Killing A Human Being

Allah, the Almighty, says, {If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein (for ever); and the wrath and curse of Allah are upon him, and a dreadful chastisement is prepared for him.} (An-Nisa:93)

{Those who invoke not, with Allah, any other god, nor slay such life as Allah has made sacred, except for just cause, nor commit fornication,’ and any that does this (not only) meets punishment.} (Al-Furqan:68)

{On that account: We ordained for the children of Israel that if anyone slew a person -unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land -it would be as if he slew the whole people.} (AI- Ma’ida:32)

{When the female (infant), buried alive, is questioned for what crime she killed.} (Al- Takwir: 8-9)

The Prophet (peace be  upon him) said, “Avoid the seven heinous sins.” And he mentioned taking one’s life, which Allah has made sacred except in the course of justice. It was related that someone asked the Prophet (peace be  upon him), “What is the most heinous sin in the sight of Allah?” The Prophet (peace be  upon him) replied, “To hold that Allah has an equal whereas He has created you.”The man asked, “What else?” The Prophet (peace be  upon him) said, “To kill your child lest he feed with you.” The man asked, “What else?” He (peace be  upon him)  said, “To commit adultery with your neighbor’s wife.”  (Reported by Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, and An- Nasa’i.)

Therefore, Allah, the Almighty, revealed, {Those who invoke not, with Allah, any other god, nor slay such life as Allah has made sacred, except for just cause, nor commit fornication,. and any that does this (not only) meets punishment.} (Al-Furqan:68)

It was related that the Messenger of Allah said, “When two Muslims meet with drawn sword, both the slayer and the slain are in Hell.” It was said, “O Messenger of Allah, that is for the slayer. But why the slain?” He replied, “Because he intended to kill the other.” (Reported by Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, An-Nisa’i, Ibn Majah, and Ibn Hibban.)

Abu Suliman Al-Khitabi commented, “Such punishment does not apply to a legal and justifiable combat. They entail this abode if they fight one another out of enmity, fanaticism, or to acquire some worldly benefit or a position of leadership. Thus, out of this pole is the one who fights against an aggressive Muslim if he follows the rules of fighting, and the one who defends himself without intending to kill the opponent.

Whoever fights against an aggressive Muslim or a highway robber should not seek to kill them. Rather, he should try to deter him as much as he can. When they refrain, we should refrain. The Prophet (peace be  upon him) said, “You should not turn an unbeliever when I am no more (among you) and start killing and shedding blood among yourselves.”

The Prophet (peace be  upon him) said, “The first thing among human beings to be adjudicated on the Day of Judgment will be the blood claim.”  (Reported by Bukhari and Muslim.)

“Taking a believer’s life is more grievous in Allah’s sight than the perishing of this world.” (Reported by Bukhari and Muslim.)

“The major sins are worshipping others with Allah, showing disrespect to parents, killing a human being, and breaking one’s oath.” (Reported by Bukhari and Muslim.) It is termed engulfing because it overwhelms its swearer in the Fire.

“For all the murders committed in this world without any justification, Prophet Adam’s son, Qabil, will get a share of punishment, because it was he who inaugurated the method of killing by murdering his brother Habil.” (Reported by Bukhari and Muslim.)

If this is the abode of he who kills a covenant man, then what about killing a Muslim?
The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Whoever killed anyone of the people of the covenant will never get the aroma of paradise which can be smelt from forty years away.” (Reported by Bukhari.)

“Whoever helps in killing a Muslim, even by just a part of a word, he will meet Allah with the written phrase on his forehead. “Despondent of Allah’s Mercy.”( Reported by Ibn Majah. It is a weak Hadith.)

“Every sin might be forgiven by Allah except for a man dying an unbeliever or a man killing a believer deliberately.” (Reported by Abu Dawud.)

by Imam Shamsu ed-Deen Dhahabi