Types of Blood-Wit (Kitab Al-Diyat)

كتاب الديات

Chapter 1: A Life For A Life

Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas

Qurayzah and Nadir (were two Jewish tribes). An-Nadir were nobler than Qurayzah. When a man of Qurayzah killed a man of an-Nadir, he would be killed. But if a man of an-Nadir killed a man of Qurayzah, a hundred wasq of dates would be paid as blood-money. When Prophethood was bestowed upon the Prophet (ﷺ), a man of an-Nadir killed a man of Qurayzah.

They said: Give him to us, we shall kill him. They replied: We have the Prophet (ﷺ) between you and us. So they came to him.

Thereupon the following verse was revealed: "If thou judge, judge in equity between them." "In equity" means life for a life.

The following verse was then revealed: "Do they seek of a judgment of (the days) ignorance?"

Abu Dawud said: Quraizah and al-Nadir were the descendants of Harun the Prophet (peace be upon him)

Chapter 2: A Man Is Not To Be Punished For The Wrongs Done By His Father Or Brother

Narrated AbuRimthah

I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) with my father. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then asked my father: Is this your son? He replied: Yes, by the Lord of the Ka'bah. He again said: Is it true? He said: I bear witness to it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then smiled for my resemblance with my father, and for the fact that my father took an oath upon me. He then said: He will not bring evil on you, nor will you bring evil on him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited the verse: "No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another."

Chapter 3: The Imam Enjoining A Pardon In The Case Of Bloodshed

Narrated AbuShurayh al-Khuza'i

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If a relative of anyone is killed, or if he suffers khabl, which means a wound, he may choose one of the three things: he may retaliate, or forgive, or receive compensation. But if he wishes a fourth (i.e. something more), hold his hands. After this whoever exceeds the limits shall be in grave penalty.

Narrated Anas ibn Malik

I never saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that some dispute which involved retaliation was brought to him but he commanded regarding it for remission.

Narrated AbuHurayrah

A man was killed in the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ). The matter was brought to the Prophet (ﷺ). He entrusted him to the legal guardian of the slain. The slayer said: Messenger of Allah, I swear by Allah, I did not intend to kill him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to the legal guardian: Now if he is true and you kill him, you will enter Hell-fire. So he let him go. His hands were tied with a strap. He came out pulling his strap. Hence he was called Dhu an-Nis'ah (possessor of strap).

Narrated Wa'il ibn Hujr

I was with the Prophet (ﷺ) when a man who was a murderer and had a strap round his neck was brought to him.

He then called the legal guardian of the victim and asked him: Do you forgive him?

He said: No. He asked: Will you accept the blood-money? He said: No. He asked: Will you kill him? He said: Yes. He said: Take him. When he turned his back, he said: Do you forgive him? He said: No. He said: Will you accept the blood-money? He said: No. He said: Will you kill him? He said: Yes. He said: Take him. After repeating all this a fourth time, he said: If you forgive him, he will bear the burden of his own sin and the sin of the victim. He then forgave him. He (the narrator) said: I saw him pulling the strap.

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by 'Alqamah b. Wa'il through a different chain of narrators and to the same effect.

Narrated Wa'il (b. Hujr)

A man brought an Abyssinian to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: This man has killed my nephew. He asked: How did you kill him? He replied: I struck his head with axe but I did not intend to kill him. He asked: Have you some money so that you pay his blood-wit? He said: No. He said: What is your opinion if I send you so that you ask the people (for money) and thus collect your blood-wit? He said: No. He asked : Will your masters give you his blood-wit (to pay his relatives)? He said: No. He said to the man. Take him. So he brought him out to kill him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: If he kill him, he will be like him. This (statement) reached the man where he was listening to his statement. He said: He is here, order regarding him as you like. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Leave him alone. And he once said: He will bear the burden of the sin of the slain and that of his own and thus he will become one of the Companions of Hell. So he let him go.

Narrated AbuUmamah ibn Sahl

We were with Uthman when he was besieged in the house. There was an entrance to the house. He who entered it heard the speech of those who were in the Bilat. Uthman then entered it. He came out to us, looking pale.

He said: They are threatening to kill me now. We said: Allah will be sufficient for you against them, Commander of the Faithful! He asked: Why kill me? I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: It is not lawful to kill a man who is a Muslim except for one of the three reasons: Kufr (disbelief) after accepting Islam, fornication after marriage, or wrongfully killing someone, for which he may be killed.

I swear by Allah, I have not committed fornication before or after the coming of Islam, nor did I ever want another religion for me instead of my religion since Allah gave guidance to me, nor have I killed anyone. So for what reason do you want to kill me?

Abu Dawud said: 'Uthman and Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with them) abandoned drinking wine in pre-Islamic times.

Narrated Ziyad ibn Sa'd ibn Dumayrah as-Sulami

On the authority of his father (Sa'd) and his grandfather (Dumayrah) (according to Musa's version) who were present in the battle of Hunayn with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): After the advent of Islam, Muhallam ibn Jaththamah al-Laythi killed a man of Ashja'.

That was the first blood-money decided by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) (for payment). Uyaynah spoke about the killing of al-Ashja'i, for he belonged to Ghatafan, and al-Aqra' ibn Habis spoke on behalf of Muhallam, for he belonged to Khunduf. The voices rose high, and the dispute and noise grew.

