Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Surah Al-Isra
Surah 17 · Al-Isra · verse 31 of 111

Quran 17:31 · Al-Isra

وَلَا تَقۡتُلُوٓاْ أَوۡلَٰدَكُمۡ خَشۡيَةَ إِمۡلَٰقٖۖ نَّحۡنُ نَرۡزُقُهُمۡ وَإِيَّاكُمۡۚ إِنَّ قَتۡلَهُمۡ كَانَ خِطۡـٔٗا كَبِيرٗا

And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Indeed, their killing is ever a great sin

Translation: Sahih International
Maulana’s commentary · Tazkirul Quran

It was the Lord who created all living creatures and it was He who made provision for their sustenance. In view of this, man’s action in killing anyone on the pretext of a lack of the means to survive amounts to committing a totally unjustifiable act. When God Himself undertakes the sustenance of all His creatures, nobody has the right to kill anybody for fear that another’s continuing to exist will reduce his own chances of survival. ‘It is We who provide (sustenance) for them, and for you.’ Through these words the thinking of man is directed towards construction rather than destruction. It is worth considering that if human beings at present can earn their livelihood, it is by their utilizing the productive resources provided by God. This will hold good for future generations also.

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, Tazkirul Quran

In the lectures

Maulana does not cite this verse in the lectures indexed so far. The verses of this surah Maulana does cite →