Crimes

Abu Rimthah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that he went with his father to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). So the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked the father if Abu Rimthah was his son. The father affirmed that it was so and swore on it. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) smiled at the father's response. He told him that none, neither the relative, nor the distant one, is to be held accountable for someone else's crime, even fathers and children. The criminal is to be held accountable for his own crime only. In this respect, Allah, the Almighty says: {And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another} [Sūrat al-An‘ām: 164]. It was common in pre-Islamic times, though, that one would be held accountable for the crime of his relative. However, in Islam such a practice was revoked. A possible objection here is that Islamic law enjoins upon the male paternal relatives of a Muslim to pay the blood money in case their relative kills someone unintentionally or wounds him! The answer is that this case belongs to mutual support among the Muslims rather than being held accountable for the crimes of others. Also, the relatives inherit the perpetrator when he dies, so they should pay for the blood money on his behalf if he makes a fault.

سنن أبي داود، المحقق: محمد محيي الدين عبد الحميد، الناشر: المكتبة العصرية، صيدا – بيروت. السنن الصغرى، للنسائي، تحقيق: عبد الفتاح أبو غدة، الناشر: مكتب المطبوعات الإسلامية، حلب، الطبعة: الثانية، 1406 – 1986. مسند الإمام أحمد بن حنبل، المحقق: شعيب الأرنؤوط - عادل مرشد، وآخرون، إشراف: د عبد الله بن عبد المحسن التركي، الناشر: مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة: الأولى، 1421 هـ - 2001 م. سنن الدارمي، تحقيق: حسين سليم أسد الداراني-الناشر: دار المغني للنشر والتوزيع، المملكة العربية السعودية-الطبعة: الأولى، 1412 هـ - 2000 م. إرواء الغليل في تخريج أحاديث منار السبيل- محمد ناصر الدين الألباني، إشراف: زهير الشاويش،الناشر: المكتب الإسلامي – بيروت،الطبعة: الثانية 1405 هـ - 1985م. فتح ذي الجلال والإكرام شرح بلوغ المرام، محمد بن صالح بن محمد العثيمين، تحقيق: صبحي بن محمد رمضان، وأُم إسراء بنت عرفة، المكتبة الإسلامية، القاهرة، الطبعة الأولى، 1427هـ. توضيح الأحكام من بلوغ المرام، عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن البسام، مكتبة الأسدي، مكة، الطبعة الخامسة، 1423. تفسير القرآن العظيم، إسماعيل بن عمر بن كثير، المحقق: سامي بن محمد السلامة، الناشر: دار طيبة للنشر والتوزيع، الطبعة: الثانية 1420هـ - 1999 م. بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام، أحمد بن علي بن حجر العسقلاني، تحقيق وتخريج وتعليق: سمير بن أمين الزهيري-الناشر: دار الفلق – الرياض-الطبعة: السابعة، 1424 هـ. سبل السلام، محمد بن إسماعيل الصنعاني، الناشر: دار الحديث.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that a believer remains in the spaciousness and vastness of his righteous deeds, with hope for Allah's mercy, forgiveness, and pardon, until he kills someone unlawfully, whereupon his deeds become constricted, because they cannot compensate for the grave sin and guilt of murder.

1. The gravity of killing unjustly and intentional murder, as it takes the believer from the spaciousness of the religion into constriction.
2. There are four categories of prohibited blood: 1. The blood of a Muslim, which is the most severe. 2. The blood of a Dhimmi, which refers to the Jews and Christians who live in an Islamic state under their own religion, paying Jizyah (protection tax) and adhering to the laws of Islam. 3. The blood of a Mu‘āhid, which refers to the disbelievers in their own lands with whom we have a peace treaty, meaning they do not fight us and we do not fight them. 4. The blood of a Musta’min, which refers to a combatant disbeliever who does not have a covenant or treaty with us, but we have granted him protection for a specific period, allowing him to enter the Muslim lands with permission from the ruler or an authorized representative.

صحيح البخاري (9/ 2) (6862). إرشاد الساري لشرح صحيح البخاري (10/ 41). تطريز رياض الصالحين (ص: 171).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warned against intentionally taking one's own life in this world, stating that such a person will be punished in Hellfire on the Day of Judgment in the same manner by which he ended his life, as a fitting recompense. If someone threw himself off a mountain and died, he will continuously fall from the mountains of Hellfire into its valleys, abiding therein forever. If someone drank poison to kill himself, he will have that poison in his hand, drinking it repeatedly in Hellfire, eternally. And if someone stabbed himself in the belly with a piece of iron, he will have that piece of iron in his hand, stabbing his belly repeatedly in Hellfire, abiding therein forever.

1. The prohibition of a person killing himself, as it is one of the major sins that entails severe punishment.
2. What is mentioned in the Hadīth is an example of some types of self-inflicted death. However, regardless of the method of suicide, the person will be punished in the same way he took his own life. It is stated in Sahīh Al-Bukhāri that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever strangles himself will strangle himself in Hellfire, and whoever stabs himself will stab himself in Hellfire."
3. An-Nawawi said: As for the Prophet's statement: (He will be in Hellfire abiding therein eternally forever); It is said: There are several opinions: The first opinion: It refers to one who commits such an act while considering it lawful, despite knowing that it is unlawful—this person is a disbeliever, and this would be his punishment. The second opinion: The term "eternally" refers to a long duration, not literal eternity, similar to when it is said: May Allah make the king's rule eternal. The third opinion: This is indeed the punishment, but Allah Almighty, out of His generosity, has informed us that no person who dies as a Muslim will remain in Hellfire forever.
4. This is an example of the correspondence between the punishments in the Hereafter and the offenses in this world. It is derived from this that a person's harm to himself is similar to harming others in terms of sin. This is because a person does not own his soul completely; rather, it belongs to Allah Almighty, and he should only dispense with it according to what He has permitted.

صحيح البخاري (7/ 139) (5778). صحيح مسلم (1/ 103) (109). البحر المحيط الثجاج في شرح صحيح الإمام مسلم بن الحجاج (3/ 306). إرشاد الساري لشرح صحيح البخاري (8/ 414). المفهم لما أشكل من تلخيص كتاب مسلم (1/ 310). عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري (21/ 291).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warned that a Muslim should not point any type of weapon at his fellow Muslim, as he does not know; perhaps the devil incites him to move the weapon in his hand, thus, will kill or harm his brother. This would result in committing a sin that would cause him to fall into a pit of the Fire.

1. Clarifying the inviolability of a Muslim's life.
2. It is obligatory to respect a Muslim and to avoid causing him harm through actions or words, including pointing a piece of iron or a weapon at him, even if jokingly; for the devil may cause his hand to slip and incite him to strike his brother, or take the weapon from his hand and, thus, cause it to happen unintentionally and harm his brother.
3. Blocking the means by prohibiting whatever leads to a forbidden outcome.
4. Keenness on keeping society safe and preserving relationships among the people, avoiding intimidating or frightening them, even through gestures or threats.

صحيح البخاري (9/ 49) (7072). صحيح مسلم (4/ 2020) (2617). عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري (24/ 187).