37/2. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 3987 — The World Is Less Than a Muslim Life
The Gravity of the Sin of Shedding Blood
Value of Muslim Life: The World Is Less Than One Unlawful Killing
Sunan an-Nasai : 3987
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3987
أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَكِيمٍ الْبَصْرِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لَزَوَالُ الدُّنْيَا أَهْوَنُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ قَتْلِ رَجُلٍ مُسْلِمٍ " .
'Abdullah bin 'Amr Narrated from:
The Prophet [SAW] said: "The extinction of the whole world is less significant before Allah than killing a Muslim man."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3987In-book reference : Book 37, Hadith 22English translation : Vol. 5, Book 37, Hadith 3992
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3987
This hadith on the value of Muslim life gives a short but striking comparison. The Prophet said that the extinction of the whole world is less significant before Allah than killing a Muslim man. The narration makes one point with great force: the life of a Muslim cannot be treated as cheap. People may chase power, land, wealth, or victory, but the hadith places the taking of a life above the disappearance of the material world in seriousness before Allah. It does not discuss every legal condition or every form of killing. The text simply warns against the gravity of killing a Muslim. This balanced reading avoids adding claims that the report itself does not state. The practical message is to respect life, avoid bloodshed, and reject any attitude that turns people into tools for worldly goals. The comparison is severe because the act being warned against is severe.
What we learn from this hadith
- A Muslim life carries immense weight before Allah.
- The loss of the world is described as less serious than killing one Muslim man.
- Worldly goals do not reduce the seriousness of bloodshed.
- The hadith calls the reader to treat human life with deep care.
