The first category consists of those who break away from obedience to the ruler. The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—prohibited the very act of abandoning obedience and the united community. He made clear that if such a person dies while freed from any obligation of obedience, he dies the death of the Age of Ignorance. In pre-Islamic days the Arabs and others like them had no overarching commander, as is well known from their history.

He then mentioned the one who fights out of zeal for his clan, his town, or similar ties, and he called the banner under which he fights “blind,” because it is a blind cause whose rightness is unknown. Likewise, combat fueled by tribal partisanship is undertaken without any knowledge that fighting this party is in fact lawful.

He further deemed the slaying itself to be a slaying of the Age of Ignorance—whether the aggressor merely felt rage in his heart, cried out with his tongue, or struck with his hand. This is clarified in another narration recorded by Muslim from Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):

“A time will surely come upon people when the killer will not know for what he killed, and the one killed will not know for what he was killed.”

They asked, “How can that be?” He replied, “It will be rampant bloodshed (al-harj): the killer and the one killed will be in …”