Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:28
ﲎ ﲏ ﲐ ﲑ ﲒ ﲓ ﲔ ﲕ ﲖ ﲗ ﲘ ﲙ ﲚ ﲛ ﲜ ﲝ ﲞ
If you should raise your hand against me to kill me - I shall not raise my hand against you to kill you. Indeed, I fear Allah, Lord of the worlds.
Tafsir of Al-Ma'idah 5:28
Tafsir
Mafatih al-Ghayb
Verse range: 5:28
Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread): Verse 28
[The verse continues: "If you stretch out your hand to kill me..."]
Question 1: Why did he not defend himself, even though defending one's life is obligatory? Even if it were not obligatory, it is certainly not forbidden. Why did he say, **{Indeed, I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds}**?
The Answer is in Several Aspects:
The First Aspect: It is possible that the slain person (Habil) showed signs indicating that the killer (Qabil) intended to kill him. Habil then addressed him with these words as a form of admonition and advice. Meaning: "I do not permit myself to initiate unjust aggression against you by killing you. I refrain from doing so only out of fear of Allah, the Almighty." He said this to him before the killer proceeded to kill him, with the aim of making the intentional killing appear ugly in his heart. This is supported by the narration that Qabil waited until Habil slept, then struck his head with a large stone and killed him.
The Second Aspect: What is mentioned in the verse is the statement: {I will not stretch out my hand to you to kill you} (ms3249). This means: I will not extend my hand to you for the purpose of killing you. Rather, I might extend my hand to you for the purpose of defense. The scholars state that one defending oneself must use the least severe means possible. It is not permissible for him to intend killing; rather, it is incumbent upon him to intend only defense. If defense is not possible except through killing, then that is permissible for him.
The Third Aspect: Some scholars said: If the intention of the aggressor was that he would submit, then it was permissible for him (Habil) to allow himself to be killed. This is what Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) did. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said to Muhammad ibn Maslamah: "Throw your shield over your face and be the slain servant of Allah, not the killing servant of Allah."
The Fourth Aspect: The obligation to defend oneself might differ according to various religious laws (Sharia's). Mujahid said: Defending oneself was not permissible at that time.
Question 2: Why is the conditional clause phrased using the verb form (**{لئن بسطت}** - *If you stretch out*), while the response is phrased using the active participle (**{ما أنا بباسط}** - *I am not one who will stretch out*)?
The Answer: This is to indicate that he will not perform the action that would earn him that reprehensible description. This is why it is emphasized with the emphatic particle bā' (in {بباسط}), which reinforces the negation.
Then Allah, the Exalted, said:
{I intend that you should bear the burden of my sin and your sin, and thus become one of the companions of the Fire. And that is the recompense of the wrongdoers.}