Narrated by al-Aḥnaf ibn Qays who said: “I went out to support this man, and Abū Bakrah met me and said: ‘Where are you going?’ I replied: ‘To support this man.’ He said: ‘Go back, for indeed I heard the Messenger of Allah — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — say: “If two Muslims meet with their swords, then both the killer and the one killed will be in the Fire.” I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, that is the killer, but what about the one killed?’ He said: “He was eager to kill his companion.””
Narrated by al-Bukhārī (no. 31, and this is his wording), and Muslim (no. 2888), from the narration of Abū Bakrah — may Allah be pleased with him.
Brief Explanation of the Hadith
The killing of a Muslim by his Muslim brother is one of the major sins. In fact, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) counted it among the seven destructive sins. In the sight of Allah, it is a greater crime than the demolition of the Ka'bah, because it leads to the destruction of crops and offspring, the corruption of religion and worldly life, and the tearing apart of Muslim unity.
This ḥadīth has a background: it relates to the time of the turmoil and fighting among the Companions — may Allah be pleased with them — during the Battle of al-Jamal in the year 36 AH in Basra. In that incident, ʿĀʾishah — may Allah be pleased with her — set out with the intention of reconciliation and to prevent bloodshed, but matters became confused, and a great trial took place.
From this context, al-Aḥnaf ibn Qays — may Allah be pleased with him — intended to set out to support ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib — may Allah be pleased with him. He was met by Abū Bakrah, who asked him about his destination. When he informed him that he wished to join the army of ʿAlī — may Allah be pleased with him — Abū Bakrah advised him to turn back and reminded him of the saying of the Messenger of Allah — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him: “When two Muslims meet with their swords, both the killer and the one killed are in the Fire.” He thought — may Allah be pleased with him — that the fighting among the Companions fell under this ruling, and that it was impermissible to aid in it. This understanding was his own ijtihād. Otherwise, the bloodshed that occurred among the Companions — may Allah be pleased with them — does not fall under this threat; for they were mujtahidūn acting upon interpretation. Their fighting was not motivated by worldly gain, tribalism, or jāhilī zealotry. Rather, each party believed, with a sharʿī justification, that it was upon the truth and that its opponent was rebellious and had to be repelled. Thus, the one who was correct among them has two rewards, and the one who erred has a single reward, for he strove sincerely in seeking the truth.
As for fighting that is waged for worldly gain or out of jāhilī tribalism — this is what the Prophetic ḥadīth refers to. It is this kind of fighting that truly falls under the severe warning: in such a case, both the killer and the one killed are in the Fire.
From here, Abū Bakrah – may Allah be pleased with him – found difficulty in understanding the words of the Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – and asked: How can the one who is killed be in the Fire when he did not kill? The Prophet explained the reason, saying: “He was eager to kill his companion,” meaning that had he been able to overpower his brother, he would have killed him. Thus, he was judged according to his intent, even though he did not achieve what he sought.
As for the statement of the Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – “The killer and the one killed are in the Fire,” the meaning is not that they will certainly enter the Fire. Rather, it indicates that they deserve punishment, and this falls under the category of warning (waʿīd). Their ultimate affair rests with Allah, the Exalted: if He wills, He will punish them and then release them, as with other monotheists; and if He wills, He will pardon them from the outset.
This ḥadīth does not apply to one who kills in self-defence, or in defence of his wealth or honor, such as when repelling an aggressor; for the Sunnah has established that the blood of the aggressor is without sanctity. Thus, there is a difference between one who fights unjustly, out of tribalism or worldly motives—which is what the ḥadīth refers to—and one who fights in defence of himself, his family, and his property.
The ḥadīth indicates that the killer will not abide eternally in the Fire, for the Prophet —may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him— described him as a Muslim. This shows that his act is a major sin, but it does not expel him from the religion.