Allah said,

﴿وَلاَ تَقْتُلُواْ أَوْلَـدَكُمْ مِّنْ إمْلَـقٍ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ﴾

(Kill not your children because of poverty, We shall provide sustenance for you and for them.) After Allah commanded kindness to parents and grandparents, He next ordered kindness to children and grandchildren. Allah said,

﴿وَلاَ تَقْتُلُواْ أَوْلَـدَكُمْ مِّنْ إمْلَـقٍ﴾

(kill not your children because of poverty,) because the idolators used to kill their children, obeying the lures of the devils. They used to bury their daughters alive for fear of shame, and sometimes kill their sons for fear of poverty. It is recorded in the Two Sahihs that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "I asked the Messenger of Allah , `Which sin is the biggest' He said,

«أَنْ تَجْعَلَ للهِ نِدًّا وَهُوَ خَلَقَك»

(To call a rival for Allah, while He Alone created you.) I said, `Then what' He said,

«أَنْ تَقْتُلَ وَلَدَكَ خَشْيَةَ أَنْ يَطْعَمَ مَعَك»

(To kill your son for fear that he might share your food.') I said, `Then what' He said,

«أَنْ تُزَانِي حَلِيلَةَ جَارِك»

(To commit adultery with your neighbor's wife.) Then the Messenger of Allah recited the Ayah,

﴿وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَـهَا ءَاخَرَ وَلاَ يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِى حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ وَلاَ يَزْنُونَ﴾

(And those who invoke not any other god along with Allah, nor kill such person as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse...) ﴿25:68﴾.'' Allah's statement,

﴿مِّنْ إمْلَـقٍ﴾

(Because of Imlaq) refers to poverty, according to Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others. The Ayah means, do not kill your children because you are poor. Allah said in Surat Al-Isra',

﴿وَلاَ تَقْتُلُواْ أَوْلادَكُمْ خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَـقٍ﴾

(And do not kill your children for fear from Imlaq.) ﴿17:31﴾, that is, do not kill your children for fear that you might become poor in the future. This is why Allah said,

﴿نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُم﴾

(We shall provide sustenance for them and for you) ﴿17:31﴾, thus mentioning the provision of the children first, meaning, do not fear poverty because of feeding your children. Certainly, their provision is provided by Allah. Allah said,

﴿نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ﴾

(We provide sustenance for you and for them,) thus starting with parents, because this is the appropriate subject here and Allah knows. Allah said next,

﴿وَلاَ تَقْرَبُواْ الْفَوَحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ﴾

(Come not near Al-Fawahish (immoral sins) whether committed openly or secretly) Allah said in a similar Ayah,

﴿قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَوَحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَالإِثْمَ وَالْبَغْىَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَأَن تُشْرِكُواْ بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَـناً وَأَن تَقُولُواْ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

(Say: "(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are Al-Fawahish (immoral sins) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allah of which you have no knowledge.") ﴿7:33﴾ We also explained this meaning in the explanation of the Ayah,

﴿وَذَرُواْ ظَـهِرَ الإِثْمِ وَبَاطِنَهُ﴾

(Leave sin, open and secret) ﴿6:120﴾. The Two Sahihs recorded that Ibn Mas`ud said that the Messenger of Allah said,

«لَا أَحَدٌ أَغْيَرَ مِنَ اللهِ، مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ حَرَّمَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَن»

(None is more jealous than Allah. This is why He has forbidden the immoral sins committed openly or secretly.) `Abdul-Malik bin `Umayr said that Warrad narrated that Al-Mughirah said that Sa`d bin `Ubadah said, "If I see a man with my wife (committing adultery), I will kill him with the sword." When the matter came to the Messenger of Allah , he said,

«أَتَعْجَبُونَ مِنْ غَيْرةِ سَعْدٍ؟ فَوَاللهِ لَأَنَا أَغْيَرُ مِنْ سَعْدٍ، وَاللهُ أَغْيَرُ مِنِّي، مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ حَرَّمَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَن»

(Do you wonder at Sa`d's jealousy By Allah, I am more jealous than Sa`d, and Allah is more jealous than I. This is why He has forbidden the immoral sins committed openly and in secret.) This Hadith is in the Two Sahihs).