To “Kill One is to Kill All Of Mankind”?
The Troubling Message of the “Most Peaceful” Verse in the Qur’an.
Whenever it is asserted that Islam teaches violence against unbelievers, Islamic apologists are usually quick to respond by stating that the Qur’an teaches that “to kill an innocent person is to kill all of humanity”. This sentiment is also expressed in countless posts on Twitter and Facebook after atrocities committed in the name of Islam.
The first thing to note is that the statement in question (found in Qur’an 5:32) is almost always misquoted. One example of where this happened was during President Obama’s 2009 “Speech to the Muslim World” in Cairo, Egypt. He said: “The Holy Koran teaches that whoever kills an innocent, it is as if he has killed all mankind; and whoever saves a person, it is as if he has saved all mankind”. This sounds like a very noble sentiment, but it is worth noting that the term “innocent” has no basis whatsoever in the Arabic Qur’an. It simply says, “to kill a person”. By falsely including the word “innocent” (see the example above), modern apologists are attempting to make the Qur’an speak the language of human rights, wherein the taking of innocent lives is justly abhorred. This is, however, as we shall see, not at all the intention of this text, which is why it is never quoted in full by those trying to cover for Islam.
Before looking at the text itself, it is worthwhile to mention that the statement in question is not authentically Islamic at all, as it was plagiarized from the Jewish Midrash in its commentary on the Biblical story of Cain and Abel. Therefore, it provides just one of the many examples of the incorporation of outside sources into the Qur’an.
Let us now look at the “to kill one is to kill all of mankind” statement in context. As said above, the verses in which the statement is contained is almost never quoted in full, as doing so would powerfully undermine the “Islam is peace” narrative. Qur’an 5:32-33 actually reads as follows: “On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our messengers with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land. The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter” (Qur’an 5:32-33).
Not quite so “peaceful” when the wider context is considered, is it? It should immediately be obvious that this verse is not a blanket condemnation of all forms of killing. Clear exceptions are made (i.e., do not kill “unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land”). Therefore, those who spread “mischief” in the land are by no means regarded as “innocent”, are not eligible for any protection offered by this verse and may be killed. A lot will, therefore, depend on what “mischief” means according to the Qur’an. Let us now turn to the two most venerable books of tafsir (interpretation) in Sunni Islam. The two collections in question are accepted as authoritative to the extent that Sunni Muslims who reject their interpretations of the text of the Qur’an can be accused of teaching bidah (innovation), thus, making them heretics.
Tafsir Ibn Khatir: “The Meaning of Mischief/Corruption - Their mischief is disobeying Allah, because whoever disobeys Allah on the earth, or commands that Allah be disobeyed, he has committed mischief on the earth”
Tafsir Ibn Abbas: “(For that) because Cain wrongfully killed Abel in the Torah (that whosoever killeth a human being for other than man slaughter) i.e., premeditatedly (or corruption in the earth) or because of idolatry, (it shall be as if he had killed all mankind) Hell will be decreed for him for premeditatedly and wrongfully killing a human being, as though he killed all mankind”.
It should be obvious that traditional interpretations of this text equate “mischief” with unbelief or idolatry (i.e., rejecting Allah and the message brought by Muhammad). All non-Muslims are, therefore, automatically guilty of the “mischief” described in this text. Considering this, Muslim scholars tend to restrict the application of this verse by stating that it teaches that only Muslim life is sacred. For example, Ibn Kathir quotes with approval one of the earliest scholars of Islam, Sa`id bin Jubayr, who rendered the text: “He who allows himself to shed the blood of a Muslim, is like he who allows shedding the blood of all people. He who forbids shedding the blood of one Muslim, is like he who forbids shedding the blood of all people.” Unbelievers can, therefore, not expect any protection from this verse.
The principle that only Muslim life is sacred under the terms of Qur’an 5:32-33 is confirmed by a hadith in Sahih Bukhari, where this principle is explicitly stated: “Allah’s Apostle said, ‘I have been ordered to fight the people till they say: “None has the right to be worshipped but Allah.” And if they say so, pray like our prayers, face our Qibla and slaughter as we slaughter, then their blood and property will be sacred to us’” (Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 8, Hadith 387). Note that life is only declared sacred once those who were fought against conform to Islamic belief and practice.
So, what if you fall foul of this verse through the fact that you are an idolater or unbeliever? The next verse (Qur’an 5:33) spells out your fate. Those who “make mischief in the land” should be “killed, crucified and have limbs amputated”. So, far from offering protection to the innocent, this verse commands one of the most tortuous forms of execution (crucifixion) for those who refuse to bow the knee before Allah and his prophet. If you think that this is just a historical curiosity, I refer you to the string of crucifixions carried out, in recent years, by ISIS across Syria and Iraq in direct obedience to this verse.
It is deeply ironic that a verse advocating the violent death of unbelievers is cherry-picked for a single noble sounding (and plagiarized) statement, and that this is then presented (often in a misquoted form by adding the word “innocent”) as a stirring call for peace and tolerance.
For much more about the links between Islamic teaching and violence, please see my book ‘Nothing to do with Islam - Investigating the West’s Most Dangerous Blind Spot’.
Kind regards,
Peter
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