Prophet Muhammad ﷺ strictly prohibited such a practice and cautioned believers to abstain from harming the blood relations of an absconding criminal. This caution has been mentioned in a Hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, mentioned in Sahi Muslim as Hadith number 4495 explained herein under:
The Hadith
Narrated by Abu Rimthah:
I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) with my father. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then asked my father: Is this your son? He replied: Yes, by the Lord of the Ka'bah. He again said: Is it true? He said: I bear witness to it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then smiled for my resemblance with my father, and for the fact that my father took an oath upon me. He then said: He will not bring evil on you, nor will you bring evil on him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited the verse: "No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another."
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ إِيَادٍ - حَدَّثَنَا إِيَادٌ، عَنْ أَبِي رِمْثَةَ، قَالَ انْطَلَقْتُ مَعَ أَبِي نَحْوَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ لأَبِي " ابْنُكَ هَذَا " . قَالَ إِي وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ قَالَ " حَقًّا " . قَالَ أَشْهَدُ بِهِ . قَالَ فَتَبَسَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ضَاحِكًا مِنْ ثَبْتِ شَبَهِي فِي أَبِي وَمِنْ حَلْفِ أَبِي عَلَىَّ . ثُمَّ قَالَ " أَمَا إِنَّهُ لاَ يَجْنِي عَلَيْكَ وَلاَ تَجْنِي عَلَيْهِ " . وَقَرَأَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم { وَلاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى }
The Hadith mentioned in Sahih Muslim 4495 refers to a principle the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ established about justice and personal responsibility. The narration is connected to the Qur’anic idea:
“No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another.” — Qur’an 6:164
Explanation
The hadith describes the Prophet ﷺ forbidding punishment of relatives for someone else’s crime. In other words:
- A father should not be punished for his son’s crime,
- A brother should not be punished for his brother’s offense,
- And collective revenge or collective punishment is unjust.
This was a major reform in Arabia, because tribal societies often practiced collective retaliation.
Historical background
Before Islam, many tribes followed systems where if one person killed someone, revenge could target the killer’s tribe, even entire families could be attacked and relatives could be imprisoned or humiliated,
cycles of revenge lasted generations.
The Prophet ﷺ tried to replace this with:
- Individual accountability,
- Evidence-based justice,
- Limits on retaliation,
- And protection for innocents.
So this hadith was part of a broader transformation from tribal vengeance to legal responsibility.
Why did the Prophet ﷺ forbid it?
- Justice requires individual responsibility
- A person is morally accountable only for their own actions.
- Punishing innocent relatives violates fairness because:
- they did not choose the crime,
- they may even oppose it,
- and harming them creates new injustice.
- This became a foundational Islamic legal principle.
- To stop endless revenge cycles
- Collective punishment often creates:
- Bitterness,
- Tribal hatred,
- Civil conflict,
- and generational violence.
- By limiting punishment to the guilty individual, Islam tried to reduce escalation.
- To protect vulnerable people
- In many societies, rulers or tribes target families to:
- Pressures suspects,
- Intimidates opposition,
- or Demonstrates power.
- The Prophet ﷺ rejected this logic.
Applicability to our Present times
Unfortunately, collective punishment still exists in many parts of the world — not only in Muslim societies but in other countries too. Some examples are appended below:
- Arresting reletives to pressure suspects,
- Demolishing family homes,
- Targeting clans or ethnic groups,
- pPunishing communities for actions of militants,
- or Social “honor” retaliation against entire families.
Human rights law today generally rejects collective punishment for the same reason Islam did: innocent people should not suffer for crimes they did not commit.
Why does it continue?
Now the question arises despite communities having reformed due to education and awareness and access to social justice. There are several reasons, some appended below:
- Continuation of tribal customs in many parts of the world,
- Authoritarian politics,
- Revenge culture,
- Fear tactics,
- Weak legal systems,
- Emotional reactions after violence.
People often justify it by saying: “The family knew,” or “pressure the relatives to stop him.” But Islamic ethics generally requires proof against each individual person.
How to avoid it
We need to bring an end to this heinous culture of taking blood relations hostage or even punishing them for the crime by the fathers, sons or brothers. Herein under are some suggested actions that can be taken:
- Strong rule of law: Punishment should require:
- Evidence,
- Fair trials,
- and individual responsibility.
- Reject revenge culture: Communities can teach:
- Justice is not inherited,
- Guilt is not collective,
- and anger should not override fairness.
- Religious education: Teaching Qur’anic and Prophetic principles about justice helps counter tribal or emotional thinking. It is unfortunate that many a Muslims are unaware of Islamic laws, directives and norms. They still cling to tribal mindset and indulge in actions tangent to Islamic law.
- Protect due process:
- Scholars have always historically emphasized:
- Just and impartial investigation,
- Dependable and men of character as witnesses,
- and limits on state power, which normally play a dominant role in apprehending blood relatives' and keeping them under custody till the criminal gives in.
- Without due process, laws are compromised collective punishment becomes easier.
- Moral courage: People often stay silent when innocent relatives are targeted. Preventing injustice requires:
- Speaking against abuse,
- Defending innocents consistently - even when emotions are high.
- Broader significance
This hadith thus establishes a principle now considered fundamental in both Islamic law and modern legal ethics: "Responsibility is personal, not inherited." This fact has over a period of time has helped move societies, communities and countries away from tribal vengeance toward a more principled understanding of justice. Nevertheless, we need to be vocal on the rights of people and let not sit idle and protest on issue at hand.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
Please refer to our reference page: Collection of Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about Warning and Cautions for more Hadiths on the subject
For more hadiths on varying subjects, refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about Hadiths and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing. one may also consult local Muslim Imaan of the masjid for more clarification.
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