The Blood of Abel and the Value of One Human Life

God asks Cain where Abel is; when Cain deflects ('Am I my brother's keeper?'), God declares that the voice of his brother's bloods (*dəmê*, plural) cries out from the ground.

“Yahweh said to Cain, 'Where is Abel, your brother?' He said, 'I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?' Yahweh said, 'What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground.'”

The court admonishes witnesses that in capital cases, the blood of the accused and the blood of all his potential descendants until the end of the world is hanging upon them, citing the plural 'bloods' in Genesis 4:10.

“In capital cases the witness is held responsible for the blood of the accused and the blood of his descendants until the end of the world. For so we find with Cain, who killed his brother, as it is written: 'The voice of the bloods of your brother cries out to Me from the ground' (Genesis 4:10). It does not say 'the blood of your brother', but rather 'the bloods of your brother'—his blood and the blood of his descendants.”

The Qur'an recounts the story of Adam's two sons (Cain and Abel / Qabil and Habil), where one offers an acceptable sacrifice and the other murders him in envy, followed by a raven showing him how to hide the corpse.

“And recite unto them the story of the two sons of Adam with truth, when they offered each a sacrifice, and it was accepted from the one of them and was not accepted from the other... But the (other's) mind facilitated to him the murder of his brother, so he murdered him and became one of the losers. Then Allah sent a raven scratching up the ground, to show him how to hide his brother's naked corpse.”

Genesis records the universal cosmic weight of murder: the earth itself opens its mouth to receive brotherly blood, bringing wandering and estrangement.

“Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. From now on, when you till the ground, it won't yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth.”

Man was created singular to teach that whoever destroys a single life, scripture considers it as if they destroyed a whole world; and whoever saves a single life, it is as if they saved a whole world.

“Therefore, humanity was created single, to teach you that whoever destroys a single soul, Scripture accounts it to him as if he had destroyed a whole world; and whoever saves a single soul, Scripture accounts it to him as if he had saved a whole world.”

For that cause, Allah decreed unto the Children of Israel that whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind.

“For that cause We decreed for the Children of Israel that whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as that he had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as that he had saved the life of all mankind. Our messengers came unto them of old with clear proofs, yet afterwards lo! many of them became prodigals in the earth.”

Cain cries that his punishment is greater than he can bear; Yahweh appoints a mark for Cain lest anyone finding him should strike him, declaring sevenfold vengeance upon any slayer.

“Cain said to Yahweh, 'My punishment is greater than I can bear... whoever finds me will kill me.' Yahweh said to him, 'Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.' Yahweh appointed a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should strike him.”

To proclaim God's greatness: when a human mints coins from one mold, they are all identical, but the Holy One fashioned all humans from the seal of Adam, yet not one is identical to another.

“And to proclaim the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He: for if a person strikes many coins from one mold, they all resemble one another; but the supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, fashioned every person in the stamp of the first man, and yet not one of them resembles his fellow. Therefore every single person is obligated to say: 'For my sake the world was created.'”

The Qur'an details the strict judicial boundaries and penalties for violent rebellion or corruption in the land (*fasad fi al-ard*), while offering pardon for those who repent before apprehension.

“The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land... Save those who repent before ye overpower them. For know that Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.”