Tafseer of The Table · Al-Maaida · 5:32
Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land - it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one - it is as if he had saved mankind entirely. And our messengers had certainly come to them with clear proofs. Then indeed many of them, [even] after that, throughout the land, were transgressors.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the saying of the Exalted, whose remembrance is mighty: مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا (For that reason We prescribed for the Banū Isrāʾīl that whoever kills a soul, other than for a soul or for corruption on the earth, it is as though he had killed all mankind; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive.)
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, means by His saying "for that reason" (min ajli dhālik): on account of the bringing about of it, the causing of it, and the crime of it. He says: on account of the murderer's bringing about—against his brother, of the two sons of Adam, whose story We have told—the crime that he brought about, and his transgression that he committed, "We prescribed for the Banū Isrāʾīl."
One says of this: "ajaltu hādhā al-amr," that is: I brought it about and acquired it; "ājiluhu lahu ajlan," like your saying: "akhadhtuhu akhdhan" (I took it, taking). To this belongs the saying of the poet:
And a household of a goodly tent, whose mutual bond has been severed—they fought one another over something immediate of which I am the cause.
By his saying "of which I am the cause" he means: I am the one who brought that about against him and the perpetrator of it.
The meaning of the words, then, is: on account of the transgression of the son of Adam who unlawfully killed his brother, We decreed concerning the Banū Isrāʾīl that whoever among them unlawfully kills a soul, other than for a slain soul for which he is killed by way of retaliation (qiṣāṣ), "or for corruption on the earth"—He says: or whoever among them kills a soul, other than for corruption that proceeded from it on the earth, by which it merited its death. And "its corruption on the earth" occurs only through war against Allah and His Messenger and the making of the road unsafe.
In accordance with what we have said concerning this, the exegetes have spoken.
Mention of who said that:
11770 - It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh, he said: ʿUbayd ibn Sulaymān related to me, he said: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk saying concerning His saying "for that reason We prescribed for the Banū Isrāʾīl": he says: on account of the son of Adam who unlawfully killed his brother.
Then the exegetes differed concerning the explanation of His saying, exalted is His praise: "whoever kills a soul, other than for a soul or for corruption on the earth, it is as though he had killed all mankind; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive."
Some of them said: the meaning of that is: whoever kills a prophet or a just leader, it is as though he had killed all mankind; and whoever strengthens the arm of a prophet or a just leader, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive.
Mention of who said that:
11771 - Abū ʿAmmār al-Ḥusayn ibn Ḥurayth al-Marwazī related to us, he said: al-Faḍl ibn Mūsā related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥusayn ibn Wāqid, on the authority of ʿIkrima, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās concerning His saying: "whoever kills a soul, other than for a soul or for corruption on the earth, it is as though he had killed all mankind; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," he said: whoever strengthens the arm of a prophet or a just leader, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive; and whoever kills a prophet or a just leader, it is as though he had killed all mankind.
11772 - Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās concerning His saying: "for that reason We prescribed for the Banū Isrāʾīl that whoever kills a soul, other than for a soul or for corruption on the earth, it is as though he had killed all mankind," he says: whoever kills one soul that I have made inviolable, he is like one who kills all mankind. "And whoever keeps it alive," he says: whoever refrains from killing one soul that I have made inviolable out of fear of Me, and keeps it alive by not killing it, he is like one who keeps all mankind alive—by that He means the prophets.
Others said: "whoever kills a soul, other than for a soul or for corruption on the earth, it is as though he had killed all mankind"—with respect to the one slain, in sin; "and whoever keeps it alive," by rescuing it from destruction, "it is as though he had kept all mankind alive"—with respect to the one rescued.
Mention of who said that:
11773 - Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, he said: Aḥmad related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, according to what is transmitted from Abū Mālik—and on the authority of Abū Ṣāliḥ, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās—and on the authority of Murra al-Hamdānī, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh—and on the authority of a number of the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, His saying: "whoever kills a soul, other than for a soul or for corruption on the earth, it is as though he had killed all mankind"—with respect to the one slain, he says: in sin; "and whoever keeps it alive," by rescuing it from destruction, "it is as though he had kept all mankind alive"—with respect to the one rescued.
Others said: the meaning of that is: whoever kills the soul whose killing has been made inviolable burns in the Fire as he would burn in it had he killed all mankind; "and whoever keeps it alive," whoever refrains from killing it, is spared from killing all mankind.
