28/10. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1680b — Pardon in Qisas
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
Forgiveness in Qisas: A Hadith on Letting Go After a Killing Case
Sahih Muslim : 1680b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1680b
وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، بْنُ سَالِمٍ عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنِ وَائِلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ أُتِيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِرَجُلٍ قَتَلَ رَجُلاً فَأَقَادَ وَلِيَّ الْمَقْتُولِ مِنْهُ فَانْطَلَقَ بِهِ وَفِي عُنُقِهِ نِسْعَةٌ يَجُرُّهَا فَلَمَّا أَدْبَرَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " الْقَاتِلُ وَالْمَقْتُولُ فِي النَّارِ " . فَأَتَى رَجُلٌ الرَّجُلَ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَقَالَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَخَلَّى عَنْهُ . قَالَ إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ سَالِمٍ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِحَبِيبِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ فَقَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ أَشْوَعَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِنَّمَا سَأَلَهُ أَنْ يَعْفُوَ عَنْهُ فَأَبَى .
'Alqamah bin Wa'il Narrated from:
A person was brought to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who had killed another person, and the heir of the person slain had dragged him (to the Holy Prophet) with a strap around his neck. As he turned away Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: The killer and the killed are (doomed) to fire. A person came to the other person (the heir of the deceased) and he reported to him the words of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and so he let him off. Isma'il b. Salim said: I made a mention of it to Habib b. Abu Thabit and he said: Ibn Ashwa' reported to me that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) had asked him to pardon him, but he refused.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1680bIn-book reference : Book 28, Hadith 47USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 16, Hadith 4165
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1680b
This Hadith about forgiveness in qisas gives a shorter report of a killing case. A man who had killed another person was brought to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, and the heir of the slain person dragged him with a strap around his neck. As the heir went away, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that the killer and the killed are in the Fire. The report then says the words were carried back to the heir, and he let the killer go. It also adds that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had asked him to pardon, but he refused at first. This narration should be read carefully. It does not tell people to take revenge from anger. It shows the weight of killing, the danger of responding in a way that harms one’s own standing, and the value of accepting a path of pardon when the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم points to it.
What we learn from this hadith
- The case shows the seriousness of killing and retaliation.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked the heir to pardon the killer.
- The heir’s final act was to release the man after hearing the Prophet’s words.
