Sheikh Nâyif al-Hamad
Abû Bakrah relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “If two Muslims engage each other in a swordfight and one of them kills the other, then the killer and the one who is killed, both of them will be in the Fire.”
They asked: “O Messenger of Allah, we understand about the killer, but what is the matter with the one who was killed?”
He replied: “He had been intent on killing the other.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (31)]
This hadîth is one of the hadîth that threatens punishment. Scholars have determined that threats of punishment should be accepted as they are. Ibn Taymiyah writes:
The first major questions of belief that Muslims disputed about were those relating to the threat of punishment. [Majmû` al-Fatâwâ (3/230)]
He also writes:
The hadîth that threaten punishment mention the cause for that punishment. That which makes the punishment imperative might be obstructed by preventative factors that negate its effectiveness. This might be by way of repentance that is accepted, good deeds that expunge it, tribulations that expiate for it, intercession from one who is granted intercession, or purely by Allah’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness. For indeed, Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with him in worship, but He forgives what is less than that for whomsoever He pleases. What a believer experiences in this world, in the grave, and on the Day of Resurrection of suffering which is punishment, Allah by way of it expiates for his mistakes. [Majmû` al-Fatâwâ (24/375)]
Ibn al-Qayyim enumerates the opinions of various sects regarding the threat of punishment, then writes:
The correct position…is that these actions are set forth as the causes for the threat that is associated with them. A cause may fail to realize its effect due to the absence of a condition or the presence of a preventative factor. Preventative factors are numerous, some of them are agreed upon by all Muslims, like sincere repentance, good deeds that expunge the bad, tribulations that act as expiation, what a servant experiences after death of the blessings that he had caused to bring about, the supplications, prayers for forgiveness, and charity offered by others, intercession by Allah’s permission…as well as the mercy that he receives from the Most Merciful, who waives His right regarding him and pardons him. [al-Sawâ’iq al-Mursalah (3/691)]
With specific reference to the meaning of the hadîth “The killer and the one who is killed, both of them will be in the Fire”, al-Khattâbî writes:
This is a threat of punishment for one who fights for some worldly enmity or, for instance, out of ambition for power. Those who die in the process of fighting against violent criminals or in repelling an unmitigated attack and do not come under this threat, since they are legally permitted to fight in such cases. [Fath al-Bârî (12/197)]
Al-Qurtubî writes:
This hadîth makes it clear that fighting if conducted out of ignorant motives – like seeking some worldly gain or pursuing personal lusts – then this is what is meant by the killer and the one killed both being consigned to the fire. [Fath al-Bârî (13/34)]
Al-Nawawî writes:
It is that if two Muslims confront each other with swords for some unlawful combat – like tribal fighting, then both the killer and the one killed will be in the Fire. [Sharh Sahîh Muslim (11/174)]
Ibn Hajar, in his commentary on this hadîth, makes the following observation:
Scholars maintain that the meaning of both of them being in the Fire is that they are both deserving of it. Nonetheless, their affair is with Allah. If He wishes, He may punish them and then take them out of the Fire as is the case with all monotheists; and if He wishes, he may pardon them and not punish them at all. It has also been said that it refers to those who believe that their conduct is Islamically permissible.
There is no proof in this hadîth for the Khârijites and for those Mu`tazilî scholars who had maintained that sinners will be consigned to the Fire for eternity, since it does not follow from the idea that “both of them will be in the Fire” that they will be remain therein forever. [Fath al-Bârî (13/32)]
It is the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamâ`ah that that no one from the people of monotheism will be consigned eternally to the Fire. There is ample evidence for this belief, like Allah’s saying: “Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with him in worship, but He forgives what is less than that for whomsoever He pleases. And whosoever associates anything with Allah in worship has indeed concocted a heinous sin.” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 48]
It is permissible for you to beseech Allah in your supplications to forgive your friend.
We have proof of this in the hadîth where Ibn `Umar said: “We used to refrain from asking forgiveness for those who perpetrated major sins until we heard our Prophet (peace be upon him) say: ‘Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with him in worship, but He forgives what is less than that for whomsoever He pleases’ and then say: ‘I have saved my supplication so as to intercede with it on the day of Resurrection on behalf of the perpetrators of major sins.’ So we put an end to a lot of what had been in our hearts and expressed it in words and permitted doing so.” [Musnad Abû Ya`lâ (5813) Sunnah Ibn Abî `Âsim (830) and Awsat al-Tabarânî (5942) and authenticated by al-Suyûtî in al-Durr al-Manthûr (2/557)]
