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Single combat (mubaraza): permission, challenge, spoils, pledges

المُبَارَزَة

Mubaraza, in lexicon, is a form of barraza, to come forward; in technical use it is two champions from the two lines coming out to fight 1. In principle the jurists allow it. The Companions fought single combats in the Prophet ﷺ's time and after him, and at Badr Ali, Hamza and Ubayda came out against Utba, Shayba and al-Walid; Ibn Qudama says that no one objected, so it counts as consensus 2. The Malikis, Shafi'is and Hanbalis require the imam's or commander's permission; the Shafi'is say it is recommended when the enemy has asked for it; some say it is forbidden when the death of the champion would bring defeat; the Hanbalis say a brave man may accept with permission 3. The spoils of a slain champion go to the Muslim who killed him, according to the Hanbalis, and under the Hanafis when he was sent with permission; trickery is allowed in war, and the terms agreed between champions must be kept 4. If a Muslim is wounded or flees, the schools differ on whether others may come to his aid 5.

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Era
The Prophetic Era
Region
Global / Diaspora
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Worship and the pillars

Summary

Mubaraza, in lexicon, is a form of barraza, to come forward; in technical use it is two champions from the two lines coming out to fight 1. In principle the jurists allow it. The Companions fought single combats in the Prophet's time and after him, and at Badr Ali, Hamza and Ubayda came out against Utba, Shayba and al-Walid; Ibn Qudama says that no one objected, so it counts as consensus 2. The Malikis, Shafi'is and Hanbalis require the imam's or commander's permission; the Shafi'is say it is recommended when the enemy has asked for it; some say it is forbidden when the death of the champion would bring defeat; the Hanbalis say a brave man may accept with permission 3. The spoils of a slain champion go to the Muslim who killed him, according to the Hanbalis, and under the Hanafis when he was sent with permission; trickery is allowed in war, and the terms agreed between champions must be kept 4. If a Muslim is wounded or flees, the schools differ on whether others may come to his aid 5.

People and things also explored

The ruling on one who abandons prayer· Ada' (performance of an obligation within its time)· Adhan (the call to prayer: its ruling, wording, conditions, recommended features and the muezzin)· Bone (adhm): purity, use and retaliation· The adornment of desires and the goods of this world· The people of the bench (ahl al-suffa)· The earth made a place of prayer and purity· Spending in the way of God (infaq)

Sources

  1. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.13812
  2. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.13813
  3. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.13813-13815
  4. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.13816-13817
  5. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.13817-13819
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Single combat (mubaraza): permission, challenge, spoils, pledges”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/mubaraza-fiqh/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-23.

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The ruling on one who abandons prayer

Al-Sallabi quotes Ali: whoever does not pray is an unbeliever. He then reports from al-Nawawi the dispute over one who neglects prayer while believing it obligatory: the majority (Malik, al-Shafi'i) hold him a sinner to be asked to repent, others hold him an unbeliever, a view ascribed to Ali; Abu Hanifa and the Kufans hold him not an unbeliever but to be disciplined.