87/2. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 6872 — Do Not Kill After Shahadah
“And if anyone saved a life….”
قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ مَنْ حَرَّمَ قَتْلَهَا إِلاَّ بِحَقٍّ حَيِيَ النَّاسُ مِنْهُ جَمِيعًا.
Hadith About La Ilaha Illallah and the Sanctity of Life
Sahih Bukhari : 6872
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 6872
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ زُرَارَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، حَدَّثَنَا حُصَيْنٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو ظَبْيَانَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أُسَامَةَ بْنَ زَيْدِ بْنِ حَارِثَةَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ يُحَدِّثُ قَالَ بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى الْحُرَقَةِ مِنْ جُهَيْنَةَ ـ قَالَ ـ فَصَبَّحْنَا الْقَوْمَ فَهَزَمْنَاهُمْ ـ قَالَ ـ وَلَحِقْتُ أَنَا وَرَجُلٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ رَجُلاً مِنْهُمْ ـ قَالَ ـ فَلَمَّا غَشِينَاهُ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ ـ قَالَ ـ فَكَفَّ عَنْهُ الأَنْصَارِيُّ، فَطَعَنْتُهُ بِرُمْحِي حَتَّى قَتَلْتُهُ ـ قَالَ ـ فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا بَلَغَ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي " يَا أُسَامَةُ أَقَتَلْتَهُ بَعْدَ مَا قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ ". قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّمَا كَانَ مُتَعَوِّذًا. قَالَ " أَقَتَلْتَهُ بَعْدَ أَنْ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ ". قَالَ فَمَا زَالَ يُكَرِّرُهَا عَلَىَّ حَتَّى تَمَنَّيْتُ أَنِّي لَمْ أَكُنْ أَسْلَمْتُ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ.
Usama bin Zaid bin Haritha Narrated from:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent us (to fight) against Al-Huraqa (one of the sub-tribes) of Juhaina. We reached those people in the morning and defeated them. A man from the Ansar and I chased one of their men and when we attacked him, he said, "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah." The Ansari refrained from killing him but I stabbed him with my spear till I killed him.When we reached (Medina), this news reached the Prophet. He said to me, "O Usama! You killed him after he had said, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah?"' I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! He said so in order to save himself." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You killed him after he had said, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah." The Prophet (ﷺ) kept on repeating that statement till I wished I had not been a Muslim before that day.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6872In-book reference : Book 87, Hadith 11USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 83, Hadith 11
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 6872
This hadith focuses on the sanctity of life after a person says La ilaha illa Allah. Usama bin Zaid killed a man during battle after the man said that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah. Usama explained that the man said it only to protect himself, but the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم kept repeating the question: did you kill him after he said La ilaha illa Allah? The repeated correction shows how serious the matter was. The hadith about La ilaha illa Allah teaches that open words of faith are not to be ignored in such a moment. The text does not ask us to judge hidden motives. It shows the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم strongly objecting to killing after that declaration was spoken.
What we learn from this hadith
- A spoken declaration of faith was treated with serious weight.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم repeated the correction to show the gravity of the act.
- Hidden motives were not accepted as a reason in Usama’s reply.
- The narration warns against acting lightly in matters of life.