So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Do you not accept blood-money, Uyaynah?

Uyaynah then said: No, I swear by Allah, until I cause his women to suffer the same fighting and grief as he caused my women to suffer. Again the voices rose high, and the dispute and noise grew.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Do you not accept the blood-money Uyaynah? Uyaynah gave the same reply as before, and a man of Banu Layth called Mukaytil stood up. He had a weapon and a skin shield in his hand.

He said: I do not find in the beginning of Islam any illustration for what he has done except the one that "some sheep came on, and those in the front were shot; hence those in the rear ran away". (The other example is that) "make a law today and change it."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Fifty (camels) here immediately and fifty when we return to Medina. This happened during some of his journeys. Muhallam was a tall man of dark complexion. He was with the people. They continued (to make effort for him) until he was released. He sat before the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), with his eyes flowing.

He said: Messenger of Allah! I have done (the act) of which you have been informed. I repent to Allah, the Exalted, so ask Allah's forgiveness for me. Messenger of Allah!

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then said: Did you kill him with your weapon at the beginning of Islam. O Allah! do not forgive Muhallam. He said these words loudly.

AbuSalamah added: He (Muhallam) then got up while he was wiping his tears with the end of his garment.

Ibn Ishaq said: His people alleged that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked forgiveness for him after that.

Abu Dawud said: Al-Nadr b. Shumail said: al-ghiyar means blood-wit.

Chapter 4: The Heir Of The One Who Was Killed Deliberately Taking The Diyah

Narrated AbuShurayb al-Ka'bi

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Then you, Khuza'ah, have killed this man of Hudhayl, but I will pay his blood-wit. After these words of mine if a man of anyone is killed, his people will have a choice to accept blood-wit or to kill him.

Narrated Abu Hurairah

Abu Dawud said: Write (you people), for me, that is, the address of the Prophet (ﷺ).

Narrated 'Amr b. Shu'aib

On his father's authority said that his grandfather reported the Prophet (ﷺ) said: A believer will not be killed for an infidel. If anyone kills a man deliberately, he is to be handed over to the relatives of the one who has been killed. If they wish, they may kill, but if they wish, they may accept blood-wit

Chapter 5: One Who Kills After Accepting The Diyah

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: I will not forgive anyone who kills after accepting blood-wit

Chapter 6: If A Person Gives A Man Poison To Drink Or Eat, And He Dies, Is He Subject To Retaliation ?

Narrated Anas bin Malik

A Jewess brought a poisoned sheep to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he ate of it. She was then brought to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who asked her about it. She said: I intended to kill you. He said: Allah will not give you control over it ; or he said : over me. They (the Companions) said: Should we not kill her ? He said: No. He (Anas) said: I always found it in the uvula of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)

Narrated Abu Hurairah

A Jewess presented a poisoned sheep to the Prophet (ﷺ), but the Prophet (ﷺ) did not interfere with he.

Abu Dawud said: The Jewess who poisoned the Prophet (ﷺ) was sister of Marhab.

Narrated Ibn Shihab

Jabir ibn Abdullah used to say that a Jewess from the inhabitants of Khaybar poisoned a roasted sheep and presented it to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who took its foreleg and ate from it. A group of his companions also ate with him.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then said: Take your hands away (from the food). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then sent someone to the Jewess and he called her.

He said to her: Have you poisoned this sheep? The Jewess replied: Who has informed you? He said: This foreleg which I have in my hand has informed me. She said: Yes. He said: What did you intend by it? She said: I thought if you were a prophet, it would not harm you; if you were not a prophet, we should rid ourselves of him (i.e. the Prophet). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then forgave her, and did not punish her. But some of his companions who ate it, died. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had himself cupped on his shoulder on account of that which he had eaten from the sheep. AbuHind cupped him with the horn and knife. He was a client of Banu Bayadah from the Ansar.

Narrated AbuSalamah

A Jewess presented a roasted sheep to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at Khaybar.

He then mentioned the rest of the tradition like that of Jabir (No. 4495). He said: Then Bashir ibn al-Bara' ibn Ma'rur al-Ansari died. He sent someone to call on the Jewess, and said to her (when she came): What motivated you to do the work you have done? He then mentioned the rest of the tradition similar to the one mentioned by Jabir (No. 4495).

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then ordered regarding her and she was killed. But he (AbuSalamah) did not mention the matter of cupping.

Narrated Abu Hurairah

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would accept a present, but would not accept alms (sadaqah).And Wahb bin Baqiyyah narrated to us, elsewhere, from Khalid, from Muhammad ibn Amr said on the authority of AbuSalamah, and he did not mention the name of Abu Hurairah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to accept presents but not alms (sadaqah).

This version adds: So a Jewess presented him at Khaybar with a roasted sheep which she had poisoned. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ate of it and the people also ate.

He then said: Take away your hands (from the food), for it has informed me that it is poisoned. Bishr ibn al-Bara' ibn Ma'rur al-Ansari died.

So he (the Prophet) sent for the Jewess (and said to her): What motivated you to do the work you have done?

She said: If you were a prophet, it would not harm you; but if you were a king, I should rid the people of you. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then ordered regarding her and she was killed. He then said about the pain of which he died: I continued to feel pain from the morsel which I had eaten at Khaybar. This is the time when it has cut off my aorta.