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.  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ أُصِيبَ بِقَتْلٍ أَوْ خَبْلٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَخْتَارُ إِحْدَى ثَلاَثٍ إِمَّا أَنْ يَقْتَصَّ وَإِمَّا أَنْ يَعْفُوَ وَإِمَّا أَنْ يَأْخُذَ الدِّيَةَ فَإِنْ أَرَادَ الرَّابِعَةَ فَخُذُوا عَلَى يَدَيْهِ وَمَنِ اعْتَدَى بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَلَهُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ  

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.  

مَا رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ رُفِعَ إِلَيْهِ شَىْءٌ فِيهِ قِصَاصٌ إِلاَّ أَمَرَ فِيهِ بِالْعَفْوِ  

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).  

قُتِلَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى عَهْدِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَرُفِعَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَدَفَعَهُ إِلَى وَلِيِّ الْمَقْتُولِ فَقَالَ الْقَاتِلُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهِ مَا أَرَدْتُ قَتْلَهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِلْوَلِيِّ أَمَا إِنَّهُ إِنْ كَانَ صَادِقًا ثُمَّ قَتَلْتَهُ دَخَلْتَ النَّارَ قَالَ فَخَلَّى سَبِيلَهُ قَالَ وَكَانَ مَكْتُوفًا بِنِسْعَةٍ فَخَرَجَ يَجُرُّ نِسْعَتَهُ فَسُمِّيَ ذَا النِّسْعَةِ  

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.  

كُنْتُ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ إِذْ جِيءَ بِرَجُلٍ قَاتِلٍ فِي عُنُقِهِ النِّسْعَةُ قَالَ فَدَعَا وَلِيَّ الْمَقْتُولِ فَقَالَ أَتَعْفُو قَالَ لاَ قَالَ أَفَتَأْخُذُ الدِّيَةَ قَالَ لاَ قَالَ أَفَتَقْتُلُ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ اذْهَبْ بِهِ فَلَمَّا وَلَّى قَالَ أَتَعْفُو قَالَ لاَ قَالَ أَفَتَأْخُذُ الدِّيَةَ قَالَ لاَ قَالَ أَفَتَقْتُلُ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ اذْهَبْ بِهِ فَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي الرَّابِعَةِ قَالَ أَمَا إِنَّكَ إِنْ عَفَوْتَ عَنْهُ يَبُوءُ بِإِثْمِهِ وَإِثْمِ صَاحِبِهِ قَالَ فَعَفَا عَنْهُ قَالَ فَأَنَا رَأَيْتُهُ يَجُرُّ النِّسْعَةَ  

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

حَدَّثَنِي عَلْقَمَةُ بْنُ وَائِلٍ بِإِسْنَادِهِ وَمَعْنَاهُ  

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.  

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِحَبَشِيٍّ فَقَالَ إِنَّ هَذَا قَتَلَ ابْنَ أَخِي قَالَ كَيْفَ قَتَلْتَهُ قَالَ ضَرَبْتُ رَأْسَهُ بِالْفَأْسِ وَلَمْ أُرِدْ قَتْلَهُ قَالَ هَلْ لَكَ مَالٌ تُؤَدِّي دِيَتَهُ قَالَ لاَ قَالَ أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ أَرْسَلْتُكَ تَسْأَلُ النَّاسَ تَجْمَعُ دِيَتَهُ قَالَ لاَ قَالَ فَمَوَالِيكَ يُعْطُونَكَ دِيَتَهُ قَالَ لاَ قَالَ لِلرَّجُلِ خُذْهُ فَخَرَجَ بِهِ لِيَقْتُلَهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَمَا إِنَّهُ إِنْ قَتَلَهُ كَانَ مِثْلَهُ فَبَلَغَ بِهِ الرَّجُلُ حَيْثُ يَسْمَعُ قَوْلَهُ فَقَالَ هُوَ ذَا فَمُرْ فِيهِ مَا شِئْتَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَرْسِلْهُ وَقَالَ مَرَّةً دَعْهُ يَبُوءُ بِإِثْمِ صَاحِبِهِ وَإِثْمِهِ فَيَكُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ قَالَ فَأَرْسَلَهُ  

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.  

