"I came to the Prophet when he was speaking, and a man said: 'O Messenger of Allah, these are Banu Tha'labah bin Yarbu' who killed so and so.' The Messenger of Allah said: 'No,' meaning no soul is affected by the sin of another. "
The Book of Oaths (qasamah), Retaliation and Blood Money - Sunan an-Nasa'i 4837
"I came to the Prophet when he was speaking, and a man said: 'O Messenger of Allah, these are Banu Tha'labah bin Yarbu' who killed so and so.' The Messenger of Allah said: 'No,' meaning no soul is affected by the sin of another."
Commentary on the Hadith
This noble hadith establishes the fundamental Islamic principle of individual accountability before Allah. The Prophet's decisive response "No" affirms that no person shall bear the burden of another's transgression.
The context reveals someone attempting to attribute collective guilt to Banu Tha'labah for a murder committed by some of their members. The Messenger of Allah immediately rejected this tribal mentality, establishing that Islamic justice requires individual responsibility.
This teaching directly reflects the Quranic verse: "No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another" (Surah Al-An'am, 6:164). It dismantles pre-Islamic Arab customs of collective punishment and tribal retaliation.
The wisdom behind this ruling preserves social harmony by preventing endless cycles of tribal vengeance. It ensures justice is served upon the actual perpetrator while protecting innocent members of families and tribes from unjust retaliation.
Legal Implications
In Islamic jurisprudence, this hadith forms the basis for requiring specific evidence against individuals in criminal cases, particularly homicide.
Blood money (diyah) and retaliation (qisas) cannot be imposed upon a tribe or family collectively - they must be assigned to the specific perpetrator based on clear evidence.
This principle also extends to spiritual matters, as each soul will stand alone before Allah on Judgment Day accountable only for its own deeds.