What is the Commentary of Verse 93 in Sura Nisa?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
What is the purpose of Sura Nisa verse 93 if a believer who deliberately kills another believer won’t be in Hell forever, even if he does not repent, since he has at least the faith of a mustard seed? Are the Hadiths about the faith of mustard seed except for the one who deliberately kills a believer and does not repent? Thank you.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
Allah Most High says, ‘And whoever kills a believer intentionally, their reward will be Hell—where they will stay indefinitely. Allah will be displeased with them, condemn them, and will prepare for them a tremendous punishment.’ [Quran, 4:93]
Abu Hurayra and several other companions said that this is his punishment if Allah Most High decided to punish him. And this is the case with every threat issued for every sin. For instance, there could be good deeds that this person has done that would prevent him from being punished for that, and Allah knows best. Even if the murderer inevitably enters the Fire – as Ibn `Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) stated, who held the view that the repentance of one who intentionally murders a believer would not be accepted, or he did not have good deeds to save him, he will not remain there for eternity, but only for a long time. There are mass transmitted hadith stating that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “On the Day of Resurrection, I will intercede and say, ‘O my Lord! Admit into Paradise (even) those with faith equal to a mustard seed in their hearts.” [Bukhari]
Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on SeekersAcademy from the Quranic Studies Curriculum
I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
