QASAS - QISAS

 

QASAS FROM MY UNDERSTANDING OF SURAH BAQRAH -

Qasas is a shortcut summary deducted or derived from a long narrative.

The root of qasas is قصص  - ق ص ص - the basic meaning is to clip, cut, deduct by permutation, it also means to cut down, clip, trim the extremities, prune. the word also signifies to search, trace, track gradually from the available clues, hints  -  The word  الْقِصَاصُ - qisas is the state of reckoning where a person quits his / her stand, belief and is transformed. Qisas is punishing or retialiating or slaying his / her own past mistakes. Cutting of all extreme behaviour or excesses baggage to transform the self.  

7:176 - - - فَاقْصُصِ الْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

 1) ... So deduct the deduction that perhaps they will give thought.

2) ... hypothecate the hypothesis so that they reason.

3) ... Cut short the narrative so that they start thinking.

Three possible translation according to my humble understanding

From the verse (7:176) we inferred that Qasas is not a normal story but a small deductive narrative, thesis which has piece of information to think, reason out, ponder, contemplate in proper manner and transform.   

2:176 يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى ۖ الْحُرُّ بِالْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ وَالْأُنثَىٰ بِالْأُنثَىٰ ۚ فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَيْءٌ فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَاءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ ۗ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۗ فَمَنِ اعْتَدَىٰ بَعْدَ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ فَلَهُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

O you who aspire to believe, scripted (كُتِبَ) upon you is transformation (الْقِصَاصُ) which is attained through thorough self knowledge / introspection (الْقَتْلَى) - the state of liberation (الْحُرُّ) comes along with the liberal thoughts / free minded thoughts and the state of enslavement (الْعَبْدُ) is with the servitude thought process, and the weak thought process (الْأُنثَىٰ) comes along with the weak thoughts. But whoever is completely changed / effaced (عُفِيَ), for him from his faculty of mind (أَخِيهِ) must have strong feeling of enthusiasm / desire (شَيْءٌ), then there should be a follow-up (فَاتِّبَاعٌ) with the recognition (بِالْمَعْرُوفِ) that is due to him with deep knowledge (بِإِحْسَانٍ). That is a light intellect (تَخْفِيفٌ) from your rabb / consciousness and a process of nourishment of knowledgeable guidance (رَحْمَةٌ) . But whoever transgresses after that will have a painful chastisement.

Qasas is the written or oral narration / discourse that transforms / prune and endeavors to trace him back to its roots or originality. It also means to trim (a tree, shrub, or bush) by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, Qisas especially to encourage growth or for transformation.

According to the above verse there are four type of transformation: 1) Killing the ignorance through thorough knowledge 2) Liberation with perfect character according to the inherent script or write-up 3) From the service, i.e. how you serve or perform duty 4) And according to our own weakness or limitations.

179 وَلَكُمْ فِي الْقِصَاصِ حَيَاةٌ يَا أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

And there is for you in transformation is process of enlivened up of life, O you foremost of understanding, that you may become diligent / conscious of God.