and the ḥadīth in its apparent meaning contradicts the saying of Allāh: *"Indeed, Allāh does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills"* (Sūrah al-Nisāʾ, verse 48), because murder is certainly less than shirk, so how could Allāh not forgive it? Al-Munāwī, following others, reconciled this by interpreting the ḥadīth as referring to when it is deemed permissible, otherwise it is an exaggeration and intensification. Better than this is the statement of al-Sindī in his commentary on al-Nasāʾī: "It seems the intended meaning is that every sin is hoped to be forgiven initially except the murder of a believer, which is not forgiven without prior punishment, and except disbelief, which is never forgiven at all. If it is interpreted as murder deemed permissible, there remains no distinction between it and disbelief (meaning because deeming it permissible is disbelief, and there is no difference between deeming murder or other sins permissible, as all of that is disbelief). Then it must be interpreted as when there is no repentance, otherwise the one who repents from sin is like one who has no sin at all. How could it be when both the killer and the killed may enter Paradise together, as when he killed him while he was a disbeliever, then he believed and was killed."

A neck will emerge from the Fire on the Day of Resurrection; it has two eyes that see, two ears that hear, and a tongue that speaks, saying: "I have been entrusted with three: every obstinate tyrant, everyone who called upon another god besides Allāh, and those who make images." It was narrated by al-Tirmidhī (2/95) and Aḥmad (2/336) through the route of ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Muslim from al-Aʿmash from Abū Ṣāliḥ from Abū Hurayrah who said: The Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) said. Al-Tirmidhī said: "A ḥasan gharīb ṣaḥīḥ ḥadīth." I say: Its isnād is ṣaḥīḥ according to the criteria of the two Shaykhs. Then al-Tirmidhī said: "And some have narrated it from al-Aʿmash from ʿAṭiyyah from Abū Saʿīd from the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) in a similar manner. And Ashʿath ibn Sawwār narrated from ʿAṭiyyah from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī from the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) similarly." I say: Firas also narrated it from ʿAṭiyyah from Abū Saʿīd in the same way, except that he said: "and with those who kill."