Quran 5:32 — Al-Maaida, verse 32
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
On account of [his deed], We decreed to the Children of Israel that if anyone kills a person- unless in retribution for murder or spreading corruption in the land- it is as if he kills all mankind, while if any saves a life it is as if he saves the lives of all mankind. Our messengers came to them with clear signs, but many of them continued to commit excesses in the land.
مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَٰلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا ۚ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنْهُمْ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فِي الْأَرْضِ لَمُسْرِفُونَ
min ajli dhālika katabnā ʿalā banī is'rāīla annahu man qatala nafsan bighayri nafsin aw fasādin fī l-arḍi faka-annamā qatala l-nāsa jamīʿan waman aḥyāhā faka-annamā aḥyā l-nāsa jamīʿan walaqad jāathum rusulunā bil-bayināti thumma inna kathīran min'hum baʿda dhālika fī l-arḍi lamus'rifūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- Therefore We prescribed for the Children of Israel that whoso slays a soul not to retaliate for a soul slain, nor for corruption done in the land, shall be as if he had slain mankind altogether; and whoso gives life to a soul, shall be as if he ha given life to mankind altogether. Our Messengers have already come to them with the clear signs; then many of them thereafter commit excesses in the earth.
- Muhammad Asad
- Because of this did We ordain unto the children of Israel that if anyone slays a human being-unless it be [in punishment] for murder or for spreading corruption on earth-it shall be as though he had slain all mankind; whereas, if anyone saves a life, it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all mankind. And, indeed, there came unto them Our apostles with all evidence of the truth: yet, behold, notwithstanding all this, many of them go on committing all manner of excesses on earth.
- Sahih International
- 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.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | مِنْmin | From | — |
| 2 | أَجْلِajli | time | أجل |
| 3 | ذَٰلِكَdhālika | that | — |
| 4 | كَتَبْنَاkatabnā | We ordained | كتب |
| 5 | عَلَىٰʿalā | on | — |
| 6 | بَنِىٓbanī | (the) Children | بني |
| 7 | إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَis'rāīla | (of) Israel | — |
| 8 | أَنَّهُۥannahu | that he | — |
| 9 | مَنman | who | — |
| 10 | قَتَلَqatala | kills | قتل |
| 11 | نَفْسًۢاnafsan | a soul | نفس |
| 12 | بِغَيْرِbighayri | other than | غير |
| 13 | نَفْسٍnafsin | (for) a soul | نفس |
| 14 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 15 | فَسَادٍۢfasādin | (for) spreading corruption | فسد |
| 16 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 17 | ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍi | the earth | أرض |
| 18 | فَكَأَنَّمَاfaka-annamā | then (it) is as if | — |
| 19 | قَتَلَqatala | he has killed | قتل |
| 20 | ٱلنَّاسَl-nāsa | mankind | نوس |
| 21 | جَمِيعًۭاjamīʿan | all | جمع |
| 22 | وَمَنْwaman | and whoever | — |
| 23 | أَحْيَاهَاaḥyāhā | saves it | حيي |
| 24 | فَكَأَنَّمَآfaka-annamā | then (it) is as if | — |
| 25 | أَحْيَاaḥyā | he has saved | حيي |
| 26 | ٱلنَّاسَl-nāsa | mankind | نوس |
| 27 | جَمِيعًۭا ۚjamīʿan | all | جمع |
| 28 | وَلَقَدْwalaqad | And surely | — |
| 29 | جَآءَتْهُمْjāathum | came to them | جيأ |
| 30 | رُسُلُنَاrusulunā | Our Messengers | رسل |
| 31 | بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِbil-bayināti | with clear Signs | بين |
| 32 | ثُمَّthumma | yet | — |
| 33 | إِنَّinna | indeed | — |
| 34 | كَثِيرًۭاkathīran | many | كثر |
| 35 | مِّنْهُمmin'hum | of them | — |
| 36 | بَعْدَbaʿda | after | بعد |
| 37 | ذَٰلِكَdhālika | that | — |
| 38 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 39 | ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍi | the earth | أرض |
| 40 | لَمُسْرِفُونَlamus'rifūna | (are) surely those who commit excesses | سرف |