Mention of who said that:
11774 - Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, he said: my father related to us, on the authority of Khaṣīf, on the authority of Mujāhid, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, he said: "whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," he said: whoever refrains from killing it has kept it alive; "and whoever kills a soul, other than for a soul, it is as though he had killed all mankind," he said: and whoever destroys it.
11775 - Al-Ḥārith related to me, he said: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz related to us, he said: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Khaṣīf, on the authority of Mujāhid, he said: whoever destroys a soul is like one who killed all mankind; and whoever keeps it alive and refrains from wronging it and does not kill it is spared from killing all mankind.
11776 - Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Suwayd ibn Naṣr related to us, he said: Ibn al-Mubārak informed us, on the authority of Sharīk, on the authority of Khaṣīf, on the authority of Mujāhid: "it is as though he had killed all mankind; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," he did not kill it, and all mankind are spared from him, he killed no one.
11777 - Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Suwayd related to us, he said: Ibn al-Mubārak informed us, on the authority of al-Awzāʿī, he said: ʿAbda ibn Abī Lubāba informed us, he said: I asked Mujāhid—or: I heard him being asked—about His saying: "whoever kills a soul, other than for a soul or for corruption on the earth, it is as though he had killed all mankind," he said: were he to kill all mankind, his recompense would be Hell (jahannam), in which he abides eternally, and the wrath of Allah would be upon him and His curse, and He has prepared for him a tremendous punishment.
11778 - Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Suwayd related to us, he said: Ibn al-Mubārak informed us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj by way of recitation, on the authority of al-Aʿraj, on the authority of Mujāhid concerning His saying: "it is as though he had killed all mankind," he said: the one who intentionally kills the believing soul—Allah has made his recompense Hell (jahannam), and the wrath of Allah is upon him and His curse, and He has prepared for him a tremendous punishment. He says: were he to kill all mankind, it would add no more than the like of that in punishment. Ibn Jurayj said: Mujāhid said: "and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," he said: whoever kills no one, from him the people have rest.
11779 - Sufyān related to us, he said: Yaḥyā ibn Yamān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Khaṣīf, on the authority of Mujāhid, he said: he destroyed himself.
11780 - Sufyān related to us, he said: Yaḥyā ibn Yamān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Mujāhid, he said: in sin.
11780 - Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Layth, on the authority of Mujāhid: "whoever kills a soul, other than for a soul or for corruption on the earth, it is as though he had killed all mankind," and His saying وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ [Surah al-Nisāʾ: 93] (And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell)—he said: he lands in Hell (jahannam) for killing the believer, just as, had he killed all mankind, he would land in Hell.
11781 - Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: ʿAbdallāh ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, he said: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: "for that reason We prescribed for the Banū Isrāʾīl that whoever kills a soul, other than for a soul or for corruption on the earth, it is as though he had killed all mankind," he said: it is as He said. And he said: "and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," keeping it alive is: that he kills no soul that Allah has made inviolable; that is the one who has kept all mankind alive—that is to say: whoever deems its killing forbidden except by right, from him all mankind have preserved their lives.
11782 - Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Ḥakkām related to us, on the authority of ʿAnbasa, on the authority of al-ʿAlāʾ ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm, on the authority of Mujāhid: "and whoever keeps it alive," he said: and whoever deems it inviolable and does not kill it.
11783 - Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, he said: my father related to us, on the authority of al-ʿAlāʾ, he said: I heard Mujāhid saying: "whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," he said: whoever refrains from killing it has kept it alive.
11784 - Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid concerning the saying of Allah, mighty and exalted is He: "it is as though he had killed all mankind," he said: it is like that in "al-Nisāʾ": وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ [Surah al-Nisāʾ: 93] (And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell), as regards his recompense.
11785 - Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, he said: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: "it is as though he had killed all mankind"—it is like that in "Surah al-Nisāʾ," وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُتَعَمِّدًا (And whoever kills a believer intentionally), as regards his recompense; "and whoever keeps it alive," and he killed no one, from him the people have preserved their lives.
11786 - Hannād related to us, he said: Abū Muʿāwiya related to us, on the authority of al-ʿAlāʾ ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm, on the authority of Mujāhid concerning His saying: "and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," he said: he turned to his companions and said: it is this one and that one.
Others said: the meaning of that is: whoever kills a soul, other than for a soul or for corruption on the earth, it is as though he had killed all mankind, because there is upon him of retaliation (qiṣāṣ) for it and of retribution (qawad) for his killing the same as what would be upon him of retribution and retaliation had he killed all mankind.
