Sahih al-Bukhari 6830
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6830
It has been narrated on the authority of ‘Arfaja who said: I have heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Different evils will make their appearance in the near future. Anyone who tries to disrupt the affairs of this Umma while they are united, you should strike him with the sword, whoever he be.
Sahih Muslim 1852a
https://sunnah.com/muslim:1852a
It has been narrated (through a still different chain of transmitters) on the Same authority (i. e. ‘Arfaja) who said similarly but adding:” Kill all of them.” I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: When you are holding to one single man as your leader, you should kill who seeks to undermine your solidarity or disrupt your unity.
Sahih Muslim 1852c
https://sunnah.com/muslim:1852c
Also, there is conveniently a narration, Sahih Muslim 1844a. This narration was narrated by ‘Abdullah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As, who supported Mu’awiya during the First Fitna against Ali. In this narration, he declares that the prophet commanded that any claimant to the Caliphate after the people swear allegiance to one is to be killed. Then the narration discusses the ruling of Mu’awaiya and that they are being ordered by him to give up their wealth and to kill one another, and the response to this was “ to obey him in obedience to God, and disobey him in disobedience of God. “
It has been narrated on the authority of ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Abd Rabb al-Ka’ba who said: I entered the mosque when ‘Abdullah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As was sitting in the shade of the Ka’ba and the people had gathered around him. I betook myself to them and sat near him. (Now) Abdullah said: I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on a journey. We halted at a place. Some of us began to set right their tents, others began to compete with one another in shooting, and others began to graze their beasts, when an announcer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) announced that the people should gather together for prayer, so we gathered around the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: It was the duty of every Prophet that has gone before me to guide his followers to what he knew was good for them and warn them against what he knew was bad for them; but this Umma of yours has its days of peace and (security) in the beginning of its career, and in the last phase of its existence it will be afflicted with trials and with things disagreeable to you. (In this phase of the Umma), there will be tremendous trials one after the other, each making the previous one dwindle into insignificance. When they would be afflicted with a trial, the believer would say: This is going to bring about my destruction. When it (the trial) is over, they would be afflicted with another trial, and the believer would say: This surely is going to be my end. Whoever wishes to be delivered from the fire and enter the garden should die with faith in Allah and the Last Day and should treat the people as he wishes to be treated by them. He who swears allegiance to a Caliph should give him the pledge of his hand and the sincerity of his heart (i. e. submit to him both outwardly as well as inwardly). He should obey him to the best of his capacity. If another man comes forward (as a claimant to Caliphate), disputing his authority, they (the Muslims) should behead the latter.
The narrator says: I ( ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Abd Rabb al-Ka’ba) came close to him (‘Abdullah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As) and said to him: Can you say on oath that you heard it from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)? He pointed with his hands to his ears and his heart and said: My ears heard it, and my mind retained it. I said to him: This cousin of yours, Mu’awiya, orders us to unjustly consume our wealth among ourselves and to kill one another, while Allah says:” O ye who believe, do not consume your wealth among yourselves unjustly, unless it be trade based on mutual agreement, and do not kill yourselves. Verily, God is Merciful to you” (iv. 29). The narrator says that (hearing this) Abdullah b. ‘Amr b. al-As kept quiet for a while and then said: Obey him in obedience of God; and disobey him in disobedience of God.
Sahih Muslim 1844a
https://sunnah.com/muslim:1844a
Narrated Anas bin Malik: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “You should listen to and obey, your ruler even if he was an Ethiopian (black) slave whose head looks like a raisin.”
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي التَّيَّاحِ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ اسْمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا وَإِنِ اسْتُعْمِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ حَبَشِيٌّ كَأَنَّ رَأْسَهُ زَبِيبَةٌ ”.
Sahih al-Bukhari 7142
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:7142
Abu Hurairah said: “The Messenger of Allah said: ‘ Whoever obeys me, obeys Allah, and whoever disobeys me, disobeys Allah. Whoever obeys my governor (Amir), he has obeyed me, and whoever disobeys my governor, he has disobeyed me. “‘
10:60 Does it ever occur to those who fabricate lies about GOD that they will have to face Him on the Day of Resurrection? Certainly, GOD showers the people with His grace, but most of them are unappreciative.
