The difference between “because of poverty” and “for fear of poverty?”

 

What is the difference between the two verses: 


“kill not your children because of poverty[min imlaaqin] — We provide sustenance for you and for them”


[al-An’aam 6:151] 


and  


“And kill not your children for fear of poverty [khashyata imlaaqin]. We shall provide for them as well as for you. Surely, the killing of them is a great sin”


[al-Isra’ 17:31]?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Imlaaq means
poverty. It was the custom of the people of the Jaahiliyyah to bury their
daughters alive, either because of poverty, or for fear that they may fall
into poverty in the future. Allaah forbade it in either case. The first
verse (interpretation of the meaning): 

“kill not
your children because of poverty”

[al-An’aam 6:151] 

refers to
the first reason, i.e., do not kill your children because you are poor,
because Allaah has guaranteed to provide for you and for them. 

And the
second verse (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And kill
not your children for fear of poverty. We shall provide for them as well as
for you”

[al-Isra’
17:31] 

refers to
the second reason, i.e., do not kill your children for fear that you may
become poor or that they may become poor after you are gone, for Allaah will
provide for them and for you. 

Ibn Katheer
(may Allaah have mercy on him) said: With regard to the phrase “because
of poverty [min imlaaqin]”, Ibn ‘Abbaas said: this means poverty, i.e.,
do not kill them because you are poor. It says in Soorat al-Isra’: “And
kill not your children for fear of poverty”, i.e., do not kill them for
fear of poverty in the future. Hence Allaah says here, “We shall provide
for them as well as for you”. Here Allaah mentions their provision
first, because of the concern for them, i.e., do not fear becoming poor
because of providing for them, for that is what Allaah will do. But in the
first verse, because poverty is already a factor, Allaah says, “We
provide sustenance for you and for them”, because that is more important
in that case. 

And Allaah
knows best. 

End quote. 

And Allaah
knows best.