Surah Al-Ma'idah
مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَٰلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ أَنَّهُۥ مَن قَتَلَ نَفْسًۢا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَآ أَحْيَا ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًا ۚ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُم بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لَمُسْرِفُونَ
Min ajli żālik(a), katabnā ‘alā banī isrā'īla annahū man qatala nafsam bigairi nafsin au fasādin fil-arḍi fa ka'annamā qatalan-nāsa jamī‘ā(n), wa man aḥyāhā fa ka'annamā aḥyan-nāsa jamī‘ā(n), wa laqad jā'athum rusulunā bil-bayyināt(i), ṡumma inna kaṡīram minhum ba‘da żālika fil-arḍi lamusrifūn(a).
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.
📝 Footnotes
211) This means that killing a single human being is equivalent to legalizing the killing of all humanity. Conversely, safeguarding the sanctity of one human life is equivalent to safeguarding the sanctity of all humanity.