34:31 Those who disbelieve have said, “We will not believe in this Quran, nor in the previous scriptures.” If you could only envision these transgressors when they stand before their Lord! They will argue with one another back and forth. The followers will tell their leaders, “If it were not for you, we would have been believers.”
34:32 The leaders will say to those who followed them, “Are we the ones who diverted you from the guidance after it came to you? No; it is you who were wicked.”
34:33 The followers will say to their leaders, “It was you who schemed night and day, then commanded us to be unappreciative of GOD, and to set up idols to rank with Him.” They will be ridden with remorse, when they see the retribution, for we will place shackles around the necks of those who disbelieved. Are they not justly requited for what they did?
In case there was still doubt regarding the argument for the justification of killing believers, additional Hadith were conjured that stated that it was incumbent for Muslims to kill apostates, those who revert from the religion. This gives individuals carte blanche authority to kill anyone they deem as an apostate. So since opposing the caliph is considered grounds for apostasy, therefore, anyone who objected to the caliph’s nomination should be killed.
‘Abdullah (b. Mas’ud) reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: It is not permissible to take the life of a Muslim who bears testimony (to the fact that there is no god but Allah, and I am the Messenger of Allah), but in one of the three cases: the married adulterer, a life for life, and the deserter of his Din (Islam), abandoning the community.
Sahih Muslim 1676a
https://sunnah.com/muslim:1676a
See also: https://sunnah.com/muslim:1676c
Narrated Ikrima: Some Zanadiqa (atheists) were brought to Ali and he burnt them. The news of this event, reached Ibn `Abbas who said, “If I had been in his place, I would not have burnt them, as Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) forbade it, saying, ‘Do not punish anybody with Allah’s punishment (fire).’ I would have killed them according to the statement of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), ‘Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him.'”
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النُّعْمَانِ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، قَالَ أُتِيَ عَلِيٌّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ بِزَنَادِقَةٍ فَأَحْرَقَهُمْ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَقَالَ لَوْ كُنْتُ أَنَا لَمْ أُحْرِقْهُمْ لِنَهْىِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَلَقَتَلْتُهُمْ لِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ ”.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6922
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6922
Quran on Aggression
Contrast these statements from the Hadith and this history with the verses of the Quran.
2:190 You may fight in the cause of GOD against those who attack you, but do not aggress. GOD does not love the aggressors.
4:93 Anyone who kills a believer on purpose, his retribution is Hell, wherein he abides forever, GOD is angry with him, and condemns him, and has prepared for him a terrible retribution.
4:94 O you who believe, if you strike in the cause of GOD, you shall be absolutely sure. Do not say to one who offers you peace, “You are not a believer,” seeking the spoils of this world. For GOD possesses infinite spoils. Remember that you used to be like them, and GOD blessed you. Therefore, you shall be absolutely sure (before you strike). GOD is fully Cognizant of everything you do.
6:52 And do not dismiss those who implore their Lord day and night, devoting themselves to Him alone. You are not responsible for their reckoning, nor are they responsible for your reckoning. If you dismiss them, you will be a transgressor.
As the Quran states, the only Hadith that one is to uphold as a source of religious law is that of the Quran (6:114-116).
6:114 Shall I seek other than GOD as a source of law, when He has revealed to you this book fully detailed?* Those who received the scripture recognize that it has been revealed from your Lord, truthfully. You shall not harbor any doubt.
6:115 The word of your Lord is complete,* in truth and justice. Nothing shall abrogate His words. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient.
6:116 If you obey the majority of people on earth, they will divert you from the path of GOD. They follow only conjecture; they only guess.
As far as I am concerned, there is only one valid insight that Hadith, besides the Quran, provides, which is a glimpse into the debates that were being discussed when they were compiled. A big portion of the Hadith literature is not much different than today’s political ad campaigns. Hadith were generated to push a narrative to promote or disparage the credibility or righteousness of certain people or groups of people. They are meant to push people to one understanding or another based on the desires of the people who were fabricating these narrations. From this, we do see some opposition to the bloodshed in the following Hadith.
