In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

A Severe Warning From Allah and His Messenger Against All Unjust Killing!

None Excluded From This Warning – Muslim or non-Muslim, Whether Carried Out by Individuals, Groups, or State-Sanctioned Killing; Committed Directly or Indirectly, Openly or Discreetly, at Home or Abroad; and a Warning to All Those Who Excuse, Appease, or Downplay Such Crimes by Diverting Attention From the Intentional Murder of the Innocent In order to Shield The Rich and Influential

Allah, The Most High, said:

مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا

If anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind. [Al-Ma’idah. 32]

Imam As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

If a person is bold enough to kill someone who does not deserve to be killed, this implies that he does make a distinction between the one he killed and other than him; rather he would commit this act whenever his evil calls him to that. Therefore, his bold attitude that led him to kill is as if he has killed all humankind. On the other hand, if a person saves a life and does not kill – whilst his soul calls him to do so – due to fear of Allah, this is as if he has saved the lives of all humankind because the fear of Allah he possesses stops him killing one who does not deserve to be killed. [1]

Allah, The Most High, said:

وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا * يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًا * إِلَّا مَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُولَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا

And those who invoke not any other ilah (god) along with Allah, nor kill such life as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace; Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds, for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [Al-Furqan. 68-70]

Allah, The Most High, said:

وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا

And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein, and the Wrath and the Curse of Allah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him. [An-Nisaa. 93]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

And that which is established with fact regarding this matter is that murder is attached to (violation) of three rights: the right of Allah, the right of the victim and the right of the heir. If the murderer voluntarily hands over himself to the heir, shows remorse for what he has done out of fear of Allah and repents sincerely, then Allah’s right is waivered through repentance. And the heir’s right is that he can seek retaliation (i.e. via the Islamic Shariah courts), reconciliation or can pardon. Then what remains is the victim’s right, (which) Allah will recompense on the Day of Judgement for His servant who is a repentant and a good-doer, and rectify affairs between them (i.e. the murdered and the repentant murderer), so neither the right of the victim nor the repentance of the murderer is nullified. [2]

Abdullah Bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said that Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “The first (thing) that will be decided among people on the Day of Judgment will pertain to bloodshed”. [3]

Imam An-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

This hadith shows the severity of bloodshed and that it will be the first thing that will be judged between people on the Day of Resurrection because of its greatness and extreme danger. This hadith does not contradict the well-known hadith in the Sunan that “The first thing a person will be questioned about is the prayer”, because this hadith is about a matter between Allah and the person, whereas the first hadith (i.e. judgement in matters related to bloodshed) is a matter between the people. [4]

The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “The termination of the world means less to Allah than the killing of a Muslim (i.e. without right)”. [5]

Amr Ibn Al-Hamiq, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “Whenever a man promises safety for another man’s life and then kills him, I disavow myself from him even if the victim was an unbeliever”. [6]

Uqbah Ibn Aamir, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Whoever meets Allah while neither associating anything with Him nor spilling sacred blood will enter Paradise”. [7]

The people said to Jundub, may Allah be pleased with him: “Advise us”. He said: “The first thing of the human body to putrefy is the abdomen, so he who can eat nothing but good (halal) food (earned lawfully) should do so, and he who does as much as he can that nothing intervenes between him and paradise by not shedding even a handful of blood [i.e. unlawful killing], should do so”.[8]

A man wrote to Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, and asked him to write down all knowledge for him; so he replied to him, saying: “Indeed, knowledge is plentiful, but if you are able to meet Allah while not shedding people’s blood, not taking their wealth (unlawfully) and violating their honour, then do so”. [9]

[1] Tafsir As-Sadi
[2] Jawab Al-Kaafee. page 102
[3] Sahih Muslim. 1678
[4] Sharh Sahih Muslim. 11/139
[5] Sahih Al-Jami 9208
[6] Sahih Al-Jami 6103]
[7] Silsilah As-Sahihah 2923
[8] Sahih Al-Bukhari 7152
[9] Siyar A’lam An-Nubulaa 3/222