A Reassessment of the Historical Development of Exegetical Opinions regarding ‘wa-lā taqtulū anfusakum’ in Verse 29 of Surah An-Nisa

Nilsaz, Nosrat; Shaebani Kamran, Ismaeil

doi:10.22054/ajsm.2025.86992.2158

A Reassessment of the Historical Development of Exegetical Opinions regarding ‘wa-lā taqtulū anfusakum’ in Verse 29 of Surah An-Nisa

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Nosrat Nilsaz ¹

ismaeil shaebani kamran ²

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Qur’anic Sciences and Hadith, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

² Ph.D. Candidate in Qur’anic Sciences and Hadith, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22054/ajsm.2025.86992.2158

Abstract

One of the important and debated issues in Qur’anic exegesis is the interpretation of “wa-lā taqtulū anfusakum” in Qur’an 4:29. Throughout the exegetical tradition, this expression has received diverse readings ranging from juristic applications to ethical and social interpretations. The present study examines the historical development of Sunni and Shi‘i exegetical views on this phrase. The research adopts a library-based method combined with qualitative content analysis. Within this framework, exegetical opinions were classified into seven major approaches and analyzed chronologically. The findings indicate that the meaning of the verse evolved over time: early commentators understood it primarily as a prohibition against killing others; in the middle periods, the dominant interpretation shifted to the prohibition of suicide and of casting oneself into destruction; and in later commentaries, the scope expanded further to include moral, social, and economic forms of self-destruction, as well as the violation of human dignity and worth. While Sunni exegetes, relying on reports from the Companions and emphasizing communal unity, tended to stress the legal dimension of the verse, Shi‘i exegetes, drawing on traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt (a), explored broader interpretive dimensions. Overall, the study concludes that these diverse interpretations are complementary and collectively present a comprehensive understanding of the verse’s prohibition of all forms of harm to human life, dignity, and well-being.

Keywords

Verse 29 of Surah An-Nisa

wa-lā taqtulū anfusakum

taking life (qatl al-nafs)

suicide

killing others

Subjects