Musnad Shihab

Explanation:
The meaning is that on the Day of Judgment, the very first matter to be decided among the rights of people (huquq al-‘ibad) will be the matter of human blood, and among the rights of Allah (huquq Allah), the very first thing about which questioning will occur is the prayer (salah). From this, it is evident how important human life is in the sight of Allah Ta‘ala, because usually, the beginning is made with that which is of utmost importance. Thus, since human life is extremely important to Allah Ta‘ala, on the Day of Judgment, the very first decision will be regarding it, and whoever has unjustly shed someone’s blood will face the punishment for his crime. Consider the following ahadith regarding the gravity of this sin:

① A believer continues to progress in his religion as long as he does not commit the act of shedding unlawful blood. (Bukhari: 6862)

② The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “On the Day of Judgment, the murdered person will bring his killer, his (the killer’s) forehead and head will be in the hands of the murdered, and blood will be flowing from his veins, and he will say: ‘My Lord! Why did he kill me?’ until he brings him close to the Throne.” [الترمذي : 3029 ، صحيح]

③ The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “On the Day of Judgment, the murdered person will bring his killer and say: (My Lord!) Ask him why he killed me?” So he (the killer) will say: “I killed him for so-and-so’s kingdom/so-and-so’s help.” Sayyiduna Jundub radi Allahu anhu said: “Beware of assisting the oppressor.” [نسائي : 2003 ، صحيح]

④ Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib said: Sayyiduna ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab radi Allahu anhu killed five or seven men in retaliation for the murder of one man; they had killed him by deception, and Sayyiduna ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu said: “If all the people of San‘a’ had gathered for his murder, I would have killed them all in retaliation.” [الموطا : 1988 ، مشكاة المصابيح : 3281، صحيح]

From these ahadith, it is clearly understood how much value and status human life has in the sight of Allah Ta‘ala, and that whoever unjustly kills a soul in this world will face a most difficult situation on the Day of Judgment. In the Noble Qur’an it is stated:

﴿مَن قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا﴾ (al-Ma’idah: 32)
“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.”

Thus, to unjustly kill one person is as if one has killed all of humanity, and if that soul is a believer, then the gravity of the sin increases even more. In Surah al-Nisa’ it is stated:

﴿وَمَن يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُّتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا﴾ (al-Nisa’: 93)
“And whoever kills a believer intentionally—his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally, and Allah is angry with him and has cursed him and has prepared for him a great punishment.”

The noble statement of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is: “In the sight of Allah Ta‘ala, the destruction of the entire world is easier than the killing of a single Muslim man.” [الترمذي : 1395 ، حسن]

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “It is hoped that Allah will forgive every sin except for the one who dies in a state of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and the one who intentionally kills a believer.” [أبو داود : 4270،صحيح]