What Does the Hadith “A Disbeliever and the One Who Killed Him Will Never Be Gathered in the Fire” Mean?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question

I came across a hadith which says, “An infidel and the one who killed him will never be brought together in Hell,” and I wanted to ask what it means. Is it speaking about an innocent non-Muslim, or about combatants?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

May Allah reward you for checking the meaning of a hadith rather than assuming it.

It speaks about a combatant killed in a lawful engagement. It is a statement of reward for the soldier, not a license against anyone else.

The Wording and Where It Sits

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “A disbeliever and the one who killed him will never be gathered together in the Fire.” [Muslim]

You had come across it as Abu Dawud 2495, and it is indeed there in his Book of Jihad, under a chapter on the merit of one who killed a combatant. Its strongest attribution, though, is to Sahih Muslim.

What the Commentators Say It Means

The commentary tradition treats the meaning as settled. Qadi Iyad holds that the report concerns one who killed a combatant while fighting an enemy, and that the meaning is that this expiates his sins so that he is not punished for them.

Mulla Ali al-Qari follows him and adds the grammatical point. What is denied is that the two be gathered together; from that follows the denial that they are equal; and from that follows that the soldier does not enter the Fire at all, for were he to enter it, he would be his equal. [Mulla Ali al-Qari, Mirqat al-Mafatih]

So the hadith is praising the fighter. It says nothing whatever about who may be fought.

Who Is Meant by “Disbeliever” Here

The commentators restrict the word, and they do so plainly. It means one at war — not a person under treaty, not a protected non-Muslim, not a civilian. Shaykh Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri glosses the chapter heading with a single phrase: one not under covenant. [Saharanpuri, Badhl al-Majhud]

This restriction is not a modern softening. It is how the hadith has always been read, and it is why the same tradition holds by agreement that non-combatants may not be killed — women, children, the aged, the monk in his cell.

How to Read Reports of This Kind

A report that promises reward for a lawful act does not license that act in another setting. The permission itself comes from the law of war, with its conditions, its authority, and its restraints. This hadith speaks only to the state of a man who has already acted within it.

If you have seen it used to argue otherwise, you have seen it read backward. Your instinct to ask was the right one, and the answer should settle rather than trouble you.

And Allah knows best.

[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani

Related SeekersGuidance Answers

Understanding the Hadith, “I Was Ordered to Fight the People Until They Testify…” — the closest parallel in our archive, and the same interpretive method applies: the wording is fighting rather than killing, and the word in other texts restricts people.

Should All Disbelievers Be Fought? — answers the question you had, which is often misused to raise, and answers it directly.

Does Islam Condone War Against Civilians? — on why acts against non-combatants run counter to the teachings of the religion rather than expressing them.

Jihad, Abrogation in the Quran and the “Verse of the Sword” — useful background on how these texts are read together rather than in isolation.

What Can Be Termed Jihad? — on the conditions and the authority under which fighting is legislated at all.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani is a recognized specialist scholar in the Islamic sciences, having studied under leading scholars from around the world. He is the Founder and Executive Director of SeekersGuidance.

Shaykh Faraz stands as a distinguished figure in Islamic scholarship. His journey in seeking knowledge is marked by dedication and depth. He spent ten years studying under some of the most revered scholars of our times. His initial studies took place in Damascus. He then continued in Amman, Jordan.

In Damascus, he was privileged to learn from the late Shaykh Adib al-Kallas. Shaykh Adib al-Kallas was renowned as the foremost theologian of his time. Shaykh Faraz also studied under Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi in Damascus. Shaykh Hassan is recognized as one of the leading Hanafi jurists of our era.

Upon completing his studies, Shaykh Faraz returned to Canada in 2007. His return marked a new chapter in his service to the community. He founded SeekersGuidance. The organization reflects his commitment to spreading Islamic knowledge. It aims to be reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible. This mission addresses both online and on-the-ground needs.

Shaykh Faraz is also an accomplished author. His notable work includes “Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School.” This book, published by White Thread Press in 2004, is a significant contribution to Islamic literature.

His influence extends beyond his immediate community. Since 2011, Shaykh Faraz has been recognized as one of the 500 most influential Muslims. This recognition comes from the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center. It underscores his impact on the global Islamic discourse.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani’s life and work embody a profound commitment to Islamic scholarship. His teachings continue to enlighten and guide seekers of knowledge worldwide.

النصوص

[مسلم]
وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: «لَا يَجْتَمِعُ كَافِرٌ وَقَاتِلُهُ فِي النَّارِ أبدا». رَوَاهُ مسلم