nawawiDay.arabicText
nawawiDay.englishTranslation
— Ibn Mas‘ūd (RA) (Bukhari & Muslim)
nawawiDay.commentary
Reserved for the Islamic state under qualified judges. Vigilante action is not legitimised by this hadith.
nawawiDay.extendedExplanation
This hadith establishes the three categories under which a Muslim's blood may be shed under Sharī‘ah courts:
1. Ath-thayyib az-zānī — the previously-married adulterer (rajm). 2. An-nafs bin-nafs — life for life (qiṣāṣ for intentional murder). 3. At-tāriku li-dīnih al-mufāriq lil-jamā‘ah — the apostate who leaves the religion and the community.
Crucially, all three are the prerogative of the Islamic state under qualified judges with proper evidence — never of individuals. Ibn Rajab and Ibn ‘Uthaymīn both stress: vigilantism is forbidden and contradicts the very Sharī‘ah this hadith protects.
The sanctity of Muslim life is so weighty that the Prophet ﷺ said in his farewell sermon: ‘Your blood, your wealth, and your honour are sacred to one another — like the sacredness of this day, in this month, in this land.’
nawawiDay.fromScholars
"These are the three exceptions to the inviolability of Muslim blood — and even these are restricted to the qualified judge in the Islamic court, with sufficient evidence. They are not a license for any individual."
"Whoever takes upon himself the punishment of Allah without authority has overstepped — he has not preserved the Sharī‘ah; he has violated it."
nawawiDay.fiqhRulings
- •All three ḥudūd require the highest standard of evidence (four eyewitnesses for zinā; two for murder).
- •Doubt removes the ḥadd — ‘Repel the ḥudūd by doubts.’
- •An apostate is given an opportunity to repent (istitābah) before any sentence is considered.
- •Vigilante action against any of these three categories is itself a major sin; the qiṣāṣ system exists to prevent blood feuds.
nawawiDay.quranCrossRefs
nawawiDay.keyVocab
blood
the previously-married person
the adulterer/fornicator
life for life
the one who abandons
nawawiDay.todaysReflection
Reflect on the sanctity of Muslim life — even speech that demeans it is sinful.
nawawiDay.keyBenefits
- 1Hudūd are the prerogative of the state.
- 2Sanctity of life is foundational.
nawawiDay.warnings
- ⚠This hadith does NOT authorise individuals or groups to take life — it describes court-administered ḥudūd.
- ⚠Misusing this hadith for vigilante violence is the methodology of the Khawārij, against which the Prophet ﷺ warned severely.
- ⚠An apostate is given multiple opportunities to repent — the punishment is not immediate.
nawawiDay.relatedHadiths
nawawiDay.memorisation