6-151 Say: Come! I will recite what your Lord has forbidden to you: Associate naught with Him and do good to parents and slay not your children for (fear of) poverty — We provide for you and for them — and draw not nigh to indecencies, open or secret, and kill not the soul which Allah has made sacred except in the course of justice. This He enjoins upon you that you may understand.a
قُلۡ تَعَالَوۡاْ أَتۡلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّڪُمۡ عَلَيۡڪُمۡۖ أَلَّا تُشۡرِكُواْ بِهِۦ شَيۡـًٔ۬اۖ وَبِٱلۡوَٲلِدَيۡنِ إِحۡسَـٰنً۬اۖ وَلَا تَقۡتُلُوٓاْ أَوۡلَـٰدَڪُم مِّنۡ إِمۡلَـٰقٍ۬ۖ نَّحۡنُ نَرۡزُقُڪُمۡ وَإِيَّاهُمۡۖ وَلَا تَقۡرَبُواْ ٱلۡفَوَٲحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنۡهَا وَمَا بَطَنَۖ وَلَا تَقۡتُلُواْ ٱلنَّفۡسَ ٱلَّتِى حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا بِٱلۡحَقِّۚ ذَٲلِكُمۡ وَصَّٮٰكُم بِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَعۡقِلُونَ (١٥١)
6-151a: It is stated after حَرَّمَ رَبُّڪُمۡ (what your Lord has forbidden to you) not to associate anything with Him but polytheism is not prohibited and instead لا has been added as an emphasis; or a new statement starts from عَلَيۡڪُمۡ, that is it is incumbent upon you not to associate partners with Allah. Those things that need to be done are stated and not doing them is prohibited.
[The sentence construction here is slightly problematic. After stating: I will recite what your Lord has forbidden to you, one expects the thing that is forbidden to be stated, that is that you commit shirk. So the reading should be: it is forbidden that you commit shirk. Instead, what is stated is that you do not commit shirk. So, the reading becomes: it is forbidden that you do not commit shirk or in other words that you commit shirk, which is nonsensical. This is explained in two ways. Either لا is not for negation but for emphasis, or there is a new sentence starting from عَلَيۡڪُمۡ ]
مِنۡ إِمۡلَـٰقۡ – مَلَق is kindness, grace and gentleness and derived from it is تَمَلُّق meaning flattery or sycophancy. For this reason, prayer and earnest supplication is also called ملق and املاق means to become destitute or a pauper and its reality is that the entire wealth has been expended and nothing is left with the person (LA). What is stated here is مِنۡ إِمۡلَـٰقۡ that is for fear of poverty. In another place this is stated as خَشۡيَةَ إِمۡلَـٰقٍ۬ (for fear of poverty) (17:31). It is possible that the two occurrences have the same meaning, but it could also be that the mention here is of those who are destitute, and the later mention is that of someone who is not destitute but is afraid of becoming one.
Practical manifestation of Divine Unity: After repudiating all kinds of polytheism and even polytheistic customs, it is conveyed in this section that it is not just enough to accept the oneness of God but monotheism is the name of living your life according to a special set of rules. Accordingly as a summary, first all kinds of polytheism is refuted by prohibiting all kinds of partnerships with God whether it is the Messiah, the angels, idols, or other things or Ahriman . Along with this are mentioned rules that are for the practical aspects of a person’ s life and in this way it is communicated that protection from polytheism lies in following the correct rules of life. Foremost, attention is drawn to the rights of parents and then to the killing of children. Some have taken killing here to mean wasting the seed through the practice of coitus interruptus etcetera and some have taken it to mean the killing of girls, but from the context it appears that it means depriving the children from the opportunity of gaining knowledge as shown in 6-137a because many people do not send their children to school because they are too poor or for fear of becoming poor. Further, the girls were not killed out of a fear of becoming poor. Thus, the rights of parents are matched with the rights of children that they should be given good education and rearing. Then all kinds of indecent acts are forbidden whether they impact others or not and this includes the worst indecency of adultery which has a deleterious effect on the growth of population. Then attention is drawn to the greatest need for the welfare of humanity, that is the security of life. In a wider sense, all the four things mentioned have a relation with security of life. It is through the parents that life is created and fostered, then the killing of children is stopped, then indecency whose most ugly manifestation is adultery by which potential children are wasted is forbidden and then murder is prohibited. In the end, the use of intelligence is urged because without it survival and security of the human race cannot be assured.