Narrated Jarir: The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered me during Hajjatul-Wada`. “Ask the people to listen.” He then said, “Do not become infidels after me by cutting the necks (throats) of one another. “
Sahih al-Bukhari 4405
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4405
Narrated Abu Bakra: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Time has taken its original shape which it had when Allah created the Heavens and the Earth. The year is of twelve months, four of which are sacred, and out of these (four) three are in succession, i.e. Dhul-Qa’da, Dhul-Hijja and Al-Muharram, and the fourth is Rajab which is named after the Mudar tribe, between (the month of) Jumaida (ath-thania) and Sha’ban.” Then the Prophet (ﷺ) asked, “Which is this month?” We said, “Allah and His Apostle know better.” On that the Prophet (ﷺ) kept quiet so long that we thought that he might name it with another name. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Isn’t it the month of Dhul-Hijja?” We replied, “Yes.” Then he said, “Which town is this?” “We replied, “Allah and His Apostle know better.” On that he kept quiet so long that we thought that he might name it with another name. Then he said, “Isn’t it the town of Mecca?” We replied, “Yes,” Then he said, “Which day is today?” We replied, “Allah and His Apostle know better.” He kept quiet so long that we thought that he might name it with another name. Then he said, “Isn’t it the day of An- Nahr (i.e. sacrifice)?” We replied, “Yes.” He said, “So your blood, your properties, (The sub-narrator Muhammad said, ‘I think the Prophet (ﷺ) also said: And your honor..) are sacred to one another like the sanctity of this day of yours, in this city of yours, in this month of yours; and surely, you will meet your Lord, and He will ask you about your deeds. Beware! Do not become infidels after me, cutting the throats of one another. It is incumbent on those who are present to convey this message (of mine) to those who are absent. Maybe that some of those to whom it will be conveyed will understand it better than those who have actually heard it.” (The sub-narrator, Muhammad, on remembering that narration, used to say, “Muhammad spoke the truth!”) He (i.e. Prophet) then added twice, “No doubt! Haven’t I conveyed (Allah’s Message) to you?”
Sahih al-Bukhari 4406
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4406
Narrated Al-Hasan: (Al-Ahnaf said:) I went out carrying my arms during the nights of the affliction (i.e. the war between Ali and Aisha) and Abu Bakra met me and asked, “Where are you going?” I replied, “I intend to help the cousin of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) (i.e.,`Ali).” Abu Bakra said, “Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, ‘If two Muslims take out their swords to fight each other, then both of them will be from amongst the people of the Hell- Fire.’ It was said to the Prophet, ‘It is alright for the killer but what about the killed one?’ He replied, ‘The killed one had the intention to kill his opponent.'”
Sahih al-Bukhari 7083
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:7083
Where do we go from here…
Within a single generation after the death of Muhammad, the religion was vastly overtaken by the very enemies that Muhammad and the righteous believers strived against. These people threw the Muslim Umma into disarray, causing many civil wars and much bloodshed. Muslims today, rather than learning from history and seeing that they have been conned, continue to double down on this horrendous ideology. They make excuses for the wrongs that were committed in the past and promote the false ideology that anyone who has a differing opinion on a religious matter should be labeled as an apostate and should be taken and killed. This has led to perpetual infighting, the destruction of reason, and full compliance with barbaric man-made dogma in the name of religion. It is time for people to wake up to this ruse and go back to following the Quran alone. In the words of Mark Twain, “It is easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”
Sources:
History of the Caliphs
Biographies of the Rightly Guided Caliphs: Prepared from the works of ibn Katheer, At Tabari, As Suyuti, and other historians
Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes
https://www.alim.org/history/
Lights on the Muhammadan Sunnah
Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet’s Legacy
The Muslim Difference: Defining the Line between Believers and Unbelievers from Early Islam to the Present
Muhammad and the Empires of Faith: The Making of the Prophet of Islam
Isnad analysis for the Hadith permitting Hajj to Masjid al-Aqsa