How can we reconcile the fact that Abu Al-Ghadia, the killer of Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him), was among the people of the Pledge of Ridwan, to whom the Prophet testified paradise, with the authentic Hadith "The killer of Ammar is in the Fire"?
The authenticity of the hadith "The killer of Ammar and his plunderer are in Hellfire" is disputed, and scholars have various ways of addressing what it implies. Some affirm the hadith, saying that Abu al-Ghadiya killed him based on an interpretation (ta'awwul), like Ibn Hazm, who believes that an erring mujtahid (one who strives to deduce Islamic law) is excused and rewarded. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah holds that Abu al-Ghadiya might be among those who participated in the Pledge of Ridwan, who are guaranteed not to enter Hellfire. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar believes that the Companions were acting based on interpretation in their wars, and an erring mujtahid receives a reward. Some scholars question the authenticity of Abu al-Ghadiya being the killer of Ammar due to the lack of a reliable narration. Others specify the hadith "The killer of Ammar..." to give it precedence over the general hadiths concerning the virtues of those who witnessed the Pledge of Ridwan, as Al-Albani did, asserting that this is better than contradicting an authentic hadith with general rules.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/107427