Sunan an-Nasai 3985 — The Lasting Burden of an Evil Example

Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3985

This hadith about the first murder explains how an evil precedent can keep producing blame. The Prophet said that whenever a person is killed wrongfully, a share of responsibility for that blood falls upon the first son of Adam. The reason is stated plainly: he was the first person to establish the practice of killing. The narration does not say that later killers lose their own responsibility. Instead, it shows that starting a harmful path can add an ongoing share of blame because others follow the pattern that was introduced. The core topic is evil precedent, especially the precedent of wrongful killing. This is a practical warning about influence. A person’s actions can reach beyond one moment and shape what others later choose to do. The hadith therefore teaches readers to fear being the first to normalize harm, violence, or injustice, because a destructive example may continue long after the original act.