✿ Is Mubahalah with Deviants and the Misguided Permissible? Shar‘i Evidences and Rulings ✿
Source: Fatāwā ‘Ilmiyyah – Volume 3 – Miscellaneous Issues – Page 274
Is it permissible for Muslims with sound beliefs to engage in Mubahalah (invoking Allah’s curse upon the liar) with deviant sects and misguided individuals?
(Questioner: Anonymous)
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿فَمَن حاجَّكَ فيهِ مِن بَعدِ ما جاءَكَ مِنَ العِلمِ فَقُل تَعالَوا نَدعُ أَبناءَنا وَأَبناءَكُم وَنِساءَنا وَنِساءَكُم وَأَنفُسَنا وَأَنفُسَكُم ثُمَّ نَبتَهِل فَنَجعَل لَعنَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الكـٰذِبينَ﴾
"Then whoever argues with you about it after knowledge has come to you, say: Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then let us invoke Allah’s curse upon the liars."
(Sūrah Āl-‘Imrān: 61)
Two Christian figures from Najrān—‘Āqib and Sayyid—came to the Prophet ﷺ for Mubahalah. One of them warned the other:
“Do not engage in Mubahalah! By Allah, if he is truly a prophet, then we shall never succeed after it, nor will any of our descendants remain.”
Reference:
Sahih al-Bukhari: 4380 (summary)
Sayyidunā ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās (رضي الله عنه) said:
“If they had come forward to do Mubahalah with the Prophet ﷺ, then by the time they returned, not even their families or wealth would remain—everything would have been destroyed.”
Tafsīr ‘Abd al-Razzāq: 1/129, Ḥadīth 411 – Authentic chain
Tafsīr Ṭabarī: 3/212 – Authentic chain
Musnad Imām Ahmad: 1/248, Ḥadīth 2225
The renowned and trustworthy Tābi‘ī, Qatādah (رحمه الله), said:
“I learned that the Prophet ﷺ came out for Mubahalah with the Christians of Najrān, but when they saw him, they became afraid and left without performing Mubahalah.”
Tafsīr ‘Abd al-Razzāq: 1/129, Ḥadīth 209 – Authentic
Tafsīr Ṭabarī: 3/212 – Authentic
The Prophet ﷺ called upon:
and said:
"اللَّهُمَّ هَؤُلاَءِ أَهْلِي"
“O Allah, these are my family.”
Sahih Muslim: 2404, Darussalam: 6220
These evidences show that if a genuine Shar‘i need arises, it is permissible for Muslims with sound belief and upright character to engage in Mubahalah with disbelievers.
Mubahalah is when two parties supplicate to Allah, invoking:
"O Allah! Destroy, curse, and ruin the one who is false and upon misguidance."
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿إِنَّما يُريدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجسَ أَهلَ البَيتِ﴾
"Allah intends only to remove impurity from you, O People of the Household..."
(Sūrah al-Aḥzāb: 33)
Sayyidunā Ibn ‘Abbās (رضي الله عنه) explained:
"This verse was revealed specifically about the wives of the Prophet ﷺ."
The renowned Tābi‘ī ‘Ikrimah (رحمه الله) said:
"Whoever wishes, I am ready to do Mubahalah that this verse was revealed about the Prophet’s wives (only)."
Tafsīr Ibn Abī Ḥātim via Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr: 5/169–170 – Chain is ḥasan
Tārīkh Dimashq of Ibn ‘Asākir: 73/111 – Chain is ḥasan
Yes. This narration indicates that:
✔ If there is a genuine Shar‘i need, then a sound-believing, righteous, and trustworthy Muslim (or group) may perform Mubahalah against:
However:
Only the Prophet’s Mubahalah had guaranteed destructive outcomes for the opposing party.
Whereas for anyone else, the result is uncertain, hence:
It is better to avoid Mubahalah altogether.
The hadith scholar Burhān al-Dīn al-Biqā‘ī narrated:
His teacher, Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar al-‘Asqalānī (رحمه الله), had a Mubahalah with a man named Ibn al-Amīn concerning the controversial figure Ibn ‘Arabī.
Ibn al-Amīn said:
"O Allah, if Ibn ‘Arabī is misguided, then curse me."
Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar replied:
"O Allah, if Ibn ‘Arabī is rightly guided, then curse me."
Soon afterward, that man became blind during the night and died shortly after, around Dhul-Qa‘dah 797 AH, while the Mubahalah had occurred two months earlier in Ramaḍān.
Tanbīh al-Ghabī: pp. 136–137
‘Ilmī Maqālāt, Vol. 2, pp. 470–471
① It is better to avoid Mubahalah as much as possible.
② Mubahalah is not allowed over fiqh or ijtihādī (interpretive) issues.
③ One should first try to convince the opponent using evidence.
④ If the matter involves a clear and unanimously agreed-upon belief of the Salaf, and if the other party is a stubborn innovator or deviant, then a righteous and qualified Muslim may engage in Mubahalah.
⑤ Remember: Only the Prophet’s Mubahalah had guaranteed destructive outcomes. For others, the outcome is uncertain.
(8th December 2009)
هٰذَا مَا عِنْدِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
Source: Fatāwā ‘Ilmiyyah – Volume 3 – Miscellaneous Issues – Page 274❖ Question
Is it permissible for Muslims with sound beliefs to engage in Mubahalah (invoking Allah’s curse upon the liar) with deviant sects and misguided individuals?
