وَلَا تَقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَوْلَٰدَكُمْ خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَٰقٍۢ ۖ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ قَتْلَهُمْ كَانَ خِطْـًۭٔا كَبِيرًۭا
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 · Saheeh International
Ibn Kathīr (abridged)
Prohibition of killing Children
This Ayah indicates that Allah is more compassionate towards His servants than a father to his child, because He forbids killing children just as He enjoins parents to take care of their children in matters of inheritance. The people of Jahiliyyah would not allow their daughters to inherit from them, and some would even kill their daughters lest they make them more poor. Allah forbade that and said:
وَلاَ تَقْتُلُواْ أَوْلادَكُمْ خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَـقٍ
(And kill not your children for fear of poverty.) meaning, lest they may make you poor in the future. This is why Allah mentions the children's provision first:
نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ
(We shall provide for them as well as for you.) In Surat Al-An`am, Allah says:
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