Derived from: Sharh Kitab al-Jamiʿ min Bulugh al-Maram by Ibn Hajar al-ʿAsqalani | Translation: Hafiz Abd al-Salam Bhattvi
Narrated by Ibn Masʿud (رضي الله عنه): The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Reviling a Muslim is disobedience, and fighting him is disbelief.”
[Agreed upon – Bukhari: 6044; Muslim: Kitab al-Iman]
Refer also to: Tuhfat al-Ashraf [7/35, 7/55, 7/39, 7/129, 7/314, 7/349]
◈ قِتَال (Qitāl): From the form of “mufāʿala” – it means to engage in mutual fighting.
◈ فُسُوق (Fusūq): Linguistically, it means “to depart.” In Islamic terminology, it refers to transgressing the commands of Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ). It is more severe than general disobedience. Refer to the verse:
وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ [Al-Ḥujurāt: 7]
“And He has made disbelief, defiance, and disobedience hateful to you.”
Even in retaliation, one must refrain, as exceeding limits is difficult to avoid.
❷ Retaliation is permissible if one is abused first, though patience is better:
وَلَمَنِ انتَصَرَ بَعْدَ ظُلْمِهِ فَأُوْلَـٰئِكَ مَا عَلَيْهِم مِّن سَبِيلٍ [Ash-Shūrā: 41]
وَلَمَن صَبَرَ وَغَفَرَ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ [Ash-Shūrā: 43]
❸ One must not exceed the abuse received, nor lie in retaliation.
Otherwise, the sin is entirely on the instigator. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
المستبان ما قالا فعلى البادي منهما ما لم يعتد المظلوم
[Sunān al-Tirmidhī: 1981]
“If two people revile each other, the sin of what they say is on the initiator unless the wronged exceeds the limit.”
If both lie about one another, both are sinful. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
المستبان شيطانان يتهاتران ويتكاذبان
[Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān – 5696]
“Those who exchange abuse are two devils who insult and lie against each other.”
❹ The statement “Reviling a Muslim is fusūq” implies it is allowed to revile disbelievers, especially those in a state of war. For example, at Ḥudaybiyyah, when ʿUrwah ibn Masʿūd spoke disrespectfully, Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) responded with sharp words. [Bukhari: Kitāb al-Shurūṭ]
❺ Fighting is more severe than verbal abuse, hence its ruling is sterner.
❻ Some have misunderstood the phrase “fighting a Muslim is kufr” to mean that a Muslim who commits a major sin exits the fold of Islam. This was the stance of the Khawārij, who labeled ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه) and others as disbelievers. However, this interpretation is incorrect and contradicts clear principles of Sharīʿah and Qur’ān and Sunnah.
❼ Disbelief (kufr) has two categories in Qur’ān and Sunnah:
As narrated in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, faith has over seventy branches, and removing harm from the path is among the lowest, while modesty is one of its branches. [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim – Kitāb al-Īmān]
Hence, actions against these branches are acts resembling kufr, but do not expel one from Islam if core beliefs remain intact.
❽ Evidences proving that sinful Muslims remain within Islam:
This proves that fighting does not nullify one’s Islamic identity.
❾ In the era of the Prophet (ﷺ), several Companions committed major sins like murder, adultery, theft, and slander. Yet, the Prophet (ﷺ) imposed legal punishments without declaring them disbelievers, apostates, or excluding them from Islam.
❿ The hadith labeling abuse as fusūq and fighting as kufr indicates the severity and ugliness of these sins. Such actions do not befit a believer.
⓫ Some scholars have explained that calling the act of fighting a Muslim "kufr" is metaphorical. It signifies:
Hadith Text and Source
عن ابن مسعود رضى الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: سباب المسلم فسوق وقتاله كفر . [متفق عليه]Narrated by Ibn Masʿud (رضي الله عنه): The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Reviling a Muslim is disobedience, and fighting him is disbelief.”
[Agreed upon – Bukhari: 6044; Muslim: Kitab al-Iman]
Refer also to: Tuhfat al-Ashraf [7/35, 7/55, 7/39, 7/129, 7/314, 7/349]
Important Vocabulary and Definitions
◈ سِبَاب (Sibāb): Derived from the root سَبَّ – it means to curse or revile. Some scholars state that the word here is from the form of “mufāʿala,” implying mutual abuse. The term السُّبَّة also refers to private parts due to common reference during cursing. According to Ibrahim Harbi, sibāb denotes the harshest and most hurtful form of verbal abuse.◈ قِتَال (Qitāl): From the form of “mufāʿala” – it means to engage in mutual fighting.
