And when he clarified their categories; it became evident from it that their conditions are confusing. He commanded to fight them; while striving to understand their conditions; and he concluded with the dominance over them. It was possible that someone who does not deserve to be killed could be killed due to the confusion. He followed that with his saying - intended by it the prohibition; presenting it in the form of a confirmed negation; to intensify the warning against it; due to what the souls have when it comes to desires that lead to killing -: "And it is not for a believer"; meaning: it is forbidden for him; "to kill a believer"; meaning: in one of the situations; "except by mistake"; meaning: in the case of error; by not intending to kill; or not intending the person; or intending him with something that is not intended for the taking of life; or not intending what is prohibited; like someone who throws at the ranks of the disbelievers while there is a Muslim among them; or by being someone who is not legally accountable; for killing in this case is not forbidden; and this which he mentioned in the categories of the hypocrites; indicating that it is necessary to verify; and to be cautious in all matters of killing; whenever it is possible that the killer is a believer; a possibility that custom does not dictate to be close; thus it necessitated the clarification of the ruling on error; and the letter of specification may be applied to what has no prohibition: "For it is only for you or for your brother or for the wolf"; as if he expressed it to indicate the obligation of expiation and compensation as a means of deterring from killing a believer; for if this is the recompense for what is his; then what about what is not his?! He said (the Exalted): "And whoever kills a believer"; whether small or large; whether male or female; and perhaps he expressed - glorified and exalted is He - with the description; to alert that if it is not like that in reality; then there is nothing upon him in reality; even if he is obliged to it in appearance; "by mistake"; and when the mistake is lifted from this nation; it was thought that there is nothing upon the one who errs; he clarified that the matter in killing is not like that; for the preservation of souls; because the matter in it is very serious; he said - intensifying upon him; urging to increase caution; and care when doing what might kill -: "Then the expiation"; meaning: the obligation upon him is to free a "neck"; meaning: a soul - he expressed it by it because it does not live without it - fully enslaved; "believing"; even if by selling the house; or the gardens; sound from what undermines the action; and he advanced the freeing here as an encouragement to mend what has been torn from the veil of the servant; and making that obligatory in error is an obligation for him in intentional killing; by way of priority; and as if he did not mention it in intentional killing because it is a concession in general; and the context is for intensification; "and a compensation delivered"; meaning: paid with ease; and simplicity; "to his family"; meaning: his heirs; they divide it as inheritance is divided; "except that they forgive"; meaning: this is obligatory upon him in every case; except in the case of their forgiving the killer; by releasing him from the compensation; then there is nothing upon him at that time; and he expressed it with charity as an encouragement; "Then if he was"; meaning: the killed; "from a people"; meaning: among them is protection; "an enemy to you"; meaning: fighting; "and he is"; meaning: while he is "a believer then the obligation upon the killer is to free a "believing neck"; and as if he expressed that as an indication to be cautious about the quality of her Islam; and this has dropped the sanctity of his soul without expiation; by residing in the land of war; which is the land of permissibility; or his being in their ranks; or being counted among them; he said: "from"; and its meaning - as Al-Shafi'i and others said; following Ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with them -: in "And if he was"; meaning: the killed; "from a people"; meaning: disbelievers as well; an enemy to you; "between you and them is a covenant"; and he is a disbeliever like them; "then a compensation"; meaning: the obligation in it - like the obligation in the previously mentioned believer - "a compensation delivered to his family"; according to his religion; if he was a People of the Book then one-third of the compensation of the Muslim; and if he was a Magian then two-thirds of a tenth of it; "and freeing a believing neck"; and as if he has advanced the compensation here as an indication to hasten with it; preserving the covenant; and to emphasize the matter of freeing by being a conclusion; as it was an opening; urging to fulfill it; for it is a trust; no one demands it except Allah; and Al-Asbahani said: Indeed, the secret of that is that making it obligatory upon the believer is preferable to the compensation; and conversely here; it has ended.

And his secret was the consideration of the goodness of religion in the believer; and the preservation of the covenant in the disbeliever; ﴿So whoever does not find﴾; meaning: the neck; nor what can be used to reach it; ﴿then fasting﴾; meaning: it is obligatory upon him to fast; ﴿two consecutive months﴾; even if he breaks one day without menstruation; or postpartum bleeding; he must restart; and he justified that by saying, counting it as a mistake - after expressing it with the preposition that implies it is permissible - a sin; to emphasize the encouragement for more caution: ﴿as a repentance﴾; meaning: this has been made obligatory upon you for the acceptance of repentance; ﴿from Allah﴾; meaning: the greatest King; who has everything in His grasp.

And since the expiations are burdensome upon the soul in some way; He encouraged them - glorified and exalted is He - by concluding the verse with the saying: ﴿And Allah﴾; meaning: the One who encompasses the attributes of perfection; ﴿is Knowing﴾; meaning: of what will benefit you in this world; and the Hereafter; and of what occurs mistakenly in the essence of the matter; or intentionally; so let no one be deceived by the establishment of rulings based on appearances; ﴿and Wise﴾; in establishing the deterrents with the expiations; and others; so adhere to His commands; and distance yourselves from His deterrents; that you may attain knowledge; and wisdom.