1/41. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 96b — After He Said La Ilaha Illallah
The prohibition of killing a disbeliever after he says La ilaha illallah
Usama Bin Zaid Hadith: After Saying La Ilaha Illallah
Sahih Muslim : 96b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 96b
حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ الدَّوْرَقِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا حُصَيْنٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو ظِبْيَانَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أُسَامَةَ بْنَ زَيْدِ بْنِ حَارِثَةَ، يُحَدِّثُ قَالَ بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى الْحُرَقَةِ مِنْ جُهَيْنَةَ فَصَبَّحْنَا الْقَوْمَ فَهَزَمْنَاهُمْ وَلَحِقْتُ أَنَا وَرَجُلٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ رَجُلاً مِنْهُمْ فَلَمَّا غَشَيْنَاهُ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ . فَكَفَّ عَنْهُ الأَنْصَارِيُّ وَطَعَنْتُهُ بِرُمْحِي حَتَّى قَتَلْتُهُ . قَالَ فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا بَلَغَ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ لِي " يَا أُسَامَةُ أَقَتَلْتَهُ بَعْدَ مَا قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ " . قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّمَا كَانَ مُتَعَوِّذًا . قَالَ فَقَالَ " أَقَتَلْتَهُ بَعْدَ مَا قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ " . قَالَ فَمَازَالَ يُكَرِّرُهَا عَلَىَّ حَتَّى تَمَنَّيْتُ أَنِّي لَمْ أَكُنْ أَسْلَمْتُ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ .
Usamah bin Zaid Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah may peace be upon him sent us to Huraqat, a tribe of Juhaina. We attacked that tribe early in the morning and defeated them and I and a man from the Ansar caught hold of a person (of the defeated tribe). When we overcame him, he said: There is no god but Allah. At that moment the Ansari spared him, but I attacked him with my spear and killed him.The news had already reached the Apostle (peace be upon him), so when we came back he (the Apostle) said to me: Usama, did you kill him after he had made the profession: There is no god but Allah? I said. Messenger of Allah, he did it only as a shelter. The Prophet observed: Did you kill him after he had made the profession that there is no god but Allah? He (the Holy Prophet) went on repeating this to me till I wished I had not embraced Islam before that day.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 96bIn-book reference : Book 1, Hadith 184USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 1, Hadith 177
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 96b
This version of the Usama b. Zaid hadith gives the same strong lesson with a few clear details. During the raid, Usama and a man from the Ansar overcame a person. When the man said La ilaha illallah, the Ansari held back, but Usama killed him with his spear. When they returned, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked Usama if he killed him after he said La ilaha illallah. Usama said the man only used it as a shelter. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم kept repeating the question until Usama wished he had not embraced Islam before that day. The main message is caution, restraint, and respect for the declaration of faith.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Ansari stopped when the man said La ilaha illallah.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم repeated the question to show the gravity of the act.
- Claiming the man only sought safety did not remove the Prophet's rebuke.
