Book 16: Retaliation

‘Imran b. Husain said God's Messenger used to urge them to give sadaqa and forbid them to mutilate anyone. Aba Dawud transmitted it and Nasa’i transmitted it on the authority of Anas.

‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Abdallah quoted his father as saying: When I we were on a journey with God’s Messenger and he had gone to relieve himself we saw a hummara* with two young ones and took the young ones, whereupon the hummara came and began to spread out its wings. Then when the Prophet (ﷺ) came he said, “Who has pained this one by the loss of her young? Give her young ones back to her." He also saw an anthill which we had burned, and when he asked who had burned it and we replied that we had, he said, “It is not fitting that anyone but the Lord of the fire should punish with fire” Abu Dawud transmitted it. * A small bird like a sparrow, or a lark.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and Anas b Malik reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Disagreement and division will arise among my people. Some will speak well but do evil; they will recite the Qur’an but it will go no farther than their throats; they will swerve from the religion as an arrow goes through the animal shot at and will not return till an arrow comes back to the place where it was strung. They are the worst of men and animals. Blessed are they who kill them and are killed by them! They summon people to God’s Book, but they have no part with us. He who fights with them is nearer to God than they.” God’s Messenger was asked what mark they had, and said it was shaving.* Abu Dawud transmitted it. * Tahliq is here explained as going to extremes in shaving the head and taking the hair out by the roots.

A’isha reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The blood of a Muslim man who testifies that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is God’s Messenger may lawfully be shed only for one of three reasons: fornication after marriage, in which case he should be stoned; one who goes forth to fight with God and His Messenger,* in which case he should be killed, or crucified, or made a fugitive; or one which commits murder for which he is killed.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. * Mirqat iv. 53 refers this to such things as highway robbery.

Ibn Abu Laila said he was told by Muhammad’s companions that during a journey with God’s Messenger while one of them was asleep another went to a rope he had with him and seized him,* with the result that he was startled. God’s Messenger then said, “It is not lawful for a Muslim to frighten another.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. * The meaning is that he tied the rope round him while he was asleep, presumably as a joke.

Abud Darda’ reported God’s Messenger as saying, “He who gets land on which tax is due ¹ has sought to rescind his emigration,² and he who takes an infidel’s lowliness from his neck and puts it on his own ³ has turned his back on Islam.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. 1. The word for "tax" here is jizya. Eventually a distinction was made between jizya and kharaj, the former being used for poll-tax and the latter for land-tax. 2. i.e. to make himself like a dhimmi. 3. i.e. undertakes the responsibility of paying his tax for him.

Jarir b. ‘Abdillah told that when God’s Messenger sent an expedition to Khath'am some of them sought God’s protection by having recourse to prostration* and were quickly killed. When the Prophet (ﷺ) heard that, he ordered half the blood wit to be paid for them, saying, “I am not responsible for any Muslim who stays among polytheists.” On being asked why that was, he replied, “Their fires should not be visible to one another.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. * Some members of Khath'am who were Muslims prostrated themselves in prayer to God thinking that this would make it clear to the attackers that they were Muslims.

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “Faith is an assurance of safety from being killed unawares. A believer does not kill another unawares.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Jarir reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “When a slave runs away and reverts to polytheism he may lawfully be killed.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Ali told that a Jewess who was reviling the Prophet (ﷺ) and speaking evil of him was strangled to death by a man and the Prophet (ﷺ) allowed no payment to be made for her death. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Jundub reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The punishment given to a magician is a stroke with the sword.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.