْ دَمًا حَرَامًا فَإِذَا أَصَابَ دَمًا حَرَامًا بَلَّح

The believer will remain unburdened in righteousness as long as he does not shed prohibited blood. When he sheds forbidden blood, he will become burdened.

Another Hadith, states,

لَزَوَالُ الدُّنْيَا أَهْوَنُ عِنْدَ اللهِ مِنْ قَتْلِ رَجُلٍ مُسْلِم

The destruction of this earthly life is less significant before Allah than killing a Muslim man (or woman).
Will the Repentance of those who Commit Intentional Murder, be Accepted

Ibn Abbas held the view that;

the repentance of one who intentionally murders a believer, will not be accepted.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn Jubayr said,

"The people of knowledge of Al-Kufah differed on this subject, I traveled to Ibn Abbas to ask him about it.

He said, `This Ayah,
وَمَن يَقْتُلْ مُوْمِنًا مُّتَعَمِّدًا

فَجَزَاوُهُ جَهَنَّمُ
(And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell) was the last revealed (on this subject) and nothing abrogated it."'

Muslim and An-Nasa'i also recorded it.

However, the majority of scholars of the earlier and later generations said that;

the killer's repentance can be accepted. If he repents, and goes back to Allah humbly, submissively, and performing righteous deeds, then Allah will change his evil deeds into good deeds and compensate the deceased for his loss by rewarding him for his suffering.

Allah said,
وَالَّذِينَ لَاا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا اخَرَ
(And those who invoke not any other god along with Allah), until,
إِلاَّ مَن تَابَ وَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلً صَالِحًا
(Except those who repent and believe, and do righteous deeds). (25;68-70)

The Ayah we just mentioned should not be considered abrogated or only applicable to the disbelievers (who become Muslim), for this contradicts the general, encompassing indications of the Ayah and requires evidence to support it. Allah knows best.

Allah said,

قُلْ يعِبَادِىَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُواْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُواْ مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ

Say;"O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah. (39;53)

This Ayah is general, covering all types of sins, including Kufr, Shirk, doubt, hypocrisy, murder, sin, and so forth. Therefore, everyone who repents sincerely from any of these errors, then Allah will forgive him.

Allah said,

إِنَّ اللّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاء

Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills. (4;48)

This Ayah is general and includes every sin except Shirk, and it has been mentioned in this Surah, both after this Ayah and before it, in order to encourage hope in Allah, and Allah knows best.

It is confirmed in the Two Sahihs, that;

an Israeli killed one hundred people then he asked a scholar, "Is it possible for me to repent?"

So he replied, "What is there that would prevent you from repentance?"

So he told him to go to another land where Allah was worshipped. He began to emigrate to it but died on the way, and the angel of mercy was the one to take him.

Although this Hadith is about an Israeli, it is even more suitable for the Muslim community that their repentance be accepted.

Indeed, Allah relieved Muslims from the burdens and restrictions that were placed on the Jews, and He sent our Prophet with the easy Hanifiyyah way (Islamic Monotheism).

As for the honorable Ayah,
وَمَن يَقْتُلْ مُوْمِنًا مُّتَعَمِّدًا
(And whoever kills a believer intentionally), Abu Hurayrah and several among the Salaf said that;

this is his punishment, if Allah decides to punish him. And this is the case with every threat that is issued for every sin.

For instance, there could be good deeds that this person has done that would prevent him from being punished for that, and Allah knows best.

Even if the murderer inevitably enters the Fire -- as Ibn Abbas stated because his repentance was not accepted, or he did not have good deeds to save him, he will not remain there for eternity, but only for a long time.

There are Mutawatir Hadiths stating that the Messenger of Allah said,

إِنَّهُ يَخْرُجُ مِنَ النَّارِ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ أَدْنَى ذَرَّةٍ مِنْ إِيمَان

Whoever has the least speck of faith in his heart shall ultimately depart the Fire.