O you who have believed, prescribed for you is legal retribution for those murdered - the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But whoever overlooks from his brother anything, then there should be a suitable follow-up and payment to him with good conduct. This is an alleviation from your Lord and a mercy. But whoever transgresses after that will have a painful punishment.  

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى ۖ الْحُرُّ بِالْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ وَالْأُنْثَىٰ بِالْأُنْثَىٰ ۚ فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَيْءٌ فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَاءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۗ فَمَنِ اعْتَدَىٰ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَهُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ  

The law of Qisas (i.e. equality in punishment) was prescribed for the children of Israel, but the Diya (i.e. blood money was not ordained for them). So Allah said to this Nation (i.e. Muslims): "O you who believe! The law of Al-Qisas (i.e. equality in punishment) is prescribed for you in cases of murder: The free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But if the relatives (or one of them) of the killed (person) forgive their brother (i.e. the killers something of Qisas (i.e. not to kill the killer by accepting blood money in the case of intentional murder)----then the relatives (of the killed person) should demand blood-money in a reasonable manner and the killer must pay with handsome gratitude. This is an allevitation and a Mercy from your Lord, (in comparison to what was prescribed for the nations before you). So after this, whoever transgresses the limits (i.e. to kill the killer after taking the blood-money) shall have a painful torment." (2.178)  

اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لِهَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ {كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى الْحُرُّ بِالْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ وَالأُنْثَى بِالأُنْثَى فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَىْءٌ} فَالْعَفْوُ أَنْ يَقْبَلَ الدِّيَةَ فِي الْعَمْدِ {فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَاءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ} يَتَّبِعُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيُؤَدِّي بِإِحْسَانٍ {ذَلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ} وَرَحْمَةٌ مِمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ {فَمَنِ اعْتَدَى بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَلَهُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ} قَتَلَ بَعْدَ قَبُولِ الدِّيَةِ  

For the children of Israel the punishment for crime was Al-Qisas only (i.e., the law of equality in punishment) and the payment of Blood money was not permitted as an alternate. But Allah said to this nation (Muslims): 'O you who believe! Qisas is prescribed for you in case of murder, .....(up to) ...end of the Verse. (2.178) Ibn ʿAbbas added: Remission (forgiveness) in this Verse, means to accept the Blood-money in an intentional murder. Ibn ʿAbbas added: The Verse: 'Then the relatives should demand Blood-money in a reasonable manner.' (2.178) means that the demand should be reasonable and it is to be compensated with handsome gratitude.  

كَانَتْ فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ قِصَاصٌ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ فِيهِمُ الدِّيَةُ فَقَالَ اللَّهُ لِهَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ {كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى} إِلَى هَذِهِ الآيَةِ {فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَىْءٌ} قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَالْعَفْوُ أَنْ يَقْبَلَ الدِّيَةَ فِي الْعَمْدِ قَالَ {فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ} أَنْ يَطْلُبَ بِمَعْرُوفٍ وَيُؤَدِّيَ بِإِحْسَانٍ  

[Machine] Before you, it was customary for people to take revenge by killing the killer, and no blood money was accepted from the killer. Then, Allah revealed the verse {O you who have believed, prescribed for you is legal retribution for those murdered} till the end of the verse {that is a concession from your Lord and a mercy}. He said: "So He lightened from you what was upon those before you, which is the blood money that was not accepted. So whoever gives blood money, that is an act of forgiveness and a means of good conduct. And it is to be given to him by his brother in a good manner."  