Mention of who said that:
11787 - Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning His saying: "for that reason We prescribed for the Banū Isrāʾīl that whoever kills a soul, other than for a soul or for corruption on the earth, it is as though he had killed all mankind," he said: there is upon him of killing (qatl) the same as were he to have killed all mankind. He said: my father used to say that.
Others said concerning the meaning of His saying "and whoever keeps it alive": whoever pardons the one against whom retaliation (qiṣāṣ) is due to him and does not kill him.
Mention of who said that:
11788 - Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning His saying: "and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," he says: whoever keeps it alive, Allah, mighty and exalted is He, gives him of the reward the same as were he to have kept all mankind alive; "he kept it alive" by not killing it and pardoning it. He said: and that is the next of kin of the slain, and the slain himself who pardons him before he dies. He said: my father used to say that.
11789 - Muḥammad ibn Bashshār related to us, he said: Muʾammal related to us, he said: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Yūnus, on the authority of al-Ḥasan concerning His saying: "and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," he said: whoever pardons.
11790 - Sufyān related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, on the authority of Yūnus, on the authority of al-Ḥasan: "and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," he said: one whose kinsman is killed and who pardons his blood.
11791 - Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, he said: Yaḥyā ibn Yamān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Yūnus, on the authority of al-Ḥasan: "and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," he said: the pardon after the ability to do so.
Others said concerning the meaning of His saying "and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive": whoever rescues it from drowning or burning.
Mention of who said that:
11792 - Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Mujāhid: "and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," he said: whoever rescues it from drowning or burning or destruction.
11793 - Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, he said: my father related to us—and Hannād related to us, he said: Wakīʿ related to us—on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Mujāhid: "and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," he said: from drowning or burning or collapse.
11794 - Al-Ḥārith related to me, he said: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz related to us, he said: Isrāʾīl related to us, on the authority of Khaṣīf, on the authority of Mujāhid: "and whoever keeps it alive," he said: rescues it.
And al-Ḍaḥḥāk said what follows:
11795 - Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, he said: Ibn Yamān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Abū ʿĀmir, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk, he said: "whoever kills a soul, other than for a soul," he said: whether he refrained or did not refrain.
11796 - It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh, he said: ʿUbayd ibn Sulaymān related to me, he said: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk saying concerning His saying: "it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," he says: were he not to kill it, he would have kept mankind alive, for he has deemed nothing inviolable as permissible.
And Qatāda and al-Ḥasan said concerning this what follows:
11797 - Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, on the authority of Yūnus, on the authority of al-Ḥasan: "whoever kills a soul, other than for a soul or for corruption on the earth," he said: that is tremendous.
11798 - Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, His saying: "for that reason We prescribed for the Banū Isrāʾīl that whoever kills a soul, other than for a soul," the verse—whoever kills it without it being for a soul, nor for corruption that it has wrought—"it is as though he had killed all mankind; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive": tremendous, by Allah, is the reward of it, and tremendous is the burden of sin of it! So keep it alive, O son of Adam, by what lies within your power, and keep it alive by your pardon if you can, and there is no power except with Allah. We do not know that the blood of a Muslim man of the people of this qibla is lawful except for one of three reasons: a man who became an unbeliever after his Islam, upon him is the death penalty; or who committed fornication (zinā) after his married state, upon him is stoning (rajm); or who killed intentionally, upon him is retribution (qawad).
11799 - Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, he said: Maʿmar informed us, he said: Qatāda recited: "whoever kills a soul, other than for a soul, it is as though he had killed all mankind; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," he said: tremendous, by Allah, is the reward of it, and tremendous, by Allah, is the burden of sin of it!
11800 - Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Suwayd ibn Naṣr related to us, he said: Ibn al-Mubārak informed us, on the authority of Sallām ibn Miskīn, he said: Sulaymān ibn ʿAlī al-Rabaʿī related to me, he said: I said to al-Ḥasan: "for that reason We prescribed for the Banū Isrāʾīl that whoever kills a soul, other than for a soul," the verse—does it apply to us, O Abū Saʿīd, as it applied to the Banū Isrāʾīl? He said: Yes, by Him besides whom there is no god, as it applied to the Banū Isrāʾīl! And why would He have made the blood of the Banū Isrāʾīl more honorable before Allah than our blood?
