It is not Al-Birr (piety,
righteousness, and each and every act of obedience to Allâh, etc.) that you
turn your faces towards east and (or) west (in prayers); but Al-Birr is (the
quality of) the one who believes in Allâh, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book,
the Prophets[] and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk,
to the orphans, and to Al-Masâkin (the poor), and to the wayfarer, and to those
who ask, and to set slaves free, performs As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and gives
the Zakât, and who fulfill their covenant when they make it, and who are
patient in extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting
(during the battles). Such are the people of the truth and they are Al¬Muttaqûn
(pious - see V.2:2) (177) O you who believe! Al-Qisâs (the Law of Equality in punishment)
is prescribed for you in case of murder: the free for the free, the slave for
the slave, and the female for the female. But if the killer is forgiven by the
brother (or the relatives, etc.) 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. This is an alleviation and a
mercy from your Lord. So after this whoever transgresses the limits (i.e. kills
the killer after taking the blood money), he shall have a painful torment. (178) And
there is (a saving of) life for you in Al-Qisâs (the Law of Equality in
punishment), O men of understanding, that you may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious
- see V.2:2). (179) It is prescribed for you, when death approaches any of you, if
he leaves wealth, that he make a bequest to parents and next of kin, according
to reasonable manners. (This is) a duty upon Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - see V.2:2). (180) Then whoever changes
the bequest after hearing it, the sin shall be on those who make the change.
Truly, Allâh is All-Hearer, All-Knower. (181)