According to search-discovered classical Islamic scholarship, the commandment concerning killing in Quran 5:32 establishes the absolute sanctity of human life (Hifz al-Nafs), a foundational principle in Islam. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that the verse, revealed after the story of Cain and Abel, decrees that killing a single innocent soul is a sin equivalent to killing all of humanity, while saving one is as meritorious as saving all of humanity. This universal principle, while first decreed for the Children of Israel, is affirmed for all time. The verse carefully delineates two legal exceptions under which a life may be taken by a legitimate authority: as just retribution (Qisas) for murder or as punishment for spreading widespread corruption and violence in the land (Fasad fil-ardh). This establishes a divine balance between the sacredness of the individual and the security of society, making the preservation of life a primary objective (Maqasid) of Islamic Law.