(Questioner: Anonymous)
❖ Answer
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد
✦ Qur’anic Evidence for Mubahalah
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿فَمَن حاجَّكَ فيهِ مِن بَعدِ ما جاءَكَ مِنَ العِلمِ فَقُل تَعالَوا نَدعُ أَبناءَنا وَأَبناءَكُم وَنِساءَنا وَنِساءَكُم وَأَنفُسَنا وَأَنفُسَكُم ثُمَّ نَبتَهِل فَنَجعَل لَعنَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الكـٰذِبينَ﴾
"Then whoever argues with you about it after knowledge has come to you, say: Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then let us invoke Allah’s curse upon the liars."
(Sūrah Āl-‘Imrān: 61)
✦ Context of Revelation (Asbāb an-Nuzūl)
Two Christian figures from Najrān—‘Āqib and Sayyid—came to the Prophet ﷺ for Mubahalah. One of them warned the other:
“Do not engage in Mubahalah! By Allah, if he is truly a prophet, then we shall never succeed after it, nor will any of our descendants remain.”
Reference:Sahih al-Bukhari: 4380 (summary)
Sayyidunā ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās (رضي الله عنه) said:
“If they had come forward to do Mubahalah with the Prophet ﷺ, then by the time they returned, not even their families or wealth would remain—everything would have been destroyed.”
Tafsīr ‘Abd al-Razzāq: 1/129, Ḥadīth 411 – Authentic chain Tafsīr Ṭabarī: 3/212 – Authentic chain Musnad Imām Ahmad: 1/248, Ḥadīth 2225✦ Report from the Tābi‘īn
The renowned and trustworthy Tābi‘ī, Qatādah (رحمه الله), said:
“I learned that the Prophet ﷺ came out for Mubahalah with the Christians of Najrān, but when they saw him, they became afraid and left without performing Mubahalah.”
Tafsīr ‘Abd al-Razzāq: 1/129, Ḥadīth 209 – Authentic Tafsīr Ṭabarī: 3/212 – Authentic✦ Involving Ahl al-Bayt in Mubahalah
The Prophet ﷺ called upon:
- ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (رضي الله عنه)
- Fāṭimah (رضي الله عنها)
- Ḥasan and Ḥusayn (رضي الله عنهما)
and said:
"اللَّهُمَّ هَؤُلاَءِ أَهْلِي"
“O Allah, these are my family.”
Sahih Muslim: 2404, Darussalam: 6220✦ Shar‘i Status of Mubahalah
These evidences show that if a genuine Shar‘i need arises, it is permissible for Muslims with sound belief and upright character to engage in Mubahalah with disbelievers.
✦ What is Mubahalah?
Mubahalah is when two parties supplicate to Allah, invoking:
"O Allah! Destroy, curse, and ruin the one who is false and upon misguidance."
✦ Clarifying a Common Misunderstanding (Regarding Ahl al-Bayt)
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿إِنَّما يُريدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجسَ أَهلَ البَيتِ﴾
"Allah intends only to remove impurity from you, O People of the Household..."
(Sūrah al-Aḥzāb: 33)
Sayyidunā Ibn ‘Abbās (رضي الله عنه) explained:
"This verse was revealed specifically about the wives of the Prophet ﷺ."
The renowned Tābi‘ī ‘Ikrimah (رحمه الله) said:
"Whoever wishes, I am ready to do Mubahalah that this verse was revealed about the Prophet’s wives (only)."
Tafsīr Ibn Abī Ḥātim via Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr: 5/169–170 – Chain is ḥasan Tārīkh Dimashq of Ibn ‘Asākir: 73/111 – Chain is ḥasan✦ Is Mubahalah Permissible for the Ummah?
Yes. This narration indicates that:
✔ If there is a genuine Shar‘i need, then a sound-believing, righteous, and trustworthy Muslim (or group) may perform Mubahalah against:
- People of innovation (Ahl al-Bid‘ah)
- Misguided individuals
- Disbelievers
However:Only the Prophet’s Mubahalah had guaranteed destructive outcomes for the opposing party.
Whereas for anyone else, the result is uncertain, hence:
It is better to avoid Mubahalah altogether.✦ A Historical Example Among Scholars
The hadith scholar Burhān al-Dīn al-Biqā‘ī narrated:
His teacher, Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar al-‘Asqalānī (رحمه الله), had a Mubahalah with a man named Ibn al-Amīn concerning the controversial figure Ibn ‘Arabī.
Ibn al-Amīn said:
"O Allah, if Ibn ‘Arabī is misguided, then curse me."
Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar replied:
"O Allah, if Ibn ‘Arabī is rightly guided, then curse me."
Soon afterward, that man became blind during the night and died shortly after, around Dhul-Qa‘dah 797 AH, while the Mubahalah had occurred two months earlier in Ramaḍān.
Tanbīh al-Ghabī: pp. 136–137 ‘Ilmī Maqālāt, Vol. 2, pp. 470–471❖ Summary of the Research
① It is better to avoid Mubahalah as much as possible.
② Mubahalah is not allowed over fiqh or ijtihādī (interpretive) issues.
③ One should first try to convince the opponent using evidence.
④ If the matter involves a clear and unanimously agreed-upon belief of the Salaf, and if the other party is a stubborn innovator or deviant, then a righteous and qualified Muslim may engage in Mubahalah.
⑤ Remember: Only the Prophet’s Mubahalah had guaranteed destructive outcomes. For others, the outcome is uncertain.
(8th December 2009)هٰذَا مَا عِنْدِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
