Quran's Most Misquoted Verse 5:32

Quranic verses are often misquoted - purposefully or due to ignorance - to the easily fooled common man who doesn't know much about the actual scripture. Here are some quick facts about Quran's most misquoted verse - Verse 5:32 - which shows its dark side that doesn't get much public attention:

Misquoted verse: "Whoever kills an innocent human being, it is as if he has killed all mankind."

Actual verse: "Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption done in the land it is as if he had killed all mankind."

(1) The common misquote of the verse leaves out two important things. First, that "corruption done in the land" could be used an excuse to kill a person. Now, from an Islamic point of view, what is the ultimate corruption that can be done in the land? Driving people away from or corrupting Islam. The following verse clearly shows that Muslims who claim to reform Islam are called out as corrupters.

Quran 2:8 to 2:12 - And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," but they are not believers. They [think to] deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive not except themselves and perceive [it] not. In their hearts is disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they [habitually] used to lie. And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers." Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they perceive [it] not.

Besides, Quran 4:48 and 4:116 makes it clear that "shirk", or associating partners with Allah is the ONLY unforgivable crime in the eyes of Allah. If anyone thinks that Christianity and Judaism are exempt from this, they should read 9:29 of the Quran which calls out Jews and Christians for shirk.

(2) The second important thing that is left out in the misquote has to do with what is conveniently omitted before the verse. "It was ordained to the children of Israel" - notice that the Quran is not making a new teaching here but referring to an old teaching that was already there - which as the Quran admits was given to the Jews (just like the Quran often refers to the Bible teachings throughout the book). Could it just be that this verse was found in another scripture?

Jewish Talmud, Mishnah Sanhedrin 37a - "For this reason was man created alone, to teach thee that whosoever destroys a single soul of israel, scripture imputes to him as though he had destroyed a complete world"

Notice how unlike the Quranic verse, the Talmud teaching doesn't give the dangerous exception for corruption done in the land as a green light to murder people.

(3) The last important point we need to know is the verse that comes immediately after the "peaceful" verse 5:32.

Quran 5:33 - "Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land."

Let's just think about this verse in today's context for a moment. Allah is invisible if he exists and Muhammad a long dead man. So how does someone wage a war against Allah and his messenger today and promote corruption in the land? By waging a war against Islam - the ideology. When the system itself is Islam, the ultimate corruption would be something that undermines the very system of Islam. With that in mind, the above verse can be very easily used against anyone who preaches against Islam or promotes any kind of deviation from the so-called "true" Islam (The Quran itself calls out people who deviate and try to reform Islam as corrupters). I'm pretty much waging a war against Allah and his messenger right now according to the Quran. I can be killed, crucified, mutilated or exiled depending on the level of criticism that I offer.