Retaliation

Abdullah ibn Abbas reported that the Messenger of God said: ‘No one punishes with fire except God.’ Al-Bukhari transmitted it.

Ali reported: I heard the Messenger of God say: ‘At the end of time, people will emerge who are young in age and foolish in judgment. They will speak some of the best words of creation, but their faith will not pass beyond their throats. They will leave the religion as an arrow passes through its prey. Wherever you meet them, kill them, for there is a reward on the Day of Resurrection for whoever kills them.’

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of God said: ‘My community will divide into two groups, and a secessionist group will emerge from between them. The group among them that is closest to the truth will undertake killing them.’ Muslim transmitted it.

Jarir reported that at the Farewell Pilgrimage the Messenger of God said: ‘Do not revert after me to disbelief, striking one another’s necks.’

Abu Bakrah reported from the Prophet that he said: ‘When two Muslims meet and one of them bears arms against his brother, both are on the brink of Hell. If one kills the other, they both enter it.’ Another version from him says: ‘When two Muslims meet with their swords, both the killer and the one killed are in the Fire.’ I asked, ‘This one is the killer; what about the one killed?’ He said: ‘He was eager to kill his companion.’

Anas reported: Some men from Ukl came to the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace, and accepted Islam, but found Medina uncongenial. He instructed them to go to the charity camels and drink their urine and milk. They did so and recovered. Then they apostatized, killed the herdsmen, and drove off the camels. He sent people in pursuit of them, and they were brought back. He had their hands and feet cut off and their eyes put out, then left them without cauterizing their wounds until they died. In one version: Their eyes were pierced with heated iron. In another version: He ordered iron spikes to be heated and used them to cauterize their eyes, then had them cast at al-Harrah. They called for water, but were given none until they died.

Imran ibn Husayn reported: The Messenger of God used to urge us to give charity and forbid us to mutilate. Abu Dawud transmitted it; al-Nasa'i transmitted it from Anas.

Abd al-Rahman ibn Abdullah, from his father, reported: We were with the Messenger of God on a journey. He went away to relieve himself, and we saw a humarah with two chicks, which we took. The humarah came and began beating its wings. The Prophet came and said, Who has distressed this bird by taking its young? Return its young to it. He saw an anthill that we had burned and asked, Who burned this? We replied, We did. He said, No one should punish with fire except the Lord of the Fire. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and Anas ibn Malik reported that the Messenger of God said: Division and discord will arise among my community. There will be people who speak well but act badly. They will recite the Quran, but it will not pass beyond their throats. They will leave the religion as an arrow passes through its target, and will not return until the arrow comes back to its notch. They are the worst of creation. Blessed is whoever kills them and is killed by them. They call to the Book of God, yet have no connection with us. Whoever fights them is more entitled to God than they are. They asked, Messenger of God, what is their distinguishing mark? He said, Shaving the head. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Aisha reported that the Messenger of God said: It is not lawful to shed the blood of a Muslim who testifies that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, except in one of three cases: adultery after marriage, for which the person is stoned; a person who goes out waging war against God and His Messenger, who is killed, crucified, or banished from the land; or a person who kills another and is killed in retribution. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn Abi Layla reported: The Companions of Muhammad, God bless him and grant him peace, told us that they were traveling with the Messenger of God. One of them fell asleep, and some of the others took a rope he had with him, frightening him. The Messenger of God said: It is not lawful for a Muslim to frighten another Muslim. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu al-Darda reported that the Messenger of God said: Whoever acquires land subject to its jizya has relinquished his migration; and whoever removes from his own neck the humiliation imposed on an unbeliever, placing it instead on his own neck, has turned his back on Islam. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Jarir ibn Abdullah reported: The Messenger of God sent a detachment to Khath'am. Some of them sought protection by prostrating, but they were killed swiftly. When news of this reached the Prophet, he ordered that half the blood money be paid for them. He said: I disavow every Muslim who resides among the polytheists. They asked, Messenger of God, why? He said: Their two fires should not be visible to one another. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet said: Faith restrains treacherous killing; a believer does not kill treacherously. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Jarir reported that the Prophet said: If a slave flees to polytheism, his blood is forfeited. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ali, may God be pleased with him, reported: A Jewish woman used to insult and revile the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace. A man strangled her until she died, and the Prophet declared her blood forfeit. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Jundub reported that the Messenger of God said: The prescribed punishment for a sorcerer is a blow with the sword. Al-Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Usama ibn Sharik reported that the Messenger of God said: If any man sets out to divide my community, strike his neck. Al-Nasa'i transmitted it.

Sharik ibn Shihab reported: I longed to meet one of the Prophet's Companions to ask him about the Kharijites. On a feast day I met Abu Barza among a group of his companions. I asked him, Have you heard the Messenger of God mention the Kharijites? He replied, Yes. I heard the Messenger of God with my own ears and saw him with my own eyes. Wealth was brought to the Messenger of God and he distributed it, giving to those on his right and on his left, but giving nothing to those behind him. A man behind him stood up and said, Muhammad, you have not been fair in the distribution. He was a dark man with closely cropped hair and wore two white garments. The Messenger of God became extremely angry and said, By God, after me you will find no man more just than I. Then he said, At the end of time a people will emerge, and this man will be one of them. They will recite the Quran, but it will not pass beyond their throats. They will leave Islam as an arrow passes through its target. Their distinguishing mark is head-shaving. They will continue to emerge until the last of them appears with the False Messiah. When you meet them, they are the worst of creation. Al-Nasa'i transmitted it.

Abu Ghalib reported: Abu Umama saw heads displayed on the steps of Damascus and said: The dogs of Hell are the worst of those killed beneath the sky; the best of those killed are the ones who kill them. Then he recited the verse, On the day when some faces will be bright and some faces will be dark, through the end of the verse. Abu Umama was asked, Did you hear this from the Messenger of God? He said, If I had heard it from him only once, or twice, or three times—he counted up to seven—I would not have related it to you. Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it. Al-Tirmidhi said: This is a fair hadith.