28/1. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1669a — Fifty Oaths and Blood-Wit
Qasamah (Oaths)
Hadith on Qasamah, Fifty Oaths, and Blood-Wit
Sahih Muslim : 1669a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1669a
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ سَعِيدٍ - عَنْ بُشَيْرِ، بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ، - قَالَ يَحْيَى وَحَسِبْتُ قَالَ - وَعَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ، أَنَّهُمَا قَالاَ خَرَجَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَهْلِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ وَمُحَيِّصَةُ بْنُ مَسْعُودِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَا بِخَيْبَرَ تَفَرَّقَا فِي بَعْضِ مَا هُنَالِكَ ثُمَّ إِذَا مُحَيِّصَةُ يَجِدُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ سَهْلٍ قَتِيلاً فَدَفَنَهُ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم هُوَ وَحُوَيِّصَةُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ سَهْلٍ وَكَانَ أَصْغَرَ الْقَوْمِ فَذَهَبَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ لِيَتَكَلَّمَ قَبْلَ صَاحِبَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " كَبِّرِ " . الْكُبْرَ فِي السِّنِّ فَصَمَتَ فَتَكَلَّمَ صَاحِبَاهُ وَتَكَلَّمَ مَعَهُمَا فَذَكَرُوا لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَقْتَلَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ " أَتَحْلِفُونَ خَمْسِينَ يَمِينًا فَتَسْتَحِقُّونَ صَاحِبَكُمْ " . أَوْ " قَاتِلَكُمْ " . قَالُوا وَكَيْفَ نَحْلِفُ وَلَمْ نَشْهَدْ قَالَ " فَتُبْرِئُكُمْ يَهُودُ بِخَمْسِينَ يَمِينًا " . قَالُوا وَكَيْفَ نَقْبَلُ أَيْمَانَ قَوْمٍ كُفَّارٍ فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَعْطَى عَقْلَهُ .
Sahl b. Abu Hathma and Rafi' b. Khadij Narrated from:
'Abdullah b. Sahl b. Zaid and Muhayyisa b. Mas'ud b. Zaid went out and as they reached Khaibar they were separated. Then Muhayyisa found 'Abdullah b. Sahl having been killed. He buried him, and then came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). They were Huwayyisa b. Mas'ud and 'Abd al-Rahman b. Sahl, and he (the latter one) was the youngest of the people (those three who had come to seek an interview with the Holy Prophet) began to talk before his Companions (had spoken).Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: The eldest one (eldest in regard to age should speak). So he kept quiet, and his companions (Muhayyisa and Huwayyisa) began to speak, and he ('Abd al Rahman) spoke along with them and they narrated to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) the murder of 'Abdullah b. Sahl.Thereupon he said to them: Are you prepared to take fifty oaths so that you may be entitled (to blood-wit) of your companion (or your man who has murdered)? They said: How can we take an oath on a matter which we have not witnessed? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Then the Jews will exonerate themselves by fifty oaths. They said: How can we accept the oaths of people who are unbelievers? When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw that, he himself paid his blood-wit.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1669aIn-book reference : Book 28, Hadith 1USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 16, Hadith 4119
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1669a
This Hadith reports the case of Abdullah b. Sahl, who was found killed at Khaibar. When the family came to Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم, the youngest began speaking first, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told them to let the eldest speak. They then described the murder. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked whether they would take fifty oaths to be entitled to the blood-wit or the killer. They said they had not witnessed it. He then mentioned that the Jews could clear themselves by fifty oaths. When the family objected, Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم paid the blood-wit himself. Search terms like Qasamah hadith, fifty oaths hadith, and Sahih Muslim 1669a match this narration.
What we learn from this hadith
- The eldest was given the first place to speak in this serious matter.
- The case involved fifty oaths because the killing was not directly witnessed by them.
- The family did not swear about what they had not seen.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم paid the blood-wit when the matter could not proceed as offered.
