وَلَكُمْ فِي الْقِصَاصِ حَيَاةٌ يَا أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ﴿۱۷۹﴾ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ إِنْ تَرَكَ خَيْرًا الْوَصِيَّةُ لِلْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ حَقًّا عَلَى الْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿۱۸۰﴾ فَمَنْ بَدَّلَهُ بَعْدَمَا سَمِعَهُ فَإِنَّمَا إِثْمُهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يُبَدِّلُونَهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿۱۸۱﴾ فَمَنْ خَافَ مِنْ مُوصٍ جَنَفًا أَوْ إِثْمًا فَأَصْلَحَ بَيْنَهُمْ فَلَا إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ ﴿۱۸۲﴾
﴾179﴿ Wa lakum fil qisaasi hayaatuny yaaa ulil albaabi la 'allakum tattaqoon
﴾180﴿ Kutiba 'alaikum izaa hadara ahadakumul mawtu in taraka khairanil wasiyyatu lilwaalidaini wal aqrabeena bilma'roofi haqqan 'alalmut taqeen
﴾181﴿ Famam baddalahoo ba'da maa sami'ahoo fa innamaaa ismuhoo 'alallazeena yubaddi loonah; innallaha Samee'un 'Aleem
﴾182﴿ Faman khaafa mim moosin janafan aw isman fa aslaha bainahum falaaa ismaa 'alayh; innal laaha Ghafoorur Raheem
﴾179﴿ In the enforcement of prescribed retribution (qisās) there is life for you, O people of clear reason, so that you may be mindful.
﴾180﴿ It has been enjoined upon you: when death approaches any one of you, if he leaves wealth, then making a bequest for parents and relatives in a good manner is an obligation upon the righteous.
﴾181﴿ So whoever alters the bequest after having heard it, then surely the sin of its alteration falls upon those who change it. Indeed, Allah is All-Hearing and All-Knowing.
﴾182﴿ So whoever fears from the bequeather some deviation—whether by mistake or intentional wrongdoing—and then makes reconciliation between them, then there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.
[179] In this verse, the benefit of enforcing retribution is mentioned. "Life" (ḥayātun) includes a tanwīn indicating either greatness or variety—meaning a great life or a secure life. "People of reason" (ūlī al-albāb): albāb is the plural of lubb, which refers to an intellect free from conflicting doubts and delusions.
[180] In this verse is the second ruling: the point is that when a person dies and leaves behind wealth, he must make a bequest to his heirs to distribute his wealth according to the Islamic law, to offer ransom and charity in accordance with the sunnah, and to allocate shares of inheritance to the mother, wife, and others. This proper way is referred to as known good (maʿrūf). If he has no wealth, then he should make a bequest regarding settling debts properly and firmly. The verse is not abrogated in this meaning. In this explanation, waṣiyyah (bequest) means giving instruction (īṣā’), and bil-maʿrūf means the proper legal way. Likewise, if the parents and relatives are not heirs—such as if they are disbelievers—the verse is still not abrogated. But if waṣiyyah is taken to mean assigning a portion of wealth after death through a will, then that part is abrogated by the verse on inheritance and the hadith “There is no bequest for an heir.”
[181] In this verse is a warning to those who alter a bequest; the meaning of samiʿahu (he heard it) is to have gained knowledge of it.
[182] In this verse is encouragement to correct a faulty bequest. Mūṣin janafan aw ithman refers to a deviation toward sin by mistake (janaf) or committing a sin intentionally (ithm). Fa-aṣlaḥa baynahum means to bring about a just reconciliation between the deceased and the recipients of the bequest according to what is right—so this is not considered alteration, and there is no sin in it.