Killing is forbidden and grave: the Quran likens the killing of a single soul to the killing of all mankind. The verses set out the types of homicide and their rulings, then the killings the Quran relates: Adam’s son who killed his brother, Pharaoh slaughtering the people of Moses, Moses killing a man by mistake, David slaying Goliath, and the prophets killed by some of the Children of Israel.
Verses gathered from a topical index of the Quran, in Mushaf order; every verse is quoted in full.
O you who have believed, prescribed for you is legal retribution for those murdered - the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But whoever overlooks from his brother [i.e., the killer] anything, then there should be a suitable follow-up and payment to him [i.e., the deceased's heir or legal representative] with good conduct. This is an alleviation from your Lord and a mercy. But whoever transgresses after that will have a painful punishment.
And We ordained for them therein a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds is legal retribution. But whoever gives [up his right as] charity, it is an expiation for him. And whoever does not judge by what Allāh has revealed - then it is those who are the wrongdoers [i.e., the unjust].
