وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ ٱلنَّفْسَ ٱلَّتِى حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا 68
Translations
And those who do not invoke with Allāh another deity or kill the soul which Allāh has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty.
Transliteration
Wa alladhīna lā yad'ūna ma'a Allāhi ilāhan ākhara wa lā yaqtulūna an-nafsa allatī harrama Allāhu illā bi-al-haqq wa lā yaznūn; wa man yaf'al dhālika yalqa athāmā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the characteristics of the righteous servants of Allah ('ibād ar-Rahmān), emphasizing three major prohibitions: not associating partners with Allah (shirk), not unlawfully taking human life, and avoiding fornication/adultery. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, these represent fundamental violations of Allah's laws, and whoever commits these sins will face severe punishment ('athām - sin and its consequences). The ayah establishes that obedience to Allah encompasses both theological monotheism and moral rectitude in action.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Furqan (Chapter 25), revealed in Mecca during a period of intense persecution of Muslims. The surah contrasts the attributes of the righteous believers with the arrogance and sins of the disbelievers. This specific passage (25:63-77) forms a cohesive section describing the noble characteristics ('ibād ar-Rahmān - servants of the Most Merciful), establishing ethical standards for the Muslim community.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The greatest sins are: to associate partners with Allah, to disobey parents, and to kill a soul which Allah has forbidden to be killed.' (Sahih Bukhari 6811). Additionally, the Prophet emphasized: 'Whoever commits fornication has not believed at that moment' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3175).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that true faith in Allah must be accompanied by ethical conduct; avoiding the major sins (shirk, unlawful killing, and fornication) reflects genuine submission to Allah's will and demonstrates the inseparability of creed from righteous action in Islamic life.