Is Sayyidunā Abū al-Ghāwiyah Condemned to Hell for Killing ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir?
(Excerpt: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah – Tawḍīḥ al-Aḥkām, Vol. 2, p. 477)
Question:
A narration states:
“The killer of ʿAmmār and the one who seizes his belongings will be in Hell.”
(al-Silsilah al-Ṣaḥīḥah, Vol. 5, pp. 18–20, ḥadīth no. 2008 – graded ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh al-Albānī رحمه الله)
It is also established that Sayyidunā ʿAmmār رضي الله عنه was martyred in the Battle of Ṣiffīn by Sayyidunā Abū al-Ghāwiyah رضي الله عنه (Musnad Aḥmad, Vol. 4, p. 76, ḥadīth no. 6698 – ḥasan chain).
Does this mean that Abū al-Ghāwiyah رضي الله عنه is destined for Hell?
Answer:
Alḥamdulillāh, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
Analysis of the Narrations:
First Narration:
Chain: Layth ibn Abī Sulaym → Mujāhid → ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ رضي الله عنهما
Sources:
- Thalāthah Majālis min al-Amālī (Vol. 1, pp. 75–76)
- al-Silsilah al-Ṣaḥīḥah (Vol. 5, p. 18)
- al-Āḥād wa al-Mathānī (Vol. 2, p. 102, ḥadīth no. 803)
Status of Chain: Weak
- Layth ibn Abī Sulaym is ḍaʿīf according to the majority of ḥadīth scholars.
Second Narration:
Chain: al-Muḥammir ibn Sulaymān al-Taymī → from his father → from Mujāhid → from ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr
Source: al-Mustadrak (Vol. 3, p. 387, ḥadīth no. 5661)
- Al-Dhahabī commented: “Upon the condition of al-Bukhārī and Muslim.”
Status of Chain: Weak
- Contains Sulaimān ibn Ṭarḥān al-Taymī with an ʿanʿanah (using “ʿan”), and he is a mudallis.
- Third category mudallis – narration without explicit hearing is unreliable.
Third Narration:
Chain: Abū Ḥafṣ and Kulthūm → from Abū al-Ghāwiyah who said… “It was said: You killed ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir…”
Sources:
- Ṭabaqāt Ibn Saʿd (Vol. 3, pp. 260–261)
- Musnad Aḥmad (Vol. 4, p. 198)
- al-Silsilah al-Ṣaḥīḥah (Vol. 5, p. 19)
Shaykh al-Albānī’s Grading: He considered its chain sound.
Chain Issue:
- The phrase “It was said…” originates from an unknown (majhūl) narrator.
- Two transmitters narrate from Abū al-Ghāwiyah:
- Abū Ḥafṣ – majhūl
- Kulthūm ibn Jabr – thiqah
- Ḥammād ibn Salamah did not clarify from which of the two he took the narration.
Final Assessment:
- All three available chains for this statement are weak.
- Declaring this narration “ṣaḥīḥ” is not correct.
Clarification:
The killing of ʿAmmār رضي الله عنه by Abū al-Ghāwiyah رضي الله عنه occurred during the Battle of Ṣiffīn as an ijtihādī mistake.
- Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī رحمه الله also indicated this point.
Thus, based on the weakness of the narrations and the context of ijtihād, it is not correct to declare Abū al-Ghāwiyah رضي الله عنه a person of Hellfire.
Allah knows best.
