Wala taqtuloo annafsa allatee harrama Allahu illa bilhaqqi waman qutila mathlooman faqad (surah Al Isra: 33)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(17:33) (9) Do not kill any soul whose killing has been forbidden by Allah *33 except by right *34 : and if one is killed unjustly We have granted the right of retribution to his guardian. *35 So he should not transgress the limits in retaliation, *36 for he shall be helped. *37

Wa laa taqtulun nafsal latee harramal laahu illaa bilhaqq; wa man qutila mazlooman faqad ja`alnaa liwaliyyihee sultaanan falaa yusrif fil qatli innahoo kaana mansooraa

*33) "Do not kill any soul" includes not only the prohibition of the killing of other souls but also one's own soul as well for it is also included in the prohibition that inunediately follows this command. Thus suicide is regarded as heinous a sin as murder. Some foolish people object to the prohibition of suicide saying that they themselves are the masters of their souls. Therefore, there is nothing wrong in killing one's own self or in destroying one's own property. They forget that every soul belongs to AIIah, and none has any right to destroy it, nay, even to abuse it, for this world is a place of trial, where we should undergo the test up to the end of our lives in accordance with the will of AIIah. It does not matter whether our circumstances are favourable or adverse for trial. Therefore, it would be wrong to run away from the place of test, not to speak of committing such a heinous crime as suicide (which Allah has prohibited) to escape it, for it means that the one who commits suicide tries to run away from small troubles and ignominies towards greater affliction and eternal torment and ignominy.
*34) When the Islamic State was established, "killing by right" was confined to five cases only: To punish (1) a wilful murderer for retribution, (2) opponents of the true religion during war, (3) those who attempt to overthrow the Islamic system of government, (4) a man or woman guilty of adultery and (5) an apostate .
*35) We have translated the Arabic word "sultan" into "the right of retribution". Here it stands for "a ground for legal action". This also lays down the legal principle that in a case of murder, the real plaintiff is not the government but the guardian or the guardians of the murdered person who are authorized to pardon the murderer or receive blood-money instead of taking his life.
*36) Transgression in killing would be to kill more persons than the murderer or to kill the criminal by degrees with torment or to disfigure his dead body or to kill him after receiving blood-money, etc., etc. All these things have been forbidden.
*37) It has not been defined how succour will be given because at the time of its revelation the Islamic State had not yet been established. After its establishment it was made clear that a guardian was not authorised to enforce retribution by murdering the criminal. The Islamic Government alone is legally authorized. to take retribution; therefore, succour for justice should be demanded only from it.