Episode 25 - Lessons from His Saying: (Do not kill your children out of poverty) - The Ten Commandments / 3
Renew the life of the heart with the Quran, so that the soul may find peace through faith. Recite it at all times and seek its rain and clouds of forgiveness.
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings, dear brothers. We are still discussing the ten great commandments in Surah Al-An'am. In the previous episode, we stopped at the first two commandments in His saying, the Most High: "Say, 'Come, I will recite to you what your Lord has forbidden for you: Do not associate anything with Him, and do good to your parents.'"
The Third Commandment: The Prohibition of Killing Children Due to Poverty
What is the third commandment? Our Lord, the Almighty, says: "And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for you and for them." Look at how Allah, the Most High, is more merciful to the children than their parents. "And do not kill your children." Killing a soul without right is generally forbidden, but killing a child out of poverty, fearing competition for sustenance, is a greater and worse crime than that of one who kills out of anger or greed.
In the Sahihain, it is reported from Abdullah ibn Masud that he said, "O Messenger of Allah, which sin is the greatest?" He said, "That you set up a rival to Allah while He is the One who created you." He said, "Then which?" He said, "That you kill your child for fear that he will eat with you." He said, "Then which?" He said, "That you commit adultery with your neighbor's wife."
Reasons for the Greatness of the Sin and Weakness of Reliance on Allah
One of the reasons this sin is greater than other forms of killing - and Allah knows best - is that the one who kills his child out of fear of poverty has a flaw in his faith in the names and attributes of Allah. Killing a child out of poverty is a sign of weakness or lack of reliance on Allah, the Most High.
This is not a call to rely on Allah and neglect work with procreation, but he who abandons his family and does not strive for their sustenance is struck by the hadith of the Prophet, peace be upon him: "It is enough sin for a man to neglect those he supports." Rather, dear brothers, this commandment establishes a general principle: the prohibition of aggression resulting from fear of sustenance and weakness of reliance on Allah. If the motive for disobedience is weakness of reliance and fear of sustenance, then that increases the ugliness of the disobedience and its sin.
Wider Applications of the Principle of Reliance on Allah
The merchant who competes with his neighbor using forbidden methods and tries to harm him, break him, and drive him out of the market for fear of being defeated in competition and becoming poor one day, this merchant has weak reliance on Allah. His weak reliance and weak faith that He, the Most High, is the Provider, increases the ugliness of the disobedience and aggression, just as it increases the ugliness of killing the child.
The employee who informs on his colleague, diminishes his achievements, and exaggerates his mistakes because he fears that the company will do without his colleague, this too shows weakness in his reliance and faith. All of them should remember His saying, the Most High: "We provide for you and for them." If Allah provides for your colleagues and peers, it will not diminish your sustenance.
Therefore, this was the third commandment of Allah, the Most High: "And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for you and for them." We ask Allah, the Most High, to grant us sincere reliance on Him. Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.