ভূমিকা

retaliation is prescribed for you in the matter of the slain; the free for the free, and the slave for the slave, and the female for the female; but if any remission is made to any one by his (aggrieved) brother, then (the demand for the bloodwit) should be made according to usage, and payment should be made to him in a good man­ner; this is an alleviation from your Lord and a mercy; so whoever exceeds the limit after this, he shall have a painful chastisement (178).

And there is life for you in the retali­ation, O men of understanding, that you may guard your-selves (against evil) (179). Commentary Qur’an: O you who believe! retaliation is prescribed for you in the matter of the slain; the free for the free... : The verse is ad-dressed to the believers. It means that the law promulgated herein applies to the Muslims only. As regards the non-Muslims - whether under protection of an Islamic State or not - the verse is silent about them.

Some people think that this verse has abrogated the verse 5:45 ( life is for life ) ; because it does not allow killing of a free person for a slave, or of a man for a woman. But actually there is no room for this supposition. The position of this verse vis-à-vis the verse 5:45 is like that of an explanation vis-à-vis its text.

Qur’an: but if any remission is made to any one by his (ag­grieved) brother : Its literal translation is: then whoever is remitted any thing by his brother.