وَاحقنand spare دِماءthe blood of الناسthe people
وَاحقن دِماء الناس
فَالقَتلfor killing طَبعthe nature of القاسيthe hard-hearted person
فَالقَتل طَبع القاسي
Spare the blood of the people,
And spare the people's blood,
for killing is the nature of the hard-hearted.
for killing is the nature of the hard-hearted.
وَهوَand it عَظيمgreat in الإثمsinfulness
وَهوَ عَظيم الإثم
ماthere is no مثلهequal to it مِنany جرمcrime
ما مثله مِن جرم
It is a grave sin—
It is a grievous sin;
no crime is like it.
no crime compares with it.
إِنindeed ابنson of عباسAbbas ذهَبwent
إِن ابن عباس ذهَب
فيهِconcerning it إِلىto رَأيa view عَجبremarkable
فيهِ إِلى رَأي عَجب
Indeed, Ibn Abbas held
Indeed, Ibn Abbas held
an astonishing opinion concerning it.
a remarkable view on this:
فَقالَso he said كُلevery حَوبهsin
فَقالَ كُل حَوبه
إِذاif تَلَتهاfollows it التَّوبهrepentance
إِذا تَلَتها التَّوبه
He said: Every sin,
he said, “Every sin,
when repentance follows it,
if repentance follows it,
تغفرis forgiven إِلاexcept القَتلkilling
تغفر إِلا القَتل
وَالوَحيand revelation قاضa judge عَدلjust
وَالوَحي قاض عَدل
is forgiven—except killing.
is forgiven except killing.”
And revelation is a just judge.
And revelation is a just judge.
ثُمَّthen القَصاصretribution in kind وَاجبobligatory
ثُمَّ القَصاص وَاجب
تَقضيdecree بِهِin its favor المَذاهِبthe schools of law
تَقضي بِهِ المَذاهِب
Moreover, retribution is obligatory,
Then retribution is obligatory;
as the legal schools decree.
the schools of law decree it.
وَمنand among كَلامthe sayings of العاقِلthe wise person
وَمن كَلام العاقِل
يَقتلkills كُلevery قاتلkiller
يَقتل كُل قاتل
Among the sayings of the wise is:
And among the sayings of the wise:
“Every killer is killed.”
“One kills every killer.”
وَلَيسَand is not هَذاthis حَقاًright
وَلَيسَ هَذا حَقاً
وَلاand not أراهI regard it as صدقاtrue
وَلا أراه صدقا
But this is not right,
But this is not right,
nor do I deem it true.
nor do I regard it as true.
