16/23. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 1422 — Oaths, Murder Claim and Blood Money
What Has Been Related About Al-Qasamah
Qasamah Hadith About Oaths and Blood Money
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 1422
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 1422
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ بُشَيْرِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ، قَالَ يَحْيَى وَحَسِبْتُ عَنْ 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 هُنَاكَ ثُمَّ إِنَّ مُحَيِّصَةَ وَجَدَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ سَهْلٍ قَتِيلاً قَدْ قُتِلَ فَدَفَنَهُ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم هُوَ وَحُوَيِّصَةُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ سَهْلٍ وَكَانَ أَصْغَرَ الْقَوْمِ ذَهَبَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ لِيَتَكَلَّمَ قَبْلَ صَاحِبَيْهِ قَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " كَبِّرِ الْكُبْرَ " . فَصَمَتَ وَتَكَلَّمَ صَاحِبَاهُ ثُمَّ تَكَلَّمَ 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 " فَتُبَرِّئُكُمْ يَهُودُ بِخَمْسِينَ يَمِينًا " . قَالُوا وَكَيْفَ نَقْبَلُ أَيْمَانَ قَوْمٍ كُفَّارٍ فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَعْطَى عَقْلَهُ . حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْخَلاَّلُ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ بُشَيْرِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ، وَرَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ، نَحْوَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ بِمَعْنَاهُ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ فِي الْقَسَامَةِ وَقَدْ رَأَى بَعْضُ فُقَهَاءِ الْمَدِينَةِ الْقَوَدَ بِالْقَسَامَةِ . وَقَالَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ إِنَّ الْقَسَامَةَ لاَ تُوجِبُ الْقَوَدَ وَإِنَّمَا تُوجِبُ الدِّيَةَ . آخِرُ أَبْوَابِ الدِّيَاتِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ .
Sahl bin Abi Hathmah Narrated from:
Yahya (One Of The Narrators) Said: And I Think It Was From Rafi' Bin Khadij - That 'Abdullah Bin Sahl Bin Zaid And Muhaiysah Bin Mas'Ud Bin Zaid Went Out And When They Reached Khaibar They Separated While There. Then Muhayyisah Found 'Abdullah Bin Sahl Murdered [So He Buried Him]. Then He Went To The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Along With Huwayyisah Bin Mas'Ud And Abdur-Rahman Bin Sahl.The Youngest Of The People, Abdur-Rahman, Went To Speak Ahead Of His Companions. The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Said To Him: "Let The Eldest Of You Speak." So He Was Silent And Two Companions Spoke. So He Conversed With Them And They Mentioned To The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) About The Murder Of 'Abdullah Bin Sahl.He Said To Them: "If Fifty Of You Can Swear An Oath Then You Will Have The Right Against The Murderer." They Said: "How Can We Take An Oath When We Did Not Witness It?" He Said: "Then Fifty Of Jews Can Swear To Clear The Charge With You?" They Said: "How Could We Accept The Oaths Of A Disbelieving People?" So When He Saw That, The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Paid The Blood-Money."(Another Chain) From Sahl Bin Abi Hathman And Rafi' Bin Khadij, And The Meaning Is Similar To This Hadith.
[1] It refers to the oath taken by a group of people about one of them who was killed, or it refers to the group of people who take the oath. See Tuhfat Al-Ahwadhi .Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1422In-book reference : Book 16, Hadith 39English translation : Vol. 3, Book 14, Hadith 1422
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 1422
This qasamah hadith describes a serious murder case involving Abdullah bin Sahl at Khaibar. When the matter reached the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, the youngest person began to speak first, but the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told them to let the eldest speak. The case then moved to oaths. He said that fifty of them could swear and then have a right against the murderer. When they said they had not witnessed it, he mentioned fifty oaths from the Jews to clear the charge. When they did not accept that, the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم paid the blood-money. The hadith shows careful process, respect in speech, and a practical settlement in a difficult case.
What we learn from this hadith
- In a serious case, speech was organized by letting the elder speak first.
- A claim about murder was not treated lightly without a legal process.
- The hadith mentions fifty oaths in the qasamah procedure.
- When the case remained difficult, blood-money was paid by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
