Hadith Text

"I heard Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri and Abu Hurairah mentioning from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that he said: 'If the inhabitants of the heavens and the inhabitants of the earth all took part in shedding the blood of believer, then Allah would cast them (all) in the Fire."

Source Reference

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1398 - The Book on Blood Money

Scholarly Commentary

This profound hadith establishes the sanctity of a Muslim's blood and the severe prohibition against unjustly killing a believer. The magnitude of this prohibition is emphasized through hyperbole - even if all creatures in heaven and earth conspired to kill a single believer, they would all be deserving of Hellfire.

The scholars explain that this demonstrates the gravity of murder in Islam, where the blood of a believer is considered so sacred that its violation incurs Allah's ultimate wrath. This applies to both direct killers and accomplices who participate in the crime.

Imam At-Tirmidhi classified this hadith as hasan (good), and it serves as a stern warning against any form of collaboration in murder or violence against innocent believers. The comprehensive nature of the punishment shows that Allah's justice encompasses all participants in the crime, regardless of their number or status.

Legal Implications

This hadith forms the foundation for Islamic criminal law regarding homicide. It establishes that intentional murder of a believer without right is among the gravest sins (kaba'ir).

The scholars derive from this that all participants in murder - whether planners, accomplices, or actual perpetrators - share in the sin and legal responsibility. This principle extends to modern contexts where collective violence or mob killings occur.

The hadith also emphasizes that worldly punishments for murder (qisas/diyah) do not absolve the sinner from Allah's punishment in the Hereafter if repentance is not sincerely sought.