◈ فُسُوق (Fusūq): Linguistically, it means “to depart.” In Islamic terminology, it refers to transgressing the commands of Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ). It is more severe than general disobedience. Refer to the verse:
وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ [Al-Ḥujurāt: 7]
“And He has made disbelief, defiance, and disobedience hateful to you.”
Key Points and Lessons
❶ Reviling a Muslim is disobedience to Allah’s command.Even in retaliation, one must refrain, as exceeding limits is difficult to avoid.
❷ Retaliation is permissible if one is abused first, though patience is better:
وَلَمَنِ انتَصَرَ بَعْدَ ظُلْمِهِ فَأُوْلَـٰئِكَ مَا عَلَيْهِم مِّن سَبِيلٍ [Ash-Shūrā: 41]
وَلَمَن صَبَرَ وَغَفَرَ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ [Ash-Shūrā: 43]
❸ One must not exceed the abuse received, nor lie in retaliation.
Otherwise, the sin is entirely on the instigator. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
المستبان ما قالا فعلى البادي منهما ما لم يعتد المظلوم
[Sunān al-Tirmidhī: 1981]
“If two people revile each other, the sin of what they say is on the initiator unless the wronged exceeds the limit.”
If both lie about one another, both are sinful. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
المستبان شيطانان يتهاتران ويتكاذبان
[Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān – 5696]
“Those who exchange abuse are two devils who insult and lie against each other.”
❹ The statement “Reviling a Muslim is fusūq” implies it is allowed to revile disbelievers, especially those in a state of war. For example, at Ḥudaybiyyah, when ʿUrwah ibn Masʿūd spoke disrespectfully, Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) responded with sharp words. [Bukhari: Kitāb al-Shurūṭ]
❺ Fighting is more severe than verbal abuse, hence its ruling is sterner.
❻ Some have misunderstood the phrase “fighting a Muslim is kufr” to mean that a Muslim who commits a major sin exits the fold of Islam. This was the stance of the Khawārij, who labeled ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه) and others as disbelievers. However, this interpretation is incorrect and contradicts clear principles of Sharīʿah and Qur’ān and Sunnah.
❼ Disbelief (kufr) has two categories in Qur’ān and Sunnah:
- Major kufr (kufr al-akbar): Which removes one from the fold of Islam — such as knowingly denying a command of Allah or His Messenger (ﷺ).
- Minor kufr (kufr dūn kufr): Committing acts that are from disbelief in nature, but do not expel one from Islam. For example, engaging in sins while still affirming Tawḥīd and Prophethood.
As narrated in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, faith has over seventy branches, and removing harm from the path is among the lowest, while modesty is one of its branches. [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim – Kitāb al-Īmān]
Hence, actions against these branches are acts resembling kufr, but do not expel one from Islam if core beliefs remain intact.
❽ Evidences proving that sinful Muslims remain within Islam:
- إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ... [An-Nisāʾ: 48]
Allah may forgive all sins except shirk. - All hadiths regarding intercession (shafāʿah) prove that major sinners may eventually be removed from Hell by Allah’s will.
- وَإِن طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا... [Al-Ḥujurāt: 9–10]
Two believing parties may fight, but are still referred to as “believers” and “brothers.” - فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَيْءٌ... [Al-Baqarah: 178]
Even in cases of murder, the killer is still called the “brother” of the victim’s family.
This proves that fighting does not nullify one’s Islamic identity.
❾ In the era of the Prophet (ﷺ), several Companions committed major sins like murder, adultery, theft, and slander. Yet, the Prophet (ﷺ) imposed legal punishments without declaring them disbelievers, apostates, or excluding them from Islam.
❿ The hadith labeling abuse as fusūq and fighting as kufr indicates the severity and ugliness of these sins. Such actions do not befit a believer.
⓫ Some scholars have explained that calling the act of fighting a Muslim "kufr" is metaphorical. It signifies:
- Ingratitude for Allah’s blessings.
- Disregard for the sanctity of Islamic brotherhood.
- It can lead to major disbelief if one continues on this sinful path.
May Allah protect us from such consequences.
