How to reconcile the hadith (If two Muslims face each other with their swords, both the killer and the killed are in the Fire) with the fighting that occurred among the Companions?
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The questioner : A question that some people raise against the authentic hadith Sahih Muslim 2888b is the following doubt: The Companions fought each other after the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and some of them were among those promised Paradise. How can we reconcile the hadith with the fighting among some of the Companions during the time of 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)?
The Shaykh : The hadith is understood to apply to those who fight each other not in the cause of Allah, but in the cause of self-assertion, or greed for wealth, or the like. This interpretation of the hadith is necessary. The question arises in reality from the questioner’s failure to recall, at least, and I do not say from his lack of knowledge, of the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Hujurat 49:9]. We find in this verse an explicit statement from the Lord of the Worlds, the Exalted, applying the term "believers" to both the righteous party and the rebellious party: [Al-Hujurat 49:9]. When our Lord, the Exalted, rules that both fighting parties are among the believers, we cannot reconcile the verse with this hadith except by understanding the hadith to refer to fighting for worldly matters, not for the pursuit of truth, as is the intent of the aforementioned verse. In this case, both are in the Fire because each intended to kill the other without right. However, when each fights the other in what he believes is the cause of Allah, this hadith does not apply to such a situation; rather, the verse applies to this situation. In that case, the hadith must be understood to refer to fighting for worldly matters.
Both scenarios exist on this earth. The fighting of 'Ali with Mu'awiyah, the fighting of 'Ali with the army of 'Aishah, and the like, all fall under the general scope of the verse:[Al-Hujurat 49:9] to its end. This is what we say to reconcile the verse and the hadith. However, in any believing party, it is possible that there are individuals who are not believers at all, but rather they displayed Islam outwardly while concealing disbelief inwardly. They appeared as Muslims, but in reality, according to the Shari'ah, they are hypocrites, as Allah the Exalted said: [An-Nisa 4:145].
As for the two fighting armies, the army of 'Ali and the army of Mu'awiyah, I personally do not rule out that there were individuals in each army to whom the verse does not apply, but to whom the hadith does apply. That is, individuals who acted out of pre-Islamic tribal loyalty in both parties. Meanwhile, the majority are understood to have fought each other in the cause of establishing the truth as they believed it. In conclusion, the hadith applies to those whose intention was bad, and the verse applies to those whose intention was good, even if they may have been mistaken in their actions and not on the right path.
When two Muslims confront each other with their swords, both the slayer and the slain are doomed to Hell-Fire.
إذا تقابل المسلمان بسيفيهما فالقاتل والمقتول في النارThe Shaykh : The hadith is understood to apply to those who fight each other not in the cause of Allah, but in the cause of self-assertion, or greed for wealth, or the like. This interpretation of the hadith is necessary. The question arises in reality from the questioner’s failure to recall, at least, and I do not say from his lack of knowledge, of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And if two factions among the believers should fight, then make settlement between the two. But if one of them oppresses the other, then fight against the one that oppresses until it returns to the ordinance of Allah
وإن طائفتان من المؤمنين اقتتلوا فأصلحوا بينهما فإن بغت إحداهما على الأخرى فقاتلوا التي تبغي حتى تفيء إلى أمر اللهAnd if two factions among the believers should fight, then make settlement between the two. But if one of them oppresses the other, then fight against the one that oppresses until it returns to the ordinance of Allah
وإن طائفتان من المؤمنين اقتتلوا فأصلحوا بينهما فإن بغت إحداهما على الأخرى فقاتلوا التي تبغي حتى تفيء إلى أمر اللهBoth scenarios exist on this earth. The fighting of 'Ali with Mu'awiyah, the fighting of 'Ali with the army of 'Aishah, and the like, all fall under the general scope of the verse:
And if two factions among the believers
وإن طائفتان من المؤمنينin the lowest depths of the Fire
في الدرك الأسفل من النارAs for the two fighting armies, the army of 'Ali and the army of Mu'awiyah, I personally do not rule out that there were individuals in each army to whom the verse does not apply, but to whom the hadith does apply. That is, individuals who acted out of pre-Islamic tribal loyalty in both parties. Meanwhile, the majority are understood to have fought each other in the cause of establishing the truth as they believed it. In conclusion, the hadith applies to those whose intention was bad, and the verse applies to those whose intention was good, even if they may have been mistaken in their actions and not on the right path.