«كَانَ مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ يَقْتُلُونَ الْقَاتِلَ بِالْقَتِيلِ لَا تُقْبَلُ مِنْهُ الدِّيَةُ» فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى} إِلَى آخِرِ الْآيَةِ {ذَلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ} يَقُولُ «فَخَفَّفَ عَنْكُمْ مَا كَانَ عَلَى مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ أَيِ الدِّيَةَ لَمْ تَكُنْ تُقْبَلُ فَالَّذِي يَقْبَلُ الدِّيَةَ فَذَلِكَ عَفْوٌ فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيُؤَدِّي إِلَيْهِ الَّذِي عُفِيَ مِنْ أَخِيهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ»  

"There was Qisas among the Children of Israel, but Diyah was unknown among them. Then Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, revealed: "Al-Qisas (the law of equality in punishment) is prescribed for your in case of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female." Up to His saying: "But if the killer is forgiven by the brother 9or the relatives) of the killed against blood money, then adhering to it with fairness and payment of the blood money to the heir should be made in fairness."[2] Forgiveness means accepting the Diyah in the case of deliberate killing. Adhering to it in fairness means asking him to pay the Diyah in a fair manner, and payment in fairness means giving the Diyah in a fair manner. This is and alleviation and a mercy from you Lord,[1] means: This is easier thanthat which was prescribed for those who came before you, which was Qisas and not Diyah." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 4781)   

كَانَ فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْقِصَاصُ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ فِيهِمُ الدِّيَةُ فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ ﷻ {كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى الْحَرُّ بِالْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ} [البقرة 178] إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَيْءٌ فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَاءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ} [البقرة 178] فَالْعَفْوُ أَنْ يَقْبَلَ الدِّيَةَ فِي الْعَمْدِ وَ {فاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفٍ} [البقرة 178] يَقُولُ يَتْبَعُ هَذَا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَاءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ وَيُؤَدِّي هَذَا بِإِحْسَانٍ {ذَلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ} [البقرة 178] مَا كُتِبَ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ قِبْلَكُمْ إِنَّمَا هُوَ كَانَ الْقِصَاصُ وَلَيْسَ الدِّيَةَ  

[Machine] Retribution was practiced among the children of Israel, and they did not have the option of blood money. So, Allah, blessed and exalted, said to this nation, "O you who have believed, prescribed for you is legal retribution for those murdered - the free for the free..." (Al-Baqarah 2:178) until His saying, "But whoever overlooks from his brother anything, then there should be a suitable follow-up and payment to him [compensation]" (Al-Baqarah 2:178). So forgiveness is that blood money is accepted for intentional killing, and following the custom is to follow this with a fitting custom, and fulfilling this with excellence. So, leniency was granted to this nation...  

كَانَ الْقِصَاصُ فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِمُ الدِّيَةُ فَقَالَ اللهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى لِهَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى الْحُرُّ بِالْحُرِّ} [البقرة 178] إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَيْءٌ} [البقرة 178] فَالْعَفْوُ أَنْ تُقْبَلَ الدِّيَةُ فِي الْعَمْدِ وَاتِّبَاعُ الْمَعْرُوفِ أَنْ تَتْبَعَ هَذَا بِمَعْرُوفٍ وَتُؤَدِّي هَذَا بِإِحْسَانٍ فَخُفِّفَ عَنْ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ  

[Machine] "Allah has prescribed for this nation the law of retaliation in cases of murder: free man for free man, slave for slave, and female for female. But whoever is granted clemency by his brother (the victim), then it should be followed by kindness and compensation to the best of their ability. This is a relief from your Lord. It is similar to what was prescribed for those before you. And whoever transgresses after this, there shall be a painful punishment for him." [Quran 2:178]

16035 Ali ibn Abdullah narrated that Mujahid informed him that Amr ibn Dinar said: Ibn Abbas narrated to me, mentioning it in similar words.  

اللهُ ﷻ لِهَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ {كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى الْحُرُّ بِالْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ وَالْأُنْثَى بِالْأُنْثَى فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَيْءٌ} [البقرة 178] قَالَ الْعَفْوُ أَنْ يَقْبَلَ الدِّيَةَ فِي الْعَمْدِ {فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَاءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ ذَلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ} [البقرة 178] مِمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ {فَمَنِ اعْتَدَى بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَلَهُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ} [البقرة 178] 16035 وَأَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عَبْدَانَ أنبأ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ الصَّفَّارُ ثنا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ ثنا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ ثنا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُجَاهِدٌ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فَذَكَرَهُ بِنَحْوِهِ