36/4. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 3940 — Insulting and Fighting a Muslim
Verbally abusing a Muslim is Fusuq (disobedience) and fighting Him is Kufr (ungratefulness to Allah)
Hadith About Insulting a Muslim and the Danger of Fighting
Sunan Ibn Majah : 3940
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 3940
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الأَسَدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هِلاَلٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ سِيرِينَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ " سِبَابُ الْمُسْلِمِ فُسُوقٌ وَقِتَالُهُ كُفْرٌ " .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Verbally abusing a Muslim is Fusuq (disobedience) and fighting him is Kufr (ungratefulness to Allah).”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 3940In-book reference : Book 36, Hadith 15English translation : Vol. 5, Book 36, Hadith 3940
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 3940
This hadith about insulting a Muslim repeats the same clear warning narrated from Abu Hurairah. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said that verbally abusing a Muslim is Fusuq, or disobedience, and fighting him is Kufr, described in the translation as ungratefulness to Allah. The hadith is not long, so its message should not be made complicated. It tells Muslims to take their words seriously and to avoid turning conflict into abuse or fighting. For search terms like “verbally abusing a Muslim is fusuq” and “fighting a Muslim is kufr,” this narration gives a direct phrase that is easy to memorize. The core teaching is respect for a Muslim’s dignity, safety, and rights in speech and action.
What we learn from this hadith
- Abusing a Muslim with words is named as Fusuq in the narration.
- Fighting a Muslim is described with very serious wording.
- The hadith encourages restraint before speech becomes sinful.
- The report protects both a Muslim’s dignity and physical safety.
