28/10. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1680a — Qisas and Forgiveness
A confession to murder is valid and the heir of the victim is entitled to Qisas, but it is recommended to ask him to let him go
Qisas and Forgiveness in Islam: Lessons from a Murder Case Hadith
Sahih Muslim : 1680a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1680a
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو يُونُسَ، عَنْ سِمَاكِ بْنِ، حَرْبٍ أَنَّ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنَ وَائِلٍ، حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ أَبَاهُ حَدَّثَهُ قَالَ إِنِّي لَقَاعِدٌ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذْ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ يَقُودُ آخَرَ بِنِسْعَةٍ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَذَا قَتَلَ أَخِي . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَقَتَلْتَهُ " . فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ لَوْ لَمْ يَعْتَرِفْ أَقَمْتُ عَلَيْهِ الْبَيِّنَةَ . قَالَ نَعَمْ . قَتَلْتُهُ قَالَ " كَيْفَ قَتَلْتَهُ " . قَالَ كُنْتُ أَنَا وَهُوَ نَخْتَبِطُ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ فَسَبَّنِي فَأَغْضَبَنِي فَضَرَبْتُهُ بِالْفَأْسِ عَلَى قَرْنِهِ فَقَتَلْتُهُ . فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " هَلْ لَكَ مِنْ شَىْءٍ تُؤَدِّيهِ عَنْ نَفْسِكَ " . قَالَ مَا لِي مَالٌ إِلاَّ كِسَائِي وَفَأْسِي . قَالَ " فَتَرَى قَوْمَكَ يَشْتَرُونَكَ " . قَالَ أَنَا أَهْوَنُ عَلَى قَوْمِي مِنْ ذَاكَ . فَرَمَى إِلَيْهِ بِنِسْعَتِهِ . وَقَالَ " دُونَكَ صَاحِبَكَ " . فَانْطَلَقَ بِهِ الرَّجُلُ فَلَمَّا وَلَّى قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنْ قَتَلَهُ فَهُوَ مِثْلُهُ " . فَرَجَعَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ قُلْتَ " إِنْ قَتَلَهُ فَهُوَ مِثْلُهُ " . وَأَخَذْتُهُ بِأَمْرِكَ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَمَا تُرِيدُ أَنْ يَبُوءَ بِإِثْمِكَ وَإِثْمِ صَاحِبِكَ " . قَالَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ - لَعَلَّهُ قَالَ - بَلَى . قَالَ " فَإِنَّ ذَاكَ كَذَاكَ " . قَالَ فَرَمَى بِنِسْعَتِهِ وَخَلَّى سَبِيلَهُ .
'Alqamah bin Wa'il Narrated from:
While I was sitting in the company of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), a person came there dragging another one with the help of a strap and said: Allah's Messenger, this man has killed my brother. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to him: Did you kill him? And the other man said: (In case he did not make a confession of this, I shall brine, a witness against him).He (the murderer) said: Yes, I have killed him. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Why did you kill him? He said: I and he won striking down the leaves of a tree and he abused me and enraged me, and to I struck his head with an axe and killed him, whereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Have you anything with you to pay blood-wit on your behalf? He said: I do not possess any property but this robe of mine and this axe of mine.He (the Holy, Prophet) said: Do you think your people will pay ransom for you? He said: I am more insignificant among my people than this (that I would not be able to get this benefit from my tribe). He (the Holy Prophet) threw the strap towards him (the claimant of the blood-wit) saying: Take away your man. The man took him away, and as he returned, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: If he kills him, he will be like him.He returned and said: Allah's Messenger, it has reached me that you have said that" If he killed him, he would be like him." I caught hold of him according to your command, whereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Don't you like that he should take upon him (the burden) of your sin and the sin of your companion (your brother)? He said: Allah's Apostle, why not? The Messenger of Allah (may peace be. upon him) said: If it is so, then let it be. He threw away the strap (around the offender) and set him free.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1680aIn-book reference : Book 28, Hadith 46USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 16, Hadith 4164
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1680a
This Hadith is about qisas and forgiveness in Islam. A man brought another man to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and said that he had killed his brother. The accused man confessed and explained that anger began after abuse while they were striking leaves from a tree. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked about payment of blood-wit, then gave the man over to the claimant. When the claimant heard the Prophet’s words, he returned and asked about them. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم then guided him toward letting the killer bear his own burden and the burden connected to the slain person. The man released him. The lesson is not that anger excuses killing. The text clearly shows a death happened because anger was allowed to control action. It also shows that pardon was opened as a path after the case reached the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
What we learn from this hadith
- Anger can lead to grave harm when it is not controlled.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked for confession and details before judgment.
- Pardon appears in the text as a serious moral choice.
