64/45. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4269 — Respecting La Ilaha Illallah
The dispatch of Usama bin Zaid to Al-Huraqat
La Ilaha Illallah Hadith: The Prophet's Warning to Usama
Sahih Bukhari : 4269
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4269
حَدَّثَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا حُصَيْنٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو ظَبْيَانَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أُسَامَةَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ يَقُولُ بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى الْحُرَقَةِ، فَصَبَّحْنَا الْقَوْمَ فَهَزَمْنَاهُمْ وَلَحِقْتُ أَنَا وَرَجُلٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ رَجُلاً مِنْهُمْ، فَلَمَّا غَشِينَاهُ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ. فَكَفَّ الأَنْصَارِيُّ، فَطَعَنْتُهُ بِرُمْحِي حَتَّى قَتَلْتُهُ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا بَلَغَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " يَا أُسَامَةُ أَقَتَلْتَهُ بَعْدَ مَا قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ " قُلْتُ كَانَ مُتَعَوِّذًا. فَمَا زَالَ يُكَرِّرُهَا حَتَّى تَمَنَّيْتُ أَنِّي لَمْ أَكُنْ أَسْلَمْتُ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ.
Usama bin Zaid Narrated from:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent us towards Al-Huruqa, and in the morning we attacked them and defeated them. I and an Ansari man followed a man from among them and when we took him over, he said, "La ilaha illal-Lah." On hearing that, the Ansari man stopped, but I killed him by stabbing him with my spear. When we returned, the Prophet (ﷺ) came to know about that and he said, "O Usama! Did you kill him after he had said "La ilaha ilal-Lah?" I said, "But he said so only to save himself." The Prophet (ﷺ) kept on repeating that so often that I wished I had not embraced Islam before that day.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4269In-book reference : Book 64, Hadith 303USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 568
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4269
This hadith about La ilaha illallah carries a strong lesson about respecting a person's spoken declaration of faith. Usama bin Zaid said that he and an Ansari man caught up with a man after a battle. When they reached him, the man said, La ilaha illallah. The Ansari stopped, but Usama killed him. When the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم heard about it, he kept asking Usama, Did you kill him after he said La ilaha illallah? Usama explained that the man said it only to protect himself, but the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم repeated the question so many times that Usama wished he had not embraced Islam before that day. The text teaches caution, restraint, and the seriousness of acting after someone says the statement of faith.
What we learn from this hadith
- A spoken declaration of La ilaha illallah must be treated with great care.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم rejected Usama's claim about the man's hidden motive.
- The repeated question shows the seriousness of the act.
