The Infant Girl Buried Alive Hadith

“The infant girl buried alive” – حديث

There is a terrifying narration which states:

الْوَائِدَةُ وَالْمَوْءُودَةُ فِي النَّارِ
“The woman who buries alive her new-born girl, and the girl who is buried alive will both go to Hell.”
[“Abu Dawud”, 4717 – إسناده صحيح].
https://sunnah.com/abudawud/42/122

BEWARE OF THIS:

This narration has several routes, some chains (الأسانيد) are considered authentic, but the apparent general wordings in the content (المتن) is problematic, so the general apparent meaning of this narration is FALSE & REJECTED.

Al-Arnout considers the chain authentic, but reject its content (matn) (1/249):

قلت: يترجح عندي نكارة هذا المتن وبطلانه لمخالفته للأحاديث الصحيحة، ولقوله تعالى: وإذا الموؤودة سئلت بأي ذنب قتلت
“I say: What I incline towards is renouncing its content (متن) and I consider it FALSE (BAATIL), because it contradicts other authentic narrations. And because Allah says: “When the girl buried alive will be asked, for what sin she was killed?” (Qur’an 81:8-9).

End quote.

Al-Idlibi also rejected it, based on the wording (matn):

ولذا تكون هذه الرواية مردودة، ولا يفيدها حسن السند
“That’s why this narration is REJECTED (MARDOOD) and a good chain cannot help it.”

[“Manhaj naqd al-Matn”, p. 279].

In fact, al-Daraqutni demanded that this Hadith should have been included in ‘Sahih Bukhari’ and ‘Sahih Muslim’, because it meets their criteria (see: الإلزامات والتتبع, p.99).

The scholars who accepted it, gave it an interpretation that goes away from the general apparent meaning: https://icraa.org/does-hadith-condemn-the-infants-buried-alive/

Those interpretations compiled by Ustaadh Waqar Akbar Cheema, highlight that our scholars did NOT take this narration on the general apparent meaning.

It is known by necessity that children are born sinless (we don’t believe in original sin), and nobody carries the sins of another, as the Qur’an states:

وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ
“No bearer of a burden will bear another’s burden.” [Qur’an 35:18].

This is a typical example of why Ahadith should have commentary next to them, otherwise it could lead to misunderstandings, attacks on Islam, Hadith rejectionism and even kufr.

Finally, the general apparent meaning also contradicts another Hadith, which is also in Abu Dawud:

وَالْمَوْلُودُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَالْوَئِيدُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ
“Infants are in Paradise and children buried alive are in Paradise.”
[“Abu Dawud”, 2521 – صحيح ]
https://sunnah.com/abudawud/15/45

Allaahu A’alam