The Book of Fighting [The Prohibition of Bloodshed] - Sunan an-Nasa'i 4057

'Uthman said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah [SAW] say: 'It is not permissible to shed the blood of a Muslim except in three cases: A man who commits adultery after having married; or one who kills intentionally, in which case he deserves retaliation; or one who apostatizes after having become Muslim, in which case he deserves to be killed.'"

Scholarly Commentary

This noble hadith establishes the fundamental principle of the sanctity of Muslim blood, which is protected by divine law. The Prophet (ﷺ) explicitly limited the cases where taking a Muslim's life is permissible to three specific circumstances, demonstrating the gravity of bloodshed in Islam.

The first case concerns the married adulterer (muhsan) who receives the prescribed punishment (hadd) of stoning. This applies only to those who are free, adult, Muslim, and have had lawful sexual relations within marriage.

The second case is intentional murder, where the victim's heirs have the right to demand retaliation (qisas) or accept blood money (diyah). This upholds the Quranic principle of "life for life" while providing avenues for mercy and forgiveness.

The third case concerns apostasy (riddah), where a Muslim consciously rejects Islam after embracing it. Classical scholars note this applies to those who publicly declare their apostasy and persist in it after being given time for repentance.

These exceptions are strictly defined and implemented through proper Islamic judicial procedures, emphasizing that individual vigilante justice is prohibited. The hadith serves as a foundational text for Islamic criminal law and the protection of human life.