Verily, Allah tortures those who torture people in this world
Narrator in the source: هشام بن حكيم بن حزام
Hishām ibn Hakīm ibn Hizām (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that while in the Levant, he passed by some Nabataean peasants who had been made to stand in the sun. He said: What is this? They said: They have been imprisoned on account of Jizyah (protection tax). So Hishām said: I testify that I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Verily, Allah tortures those who torture people in this world."- Grade in the source
- Authentic
- Reported by
- Narrated by Muslim
- Source entry
- HadeethEnc · 8888 ↗
Original Arabic wording
عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حِزَامٍ رَضيَ اللهُ عنهما أَنَّهُ مَرَّ عَلَى أُنَاسٍ مِنَ الْأَنْبَاطِ بِالشَّامِ، قَدْ أُقِيمُوا فِي الشَّمْسِ، فَقَالَ: مَا شَأْنُهُمْ؟ قَالُوا: حُبِسُوا فِي الْجِزْيَةِ، فَقَالَ هِشَامٌ: أَشْهَدُ لَسَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «إِنَّ اللهَ يُعَذِّبُ الَّذِينَ يُعَذِّبُونَ النَّاسَ فِي الدُّنْيَا».Understand this hadith
Hishām ibn Hakīm ibn Hizām (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) passed by non-Arab peasants in the Levant who were made to stand under the scorching sun, so he asked about their situation. He was informed that they were treated that way because they had not paid Jizyah despite their ability to pay it. Thereupon, Hishām (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I testify that I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: Verily, Allah tortures those who torture people unjustly in this world.
Lessons from the hadith
- Jizyah is: a sum of money imposed on adult, wealthy men from the People of the Book in exchange for their protection and residence in the land of Islam.
- The prohibition of torturing people, even disbelievers, without a Shariah-approved justification.
- Warning oppressors against oppression.
- Adherence of the Prophet's Companions to enjoining goodness and forbidding evil.
- An-Nawawi said: This refers to torture without a just cause, so it does not include lawful punishment such as Qasās (retaliatory punishment), Hudūd (prescribed penalties), Ta‘zīr (discretionary punishment), and the like.
References (original Arabic)
صحيح مسلم (4/ 2018) (2613). نزهة المتقين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (2/ 1103). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (19/ 108). بهجة الناظرين، لسليم الهلالي (3/ 117). مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح، لعلي القاري (6/ 2301). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (6/ 295).