( وَكَذَٰلِكَ ) (And likewise): They also adapted similar unfair approach of killing one’s own child.  Arabs before Islam had a habit of killing their children at birth if the parents did not have enough money to support them. There was also the evil habit of burying daughters alive. Allah (swt) addresses the matter of killing children in two separated verses. In one verse Allah (swt) says:

 وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُم مِّنْ إِمْلَاقٍ ۖ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ

(and do not kill your children out of poverty; We will provide for you and them) (Al-An’aam: 151)

In another verse, He (swt) says:

 وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَاقٍ ۖ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ

(And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you.) (Al-Israa: 31)

There is a difference between these two verses. In the first one Allah (swt) says: (and do not kill your children out of poverty). The person in this case is poor, since after that Allah (swt) says: (We will provide for you and them), It is a present state of poverty. Allah (swt) will provide the children with sustenance the moment they are born.

But when Allah (swt) says in the second verse: (And do not kill your children for fear of poverty), this means, do not kill your children out of fear of becoming poor. Allah (swt) says: (We provide for them and for you): This means when they beget children, Allah (swt) will provide for the children and them. Indeed, the Holy Quran is the word of Allah (swt):

 أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ ۚ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا

(Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’an? If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction) (An-Nisaa: 82)

(زَيَّنَ) (made [to seem] pleasing): When something is made to seem pleasing, it is deviated from its origin in an attempt to improve it.

( قَتْلَ أَوْلَادِهِمْ شُرَكَاؤُهُمْ ) (their partners … the killing of their children): Their partners from mankind and jinn embellished for them the act of killing their children out of fear of poverty.

( لِيُرْدُوهُمْ) (in order to bring about their destruction): To bring about their death.

( وَلِيَلْبِسُوا عَلَيْهِمْ دِينَهُمْ ) (and to cover them with confusion in their religion): These associates brought them confusion in their religion.

(وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا فَعَلُوهُ ) (And if Allah had willed, they would not have done so): We will never be able to go against the Will of Allah (swt) in anything we do because He (swt) is the One Who gave us the ability to choose whether to do something or not to. Had Allah (swt) not willed it, we would not have been able to make a choice. The fact that Allah’s (swt) Will is the cause of anything we do does not exempts human beings from the responsibility of their actions under the claim that: “had Allah (swt) not willed it, it would not have happened”. Eventually, people will be held accountable for the choices they make and not for Allah’s Will (swt).

( فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ ) (So leave them and that which they invent): Invention here means to lie deliberately.