And when the conclusion of these verses is in warning the one who turns away from judging by what Allah has revealed, it corresponds to His saying at the beginning of the context of warfare: "Then indeed, many of them after that in the land are transgressors" [Al-Ma'idah: 32]; it returned to killing, clarifying that they have changed in killing, just as they have changed in zina; they preferred the Banu Nadir over the Banu Qurayzah. He said: "And We decreed"; meaning: by what We have of greatness; "upon them in it"; meaning: in the Torah; in addition to His saying: "We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul without a soul" [Al-Ma'idah: 32]; and if you reflect, you will find what is between them, due to the intensity of their connection and the strength of the call to it, as if it is an interruption; "that the soul"; meaning: killed as retribution; like for like; "by the soul"; meaning: by killing the soul; without any justification from what has preceded; "and the eye"; meaning: it is to be gouged out; "by the eye"; meaning: it was gouged out without any doubt; "and the nose"; it is to be cut off; "by the nose"; likewise; "and the ear"; it is to be severed; "by the ear"; as has been mentioned; "and the tooth"; it is to be extracted; "by the tooth"; if it was extracted intentionally without right; "and the wounds"; meaning: those which are all regulated; "retribution"; like for like; equal for equal.

And when He made this obligatory - glorified and exalted is He - He permitted them to refrain from it. This caused Him to say: ﴿So whoever gives it as charity﴾; meaning: he forgives the retribution from whom it is due; whether he is the injured party, if he is alive, or his heir, if he is deceased. ﴿Then it is﴾; meaning: the giving of retribution; ﴿an expiation for him﴾; meaning: a covering for the sins of this forgiver. And He did not make for them a blood money; it is only retribution or forgiveness. So whoever judges by what Allah has revealed, those are the Muslims; due to their submission in this difficult matter of Allah's command. ﴿And whoever does not judge﴾; meaning: in the manner of continuity; ﴿by what Allah has revealed﴾; meaning: that which has no equivalent to it; then there is no command for anyone with him; due to fear, or hope, or religiousness by turning away from it; whether he judges by something else or not. ﴿Then those are﴾; meaning: the far ones from the path of uprightness; the hated ones to the people of honor; ﴿they are the wrongdoers﴾; meaning: those who abandoned justice; they preferred; and they became like one who walks in darkness. If it was religiousness by abandonment, it was the end of injustice; and that is disbelief; otherwise, it was disobedience; because Allah is more deserving to be feared and hoped for. Ibn Ishaq narrated in the Sirah about their arbitration in adultery similar to what has preceded. Then he said: And Dawud ibn al-Husayn narrated to me from Ikrimah; from Ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with both of them - that the verses from 'Al-Ma'idah' in which Allah said: ﴿So judge between them or turn away from them﴾ [Al-Ma'idah: 42]; to: ﴿the just﴾ [Al-Ma'idah: 42]; were revealed regarding the blood money between Banu al-Nadir and Banu Qurayzah. This is because the slain of Banu al-Nadir - who had honor - would pay the full blood money; and that Banu Qurayzah would pay half of the blood money. So they referred this to the Messenger of Allah - blessings and peace be upon him - and Allah revealed that concerning them. The Messenger of Allah - blessings and peace be upon him - guided them to the truth in that; and he made the blood money equal. Ibn Ishaq said: And Allah knows which of that was. And it was narrated by al-Nasa'i in his Sunan from the path of Ibn Ishaq; and it was also narrated from another source from Ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with both of them - who said: "Banu Qurayzah and Banu al-Nadir were there; and Banu al-Nadir was more honorable than Banu Qurayzah; and when a man from Banu Qurayzah killed a man from Banu al-Nadir, he would be killed for it; and if a man from Banu al-Nadir killed a man from Banu Qurayzah, he would pay a hundred wasqs of dates. So when the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - was sent, a man from Banu al-Nadir killed a man from Banu Qurayzah; and they said: Hand him over to us so we can kill him; and they said: Between us and you is the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - so they went to him and it was revealed: ﴿And if you judge, judge between them with justice﴾ [Al-Ma'idah: 42]." And justice is: life for life. Then it was revealed: ﴿Do they seek the judgment of ignorance?﴾ [Al-Ma'idah: 50]; and that is the end.

And this is the text of what they have from the Torah regarding retribution; it was said in the second book: (And whoever strikes a man and he dies, he should be killed in retaliation; and if two men fight and they injure a pregnant woman, causing her to give birth prematurely; and the soul has not yet entered the fetus; then he should be fined according to what the husband of the woman requires of him; and he should pay what the judge has ruled upon him; and if the soul has entered the fetus; then a soul for a soul; an eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth; a hand for a hand; a foot for a foot; and a wound for a wound; and a blow for a blow); and it was said in the third book - after mentioning the festivals in the seventeenth chapter -: (And whoever kills a person should be killed; and whoever kills an animal should compensate its owner with a similar one; and if a man strikes his companion and causes him a harm that is blameworthy; he should be treated as he treated; and injuries are retribution: a fracture for a fracture; an eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth; as a person does to his companion, so should be done to him; the ruling is the same for you; and for those who come to me); and it was said in the second: (If a man strikes the eye of his slave or his female slave and gouges it out; then he should free him as compensation for his eye; and if he knocks out the tooth of his slave or his female slave, he should free him as compensation for his tooth); and he mentioned many rulings; then he said: (And whoever slaughters for idols should be destroyed; rather, for Allah alone); and it was said in the fourth: (And whoever kills a soul should not be killed except with a just testimony; and the testimony of one witness is not accepted regarding the killing of a soul; and do not accept a bribe from a person who deserves to be killed; rather, he should be killed; and do not take a bribe from him to allow him to escape to a village; to a refuge; to dwell there until the death of the great priest; and do not defile the land in which you dwell; for indeed, blood defiles the land; and the land in which blood is shed is not forgiven until the killer who killed is killed); and it was said in the fifth: (And no one who deserves to be killed should be killed except with the testimony of two men; (p-158) he should not be killed with the testimony of one man; and if you stone someone, then those who testify against him should begin the stoning first; then all the people should begin with him; and destroy those who do evil and eradicate them from among you; and if a man bears false witness against his companion; the two men should stand before the priest; and the judge should investigate their matter thoroughly; and if they find a man who bore false witness, they should do to him as he intended to do to his brother; and remove evil from among you; and punish with justice; so that those who are conscious may hear and be frightened; and not return to do such a vile act among you; and do not let your eyes pity the oppressor; rather, your ruling should be a soul for a soul; and an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; and a hand for a hand; and a foot for a foot.