Quran Universe
17:33

وَلَا تَقۡتُلُواْ ٱلنَّفۡسَ ٱلَّتِي حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا بِٱلۡحَقِّۗ وَمَن قُتِلَ مَظۡلُومٗا فَقَدۡ جَعَلۡنَا لِوَلِيِّهِۦ سُلۡطَٰنٗا فَلَا يُسۡرِف فِّي ٱلۡقَتۡلِۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ مَنصُورٗا

Wala taqtuloo alnnafsa allatee harrama Allahu illa bialhaqqi waman qutila mathlooman faqad jaAAalna liwaliyyihi sultanan fala yusrif fee alqatli innahu kana mansooran

And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden, except by right. And whoever is killed unjustly - We have given his heir authority, but let him not exceed limits in [the matter of] taking life. Indeed, he has been supported [by the law].

Word by word
  1. وَلَاAnd (do) not
  2. تَقۡتُلُواْkill
  3. ٱلنَّفۡسَthe soul
  4. ٱلَّتِيwhich
  5. حَرَّمَAllah has forbidden
  6. ٱللَّهُAllah has forbidden
  7. إِلَّاexcept
  8. بِٱلۡحَقِّۗby right
  9. وَمَنAnd whoever
  10. قُتِلَ(is) killed
  11. مَظۡلُومٗاwrongfully
  12. فَقَدۡverily
  13. جَعَلۡنَاWe have made
  14. لِوَلِيِّهِۦfor his heir
  15. سُلۡطَٰنٗاan authority
  16. فَلَاbut not
  17. يُسۡرِفhe should exceed
  18. فِّيin
  19. ٱلۡقَتۡلِۖthe killing
  20. إِنَّهُۥIndeed,he
  21. كَانَis
  22. مَنصُورٗاhelped
Al-Isra · 17:33Makkah

A life Allah made sacred, and justice without excess.

The weight of one soul

A sacred life
the soulforbidden by Allah
the heirgiven authority
forgivenessan option the heir has
excessrevenge beyond limits
After a wrong
hit back hardermake them pay more
no excessjustice has limits

Ibn Kathir cites a narration that the end of the world is less serious to Allah than the killing of a Muslim. The heir of a wronged person is given authority, and may also forgive. But he must not go beyond limits, such as taking revenge on people other than the one who did it.

Someone wrongs your brother, and the family group chat fills with rage. Everyone wants to hit back at the whole other family. Anger wants more than justice. The verse puts a limit on that.

When I am wronged, I am free to get back at them however I like.

Even rightful anger has limits, and forgiving is always an option.

Try this

Think of someone who wronged you. Make sure you are not punishing someone else for it.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And do not kill anyone whose killing Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause. And whoever is killed wrongfully (not by mistake), We have given his heir the authority. But let him not exceed limits in the matter of taking life. Verily, he is helped (33)

Prohibition of Unlawful Killing

Allah forbids killing with no legitimate reason. It was reported in the Two Sahihs that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

لَا يَحِلُّ دَمُ امْرِىءٍ مُسْلِمٍ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ، إِلَّا بِإِحْدَى ثَلَاثٍ: النَّفْسُ بِالنَّفْسِ، وَالزَّانِي الْمُحْصَنُ، وَالتَّارِكُ لِدِينِهِ الْمُفَارِقُ لِلْجَمَاعَةِ

(The blood of a Muslim who bears witness to La ilaha illallah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, is not permissible (to be shed) except in three cases: a soul for a soul (i.e., in the case of murder), an adulterer who is married, and a person who leaves his religion and deserts the Jama'ah.) The following is recorded in the books of the Sunan:

لَزَوَالُ الدُّنْيَا عِنْدَ اللهِ أَهْوَنُ مِنْ قَتْلِ مُسْلِمٍ

(If the world were to be destroyed, it would be of less importance to Allah than the killing of a Muslim.)

وَمَن قُتِلَ مَظْلُومًا فَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا لِوَلِيِّهِ سُلْطَانًا

(And whoever is killed wrongfully, We have given his heir the authority.) The authority is over the killer. The heir has the choice; if he wishes, he may have him killed in retaliation, or he may forgive him in return for the payment of the Diyah (blood money), or he may forgive him with no payment, as is reported in the Sunnah. The great scholar and Imam Ibn 'Abbas understood from the general meaning of this Ayah that Mu'awiyah should take power, because he was the heir of 'Uthman, who had been killed wrongfully, may Allah be pleased with him, and Mu'awiyah did eventually take power, as Ibn 'Abbas said on the basis of this Ayah. This is one of the stranger of matters.

فَلَا يُسْرِف فِّي الْقَتْلِ

(But let him not exceed limits in the matter of taking life.) They said: this means the heir should not go to extremes in killing the killer, such as mutilating the body or taking revenge on persons other than the killer.

إِنَّهُ كَانَ مَنصُورًا

(Verily, he is helped.) means, the heir is helped against the killer by the Shari'ah and by divine decree.