11801 - Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Suwayd ibn Naṣr related to us, he said: Ibn al-Mubārak informed us, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Zayd, he said: I heard Khālid Abū al-Faḍl saying: I heard al-Ḥasan reciting this verse: فَطَوَّعَتْ لَهُ نَفْسُهُ قَتْلَ أَخِيهِ (Then his soul prompted him to the killing of his brother) up to His saying: "and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," then he said: He has, by Allah, made the burden of sin tremendous as you hear, and He has, by Allah, urged toward the reward as you hear! If you suppose, O son of Adam, that—were you to kill all mankind—you have something of your deeds by which you attain deliverance from the Fire, then your soul, by Allah, has lied to you, and the devil has lied to you.
11802 - Hannād related to us, he said: Ibn Fuḍayl related to us, on the authority of ʿĀṣim, on the authority of al-Ḥasan concerning His saying: "it is as though he had killed all mankind," he said: a burden of sin; "and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," he said: a reward.
Abū Jaʿfar said: The correct of these sayings in my view is the saying of the one who said that the explanation of it is: that whoever kills a believing soul, other than for a soul that it has killed by which it merited the retribution (qawad) for it and killing by way of retaliation (qiṣāṣ)—or other than for corruption on the earth, through war against Allah and His Messenger and war against the believers therein—it is as though he had killed all mankind, with respect to the tremendous punishment of Allah, exalted is His praise, that he has merited, as his Lord has announced to him for his deed with His saying: وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا [Surah al-Nisāʾ: 93] (And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, abiding therein eternally; and the wrath of Allah is upon him and He curses him and has prepared for him a tremendous punishment).
And as for His saying "and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he had kept all mankind alive," the most fitting explanation of it is the saying of the one who said: whoever deems inviolable for himself the killing of the one whose killing Allah, mighty is His remembrance, has forbidden to him, and does not proceed to kill him, from him the people have preserved their lives through their safety from him, and that is his keeping it alive. That is comparable to the report of Allah, mighty is His remembrance, concerning the one who disputed with Ibrāhīm about his Lord, when Ibrāhīm said to him: رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُ [Surah al-Baqara: 258] (My Lord is the One who gives life and causes death. He said: I give life and cause death). The meaning of the unbeliever in his saying "I give life" was: I leave alone whom I could kill—and in his saying "and cause death": the killing of whomever he killed. So too is the meaning of "keeping alive" in His saying "and whoever keeps it alive": for whom the people are spared from his killing them, except in that for which Allah has given permission to kill them—"it is as though he had kept all mankind alive."
And we said that that is the most fitting of the explanations for the explanation of the verse, because there is no soul whose killing in immediate harm equals the killing of all souls, nor whose keeping alive equals the keeping alive of all souls in immediate benefit. By that it is known that the meaning of "keeping alive" is: the safety of all souls from him, for whoever does not proceed against one single soul, from him all souls are spared—and that the one soul whose killing equals that of all souls is only in the burden of sin, for there is no soul of the souls of the sons of Adam whose loss equals the loss of all souls, even though the loss of some of them is more general in harm than the loss of others.
The explanation of the saying of the Exalted, whose remembrance is mighty: وَلَقَدْ جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنْهُمْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فِي الأَرْضِ لَمُسْرِفُونَ (32) (And verily, Our messengers came to them with the clear proofs; then, indeed, many of them, after that, were committing excess on the earth. (32))
Abū Jaʿfar said: This is an oath by Allah, exalted is His praise, by which He swore: that His messengers, the blessings of Allah be upon them, had come to the Banū Isrāʾīl—about whom Allah has told their story and mentioned their report in the preceding verses, from His saying يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ هَمَّ قَوْمٌ أَنْ يَبْسُطُوا إِلَيْكُمْ أَيْدِيَهُمْ (O you who believe, remember the favor of Allah upon you, when a people was intent on stretching out their hands against you) up to this place—"with the clear proofs," that is: with the manifest signs and the clear proofs concerning the truth of that with which they were sent to them, and the soundness of that to which they called them, namely belief in them and the performance of the duties that Allah imposed upon them.
Allah, mighty is His remembrance, says: "then, indeed, many of them, after that, were committing excess on the earth," that is: that many of the Banū Isrāʾīl.
And the "hā and mīm" in His saying "then, many of them" refers to the Banū Isrāʾīl, and likewise that is in His saying "verily, they came to them."
"After that," that is: after the coming of the messengers of Allah with the clear proofs.
"Committing excess on the earth," that is: that they commit on the earth the sins against Allah, and transgress the commands and prohibitions of Allah, and oppose Allah and His messengers, through following their desires and their opposition to their prophets; and that was their committing excess on the earth.
