❖ Abu ʿUbaydah رضي الله عنه Killed His Father in the Battle of Badr and a Qur’anic Verse Was Revealed
Authored by: Hafiz Muhammad Anwar Zahid حفظه الله
✿ The Famous Account:
A well-known story states that during the Battle of Badr, Abu ʿUbaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ رضي الله عنه was confronted by his father, who had taken up arms in defense of disbelief and against the Muslims.
Abu ʿUbaydah رضي الله عنه, upholding his loyalty to Islam, killed his father in the battlefield.
It is said that upon this incident, the following verse from the Qur’an was revealed:
﴿ لَا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ... ﴾
“You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger...”
— [Sūrah al-Mujādilah: 22]
❖ Authentication of the Narration:
Status of the Chain: Its chain is weak (ḍaʿīf).
- Reported by al-Ḥākim in al-Mustadrak (3/265, Hadith no. 5152)
- Also referenced in al-Dhahabi’s Talkhīṣ al-Mustadrak (4/102, Hadith no. 1859)
✿ Reason for Weakness:
① The chain is mursal — meaning a Successor (تابعي) reports it without mentioning the Companion, which renders it weak according to hadith principles.
② A mursal narration, especially in matters of cause of revelation (asbāb al-nuzūl), requires stronger corroboration to be accepted as authentic.
❖ Conclusion:
Although this story is widely circulated in historical and tafsīr books, the chain of transmission is weak, and the narration is mursal, making it unreliable as an established fact.
While the verse of Sūrah al-Mujādilah strongly supports the theme of loyalty to faith over family ties, linking it specifically to Abu ʿUbaydah’s act in Badr is not substantiated by authentic chains. This context should therefore not be affirmed without qualification.
