Retaliation

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The blood of a Muslim who testifies that there is no god but God and that I am God’s Messenger may not lawfully be shed but for one of three reasons::

a life for a life; a married man who commits fornication; and one who turns aside from his religion and abandons the community.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A believer will continue to find ample scope in his religion as long as he does not kill anyone unlawfully.” Bukhari transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Shedding of blood will be the first matter about which judgment will be given on the day of resurrection.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Al-Miqdad b. al-Aswad told that he said, “Tell me, Messenger of God, supposing I meet an infidel and we fight together and he strikes one of my hands with his sword and cuts it off, then flies for refuge from me to a tree and says he has submitted himself to God (or, in another version, says when I intend to kill him that there is no god but God), shall I kill him after he has said it?” He replied, “Do not kill him.” He protested, “But, Messenger of God, he cut off one of my hands.” God’s Messenger then replied, “Do not kill him, for if you do so, he will be in the position in which you were before you killed him, and you will be in the position in which he was before he made his testimony.”* (Bukhari and Muslim.) *i.e. he will now be one for whose killing retaliation may be demanded, and you will be one whose blood may lawfully be shed.

Usama b. Zaid said::

God’s Messenger sent us to some people of Juhaina, and I attacked one of them and was about to spear him when he said, “There is no god but God.” I then speared him and killed him, after which I went and told the Prophet. He said, “Did you kill him when he had testified that there is no god but God?” I replied, “Messenger of God, he did that only as a means to escape death.” He asked, “Why did you not split his heart?”* (Bukhari and Muslim.) *He is here rebuked for attributing motives to the man when he could not know his inner motive. Splitting the heart is a figure of speech for examining the inner motives. In the version of Jundub b. ‘Abdallah al-Bajali God’s Messenger is reported as saying several times, “How will you deal with ‘There is no god but God’ when it comes on the day of resurrection?” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone kills a man who has made a covenant* he will not experience the fragrance of paradise, yet its odour can be experienced at a distance of forty years’ journey.” Bukhari transmitted it. * Mu'ahid. This is used of a member of protected communities, but is also used of anyone who belongs to a non-Muslim community with whom a treaty of peace has been made.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “He who throws himself from a mountain and kills himself will be thrown down in the fire of jahannam and remain in it for ever and ever; he who sips poison and kills himself will have his poison in his hand and sip it for ever and ever in the fire of jahannam; and he who kills himself with a piece of iron will have his piece of iron in his hand and will be stabbed with it in his belly in the fire of jahannam for ever and ever.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's Messenger as saying, “He who strangles himself will do so in hell, and he who thrusts a spear into himself will do so in hell.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Jundub b. ‘Abdallah reported God’s Messenger as saying that among those who lived before their time there was a man who had a wound and had so little patience to bear it that he took a knife with which he cut off his hand, but the blood did not cease to flow till he died. God most high said, “My servant has tried to outstrip me in taking his life, so I have excluded him from paradise.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jabir said that when the Prophet emigrated to Medina at-Tufail b. ‘Amr ad-Dausi did so also accompanied by one of his people who became ill and had so little patience to bear it that he took some arrow heads of his with which he cut his knuckles, and his hands flowed with blood till he died. Then at-Tufail b. ‘Amr saw him in a dream with a fine appearance and saw him covering his hands, so he said to him, “What did your Lord do to you?" He replied, “He forgave me because of my emigration to His prophet.” He asked, “How is it that I see you covering your hands? He replied that it had been said to him, “We will not put right what you have spoilt." At-Tufail told this to the Prophet and he said, “O God, forgive his hands also." Muslim transmitted it.