Hadith Text & Reference

The Prophet [SAW] said: "If two Muslims confront each other with swords and one of them kills the other, they will both be in Hell."

Source: Sunan an-Nasa'i 4119 | Book: The Book of Fighting [The Prohibition of Bloodshed]

Meaning & Context

This profound hadith establishes the gravity of Muslims fighting and killing one another. Both the killer and the killed face severe consequences - the killer for committing murder, and the killed for his intention to kill his Muslim brother.

The confrontation with drawn swords indicates mutual intent to fight, making both participants sinful in the sight of Allah, regardless of who strikes first.

Scholarly Commentary

Imam an-Nawawi explains that the killed person enters Hell because he intended to kill his Muslim brother, showing that intention matters as much as action in Islamic jurisprudence.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani clarifies that this applies when both parties willingly engage in combat with lethal weapons, knowing the gravity of their actions against fellow believers.

The hadith serves as a powerful deterrent against intra-Muslim violence and emphasizes the sanctity of Muslim life, which is protected by divine law.

Legal Implications

This narration forms the basis for prohibiting civil war (fitna) among Muslims and establishes that fighting between Muslims is among the major sins.

Scholars derive from this that reconciliation between Muslims is obligatory, and that avoiding conflict takes precedence over asserting one's rights through violence.

The ruling applies specifically to Muslims fighting each other without legitimate Islamic justification, such as prescribed judicial punishment or legitimate defensive warfare.