37/13. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4052 — Running Away to the Land of Shirk
The Differences Reported From Abu Ishaq
Hadith on a Runaway Slave Joining the Land of Shirk
Sunan an-Nasai : 4052
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4052
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حُمَيْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ جَرِيرٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِذَا أَبَقَ الْعَبْدُ إِلَى أَرْضِ الشِّرْكِ فَقَدْ حَلَّ دَمُهُ " .
Jarir Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'If a slave runs away to the land of Shirk, it becomes permissible to shed his blood.'
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4052In-book reference : Book 37, Hadith 87English translation : Vol. 5, Book 37, Hadith 4057
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4052
This hadith reports the Prophet’s statement about a slave who runs away to the land of Shirk. The wording says that his blood becomes lawful. The core topic is enemy defection, not a simple household disagreement. The person has escaped and joined a territory described as the land of Shirk. The report is severe and should be handled with care. It does not authorize a private person to attack anyone, and it does not set out the evidence or procedure for a legal ruling. According to Islamic scholars, matters involving protected life, warfare, and punishment belong to recognized lawful authority and judicial process. The safest explanation is to stay with the exact condition named in the text: running away and joining that land.
What we learn from this hadith
- The warning is tied to both escape and joining the land of Shirk.
- The narration describes a loss of protected status in that stated case.
- No private person may turn the report into personal violence.
