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Is not the act of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) beheading Abu Jahl and taking his head to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) considered a barbaric act?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The story of Ibn Mas'ud and the beheading of Abu Jahl has not been authenticated. Even if it were authentic, it would not be considered a general ruling, but rather a specific incident under particular circumstances, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered the burial of those killed at Badr. Furthermore, Ibn Mas'ud himself narrated something that indicates he did not cut off Abu Jahl's head. The narration from Al-Zuhri indicates that no head was ever brought to the Prophet, and Abu Bakr disapproved of carrying heads when he was told: "Is this a tradition from the Persians and Romans? No head shall be brought to me, for a letter and news suffice." Scholars have unanimously agreed on the reprehensibility of transporting heads. If the narration about carrying Abu Jahl's head is authentic, it was carried on the battlefield itself and not transported from one city to another with the intent for people to witness his death. Transporting heads to another city or to the ruler is considered unlawful by some madhhabs.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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