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min ʾajli dhālika katabnā ʿalā banī ʾisrāʾīla ʾannahū man qatala nafsan bi-ghayri nafsin ʾaw fasādin fī l-ʾarḍi fa-ka-ʾannamā qatala n-nāsa jamīʿan wa-man ʾaḥyāhā fa-ka-ʾannamā ʾaḥyā n-nāsa jamīʿan wa-la-qad jāʾathum rusulunā bi-l-bayyināti thumma ʾinna kathīran minhum baʿda dhālika fī l-ʾarḍi la-musrifūna
That is why We decreed for the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul, without [its being guilty of] manslaughter or corruption on the earth, is as though he had killed all mankind, and whoever saves a life is as though he had saved all mankind. Our apostles certainly brought them manifest signs, yet even after that, many of them commit excesses on the earth.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 32
The Oneness of Human Beings
Next to the statement of the story of the Children of Adam, there has been mentioned a general conclusion in this holy verse which fits with humanities. At first, it says:
How is it that slaying a human being is equal to slaying all human beings and saving a person is equal to saving all human beings? To answer this question, it is only possible to say that in this verse, the Qur'an has referred to a social and training fact. The person, who slays an innocent human being, has such a preparation, in fact, to kill some other innocent persons, too. This person is, indeed, a homicide whose prey is innocent human beings. And, we know that there is no difference between the innocent persons from this point of view.
On the other hand, the person who, because of having the quality of philanthropy and human emotions, saves another person from death has such a preparation to perform this sympathetic action unto any other human beings. So, regarding the fact that the Qur'an has applied the phrase: /fa-ka-'anna-ma/ (it is as it), it seems that although the life and death of a person is not equal to the life and death of a society, it has a likeness to it. Again, it can be said that in potency, there is a capability in any person to bring a great society, or a new generation, into existence. Hence, annihilating a human being sometimes results to the effacement and murder of a generation.
It is worthy to note that once someone asked Imam Sadiq (as) about the commentary of this verse when he (as) answered: "The purpose of the words: 'to slay' and 'to save from death', which have been referred to in the verse, is saving from a fire accident, a whirlpool, and the like. Then he (as) kept silent and after that he added: "A greater interpretation of this verse is that a person invites another one to the path of right or wrong and the one accepts that invitation."
At the end of the verse, the Qur'an hints to the manner of breaking law among the Children of Israel. It says:
The Arabic term /'israf/ has a vast scope of meaning in lexicon which envelops any transgression and exceeding the limits. Yet, it is often used for remittals, expenditures and expenses.
Explanations
1. The members of human beings originate from a common truth and have a single soul, so that they are similar to the limbs of a body. Therefore, slaying a person is the same as killing all humankind.
2. The act of evaluating deeds relates to the motives and aims. Slaying a person with the intention of transgression, is putting a society into death; while killing under the title of retaliation is counted as the life of the society.
3. The death and life of a person is sometimes effective in the death and life of a society. Similarly, sometimes the individual murders prepare the ground for some massacres.
4. The sign of a living society is helping the needy and saving the souls or lives.
5. Suicide, and even abortion, is one of the examples of 'homicide', which is unlawful.
6. Transgressing against the rights of an individual is a threat to the security of the society.
7. The managers of the professions like physicians, nurses, fire-extinguishers, reinforces, makers of medicine, etc, whose job is securing the lives of human beings, should know the position and value of their own profession.