Eternal Words 5-Sura Al - Ma'idah (The Food) verse32
verse32
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(32) مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَن قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الأَرْضِ
فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَلَقَدْ جَاء تْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا
بِالبَيِّنَاتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُم بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فِي الأَرْضِ لَمُسْرِفُونَ
32. " For this reason We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever slays a human being for other that manslaughter or mischief in the earth, it is as he has slain mankind as a whole; and whoever saves a life (from death), it is as if he had saved mankind as a whole. And certainly our messengers come to them with clear evidences; then verily, even after that, many of them became prodigals in the earth."
Commentary:
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:
" For this reason We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever slays a human being for other than manslaughter or mischief in the earth, it is as he has slain mankind as a whole; ..."
How is it that slaying a human being is euqal 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 if), 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, anihiliating a human being sometimes results to the effacement and murder of a generation.
It is worthy to note that once someone asked Imam Sadiq (a.s.) about the commentary of this verse when he (a.s.) answered: " The purpose of the words: ' to slay ' and ' to savr from death ' which have been referred to in the verse is saving from a fire accident a whirlpool, and the like'. Then he (a.s.) 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:
"... And certainly our messengers come to them with clear evidences; then verily, even after that, many of them became prodigals in the earth."
The Arabic term /'israf/ has a vast scope of meaning in lexicon which envelops any transgression and exceeding the limits. Yet, it is oftern 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, sometime 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, reinforcers, makers of medicine, etc, whose job is securing the lives of human beings, should know the position and value of their own profession.
