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An Evaluation of the Chain of Transmission and Content of the Ḥadīth Al‑Qātil wa al‑Maqtūl fī al‑Nār in Sunni and Shi‘i Sources
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Meysam Kohan Torabi1   , Zahra Sadat Hashemi |
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Abstract: (12 Views) |
| A ḥadīth reported in both Shi‘i and Sunni sources—with varying transmissions but a shared core states that when two groups of Muslims fight one another, both the killer and the one killed are in Hell. This report has at times been presented as a general ruling and, in other instances, associated with specific occasions of issuance, including its invocation to justify abstention from participation in the Battle of Jamal. Moreover, due to its purported implication regarding punishment based on wrongful intention, the ḥadīth has frequently been discussed in exegetical and legal-theoretical works, particularly in debates concerning tajarrī (culpable presumption of sin). The chains of transmission in Shi‘i sources are generally weak. In Sunni sources, some chains are considered sound, while others are deemed unreliable due to the presence of unknown, weak, or even mendacious transmitters. Among the most significant content-related challenges are the apparent inconsistency of the report with Qur’anic principles and with the historical realities of the formative period of Islam. Furthermore, citing this ḥadīth in discussions of tajarrī faces a fundamental objection: taking up arms, instilling fear, and initiating combat constitute grave offenses in themselves and are independently punishable acts; thus, they cannot be reduced merely to an instance of culpable intention. This study employs a descriptive–analytical and critical approach, drawing on library-based sources and utilizing established tools of ḥadīth criticism (muṣṭalaḥ al‑ḥadīth) and deep understanding of ḥadīth (fiqh al‑ḥadīth) to evaluate both the chains of transmission and the content of this narration. |
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| Keywords: Al‑Qātil wa al‑Maqtūl fī al‑Nār, Sunni and Shi‘i Sources, Ḥadīth, Authentication, Tajarrī. |
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Full-Text [PDF 382 kb]
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2026/07/1 | Accepted: 2026/07/1 | Published: 2026/07/1
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