Narrated by Usama ibn Zayd (RA):
He said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent us on a Sariyyah (military expedition), and we attacked the people of Harraqat from the tribe of Juhaynah at dawn. I caught up with a man who proclaimed "لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ" (There is no deity but Allah), yet I stabbed him with a spear and killed him. Afterwards, I felt uneasy in my heart about what I had done and mentioned it to the Prophet ﷺ.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Did he say ‘لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ’ and you still killed him?"
I replied: "O Messenger of Allah, he only said it out of fear of the weapon."
He responded: "Why did you not cut open his heart to know whether he said it sincerely or not?"
He kept repeating this until I wished that I had only accepted Islam that day.
(Narrated by Muslim [96], also in Bukhari)
A Sariyyah refers to a military campaign in which the Prophet ﷺ himself did not participate. These expeditions could consist of a few or many fighters.
➋ Sanctity of the Shahadah (Testimony of Faith):
If someone declares lā ilāha illā Allāh during battle, that declaration must be honored. One must not assume that the person is lying out of fear.
➌ Knowledge of Inner Intentions is with Allah Alone:
This narration confirms that even the companions could not know the intentions of hearts. The Prophet ﷺ emphasized relying only on what is apparent.
➍ No Qisas (Retaliation) for Mistaken Killing in Battle Post-Kalimah:
If someone is mistakenly killed after pronouncing the Shahadah during battle, and the killer assumed it was insincere, then Islamic law does not prescribe retribution (Qisas) or blood money (Diyyah) for this specific error.
➎ A True Believer's Remorse:
When a believer commits a mistake, he deeply regrets it and considers it a major sin. This remorse is a mark of faith.
This content has been derived from the book Ḍiyāʾ al-Islām fī Sharḥ al-Imām bi-Aḥādīth al-Aḥkām by Shaykh Taqī al-Dīn Abī al-Fatḥ, translated by Maulana Mahmood Ahmad Ghaznfar.
He said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent us on a Sariyyah (military expedition), and we attacked the people of Harraqat from the tribe of Juhaynah at dawn. I caught up with a man who proclaimed "لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ" (There is no deity but Allah), yet I stabbed him with a spear and killed him. Afterwards, I felt uneasy in my heart about what I had done and mentioned it to the Prophet ﷺ.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Did he say ‘لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ’ and you still killed him?"
I replied: "O Messenger of Allah, he only said it out of fear of the weapon."
He responded: "Why did you not cut open his heart to know whether he said it sincerely or not?"
He kept repeating this until I wished that I had only accepted Islam that day.
(Narrated by Muslim [96], also in Bukhari)
❀ Key Lessons:
➊ Definition of Sariyyah:A Sariyyah refers to a military campaign in which the Prophet ﷺ himself did not participate. These expeditions could consist of a few or many fighters.
➋ Sanctity of the Shahadah (Testimony of Faith):
If someone declares lā ilāha illā Allāh during battle, that declaration must be honored. One must not assume that the person is lying out of fear.
➌ Knowledge of Inner Intentions is with Allah Alone:
This narration confirms that even the companions could not know the intentions of hearts. The Prophet ﷺ emphasized relying only on what is apparent.
➍ No Qisas (Retaliation) for Mistaken Killing in Battle Post-Kalimah:
If someone is mistakenly killed after pronouncing the Shahadah during battle, and the killer assumed it was insincere, then Islamic law does not prescribe retribution (Qisas) or blood money (Diyyah) for this specific error.
➎ A True Believer's Remorse:
When a believer commits a mistake, he deeply regrets it and considers it a major sin. This remorse is a mark of faith.
This content has been derived from the book Ḍiyāʾ al-Islām fī Sharḥ al-Imām bi-Aḥādīth al-Aḥkām by Shaykh Taqī al-Dīn Abī al-Fatḥ, translated by Maulana Mahmood Ahmad Ghaznfar.