6-152 And approach not the property of the orphan except in the best manner, until he attains his maturity. And give full measure and weight with equity — We impose not on any soul a duty except to the extent of its ability. And when you speak, be just, though it be (against) a relative. And fulfil Allah’s covenant. This He enjoins on you that you may be mindful;a
وَلَا تَقۡرَبُواْ مَالَ ٱلۡيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحۡسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبۡلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ ۥۖ وَأَوۡفُواْ ٱلۡڪَيۡلَ وَٱلۡمِيزَانَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِۖ لَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَاۖ وَإِذَا قُلۡتُمۡ فَٱعۡدِلُواْ وَلَوۡ ڪَانَ ذَا قُرۡبَىٰۖ وَبِعَهۡدِ ٱللَّهِ أَوۡفُواْۚ ذَٲلِڪُمۡ وَصَّٮٰكُم بِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ (١٥٢)
6-152a: أَشُدَّهُ – شِدَّۃ is used both as firm as in firm covenant and strong as in physical strength. For example: هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنۡہُمۡ قُوَّةً (He is mightier than they in power) (41:15). أَشُدَّهُ is the state in which the physical prowess of a person has matured, and it is also used to describe the strengthening of moral power. For example: حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ ۥ وَبَلَغَ أَرۡبَعِينَ سَنَةً۬ ( Till when he attains his maturity and reaches forty years) (46:15). The meaning here is physical strength.
In this verse, attention is drawn to protecting wealth. First, the wealth of the orphan is safeguarded, then giving correct weights and measures in business dealings is commanded, then honesty in discharging duties and responsibilities is mandated, and finally attention is drawn to Allah’s covenant which includes all the commands of shariah. The verse is concluded with the reminder that this advise is given because people often do not remember God where wealth and giving correct testimony is concerned.
6-153 And (know) that this is My path, the right one, so follow it, and follow not (other) ways, for they will lead you away from His way. This He enjoins on you that you may keep your duty.
وَأَنَّ هَـٰذَا صِرَٲطِى مُسۡتَقِيمً۬ا فَٱتَّبِعُوهُۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ ٱلسُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمۡ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦۚ ذَٲلِكُمۡ وَصَّٮٰكُم بِهِۦ لَعَلَّڪُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ (١٥٣)
6-153a: Two element of the straight path are given here – the right of Allah, which is belief in His Oneness and the rights of fellow humans. The two together are stated to constitute the straight path. This shows that discharging one’s responsibilities towards fellow human beings is part of the straight path.
6-154 Again, We gave the Book to Moses to complete (Our blessings) on him who would do good, and making plain all things and a guidance and a mercy, so that they might believe in the meeting with their Lord.
ثُمَّ ءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَى ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ تَمَامًا عَلَى ٱلَّذِىٓ أَحۡسَنَ وَتَفۡصِيلاً۬ لِّكُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ وَهُدً۬ى وَرَحۡمَةً۬ لَّعَلَّهُم بِلِقَآءِ رَبِّهِمۡ يُؤۡمِنُونَ (١٥٤)
6-154a: ثُمَّ – This word is used here not for chronological ordering, but the purport is the mention of another thing. See note 2-29a.
In what sense is the Torah completion of blessings: تَمَامًا means the completion of blessing. In accordance with the condition of the Israelite nation, it is the Torah with which the blessings were completed on them, but it is the Quran that has completed the blessing for the whole world.
عَلَى ٱلَّذِىٓ أَحۡسَنَ – The purport is every person who does good. Some have taken this to be a reference to Moses because there was great benevolence in his preaching. Alternatively, the purport could be احسن القیام meaning who does good by steadfastly adhering to the Book Another explanation is that by تَمَامًا is meant the excessive reward of Allah’s blessings for the benevolent actions of a person.
تَفۡصِيلاً۬ لِّكُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ – The purport by تَفۡصِيلاً۬ لِّكُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ is that there were details in it for everything that was required by Bani Israel. This is like what is stated about a queen: وَأُوتِيَتۡ مِن ڪُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ (she has been given everything) (27:23), where the meaning is she is given the necessities required at that time.
This section is ended with a reference to Moses because the next section mentions the perfection and excellence of the Quran and the Holy Prophet and the Book of Moses provides testimony to the genuineness of the Quran. The internal relation of this verse with the preceding verses of this section which focus on the Oneness of the Divine Being and other commands of the shariah is that similar commands were given to Moses.
Bayan-ul-Quran 