كُنَّا مَعَ عُثْمَانَ وَهُوَ مَحْصُورٌ فِي الدَّارِ وَكَانَ فِي الدَّارِ مَدْخَلٌ مَنْ دَخَلَهُ سَمِعَ كَلاَمَ مَنْ عَلَى الْبَلاَطِ فَدَخَلَهُ عُثْمَانُ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْنَا وَهُوَ مُتَغَيِّرٌ لَوْنُهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُمْ لَيَتَوَاعَدُونَنِي بِالْقَتْلِ آنِفًا قُلْنَا يَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللَّهُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ قَالَ وَلِمَ يَقْتُلُونَنِي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ لاَ يَحِلُّ دَمُ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ إِلاَّ بِإِحْدَى ثَلاَثٍ كُفْرٌ بَعْدَ إِسْلاَمٍ أَوْ زِنًا بَعْدَ إِحْصَانٍ أَوْ قَتْلُ نَفْسٍ بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا زَنَيْتُ فِي جَاهِلِيَّةٍ وَلاَ إِسْلاَمٍ قَطُّ وَلاَ أَحْبَبْتُ أَنَّ لِي بِدِينِي بَدَلاً مُنْذُ هَدَانِي اللَّهُ وَلاَ قَتَلْتُ نَفْسًا فَبِمَ يَقْتُلُونَنِي  

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.  

مُوسَى وَجَدِّهِ وَكَانَا شَهِدَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ حُنَيْنًا ثُمَّ رَجَعْنَا إِلَى حَدِيثِ وَهْبٍ أَنَّ مُحَلِّمَ بْنَ جَثَّامَةَ اللَّيْثِيَّ قَتَلَ رَجُلاً مِنْ أَشْجَعَ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ وَذَلِكَ أَوَّلُ غِيَرٍ قَضَى بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَتَكَلَّمَ عُيَيْنَةُ فِي قَتْلِ الأَشْجَعِيِّ لأَنَّهُ مِنْ غَطَفَانَ وَتَكَلَّمَ الأَقْرَعُ بْنُ حَابِسٍ دُونَ مُحَلِّمٍ لأَنَّهُ مِنْ خِنْدِفَ فَارْتَفَعَتِ الأَصْوَاتُ وَكَثُرَتِ الْخُصُومَةُ وَاللَّغَطُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَا عُيَيْنَةُ أَلاَ تَقْبَلُ الْغِيَرَ فَقَالَ عُيَيْنَةُ لاَ وَاللَّهِ حَتَّى أُدْخِلَ عَلَى نِسَائِهِ مِنَ الْحَرْبِ وَالْحَزَنِ مَا أَدْخَلَ عَلَى نِسَائِي قَالَ ثُمَّ ارْتَفَعَتِ الأَصْوَاتُ وَكَثُرَتِ الْخُصُومَةُ وَاللَّغَطُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَا عُيَيْنَةُ أَلاَ تَقْبَلُ الْغِيَرَ فَقَالَ عُيَيْنَةُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ أَيْضًا إِلَى أَنْ قَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي لَيْثٍ يُقَالُ لَهُ مُكَيْتِلٌ عَلَيْهِ شِكَّةٌ وَفِي يَدِهِ دَرَقَةٌ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي لَمْ أَجِدْ لِمَا فَعَلَ هَذَا فِي غُرَّةِ الإِسْلاَمِ مَثَلاً إِلاَّ غَنَمًا وَرَدَتْ فَرُمِيَ أَوَّلُهَا فَنَفَرَ آخِرُهَا اسْنُنِ الْيَوْمَ وَغَيِّرْ غَدًا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَمْسُونَ فِي فَوْرِنَا هَذَا وَخَمْسُونَ إِذَا رَجَعْنَا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ وَذَلِكَ فِي بَعْضِ أَسْفَارِهِ وَمُحَلِّمٌ رَجُلٌ طَوِيلٌ آدَمُ وَهُوَ فِي طَرَفِ النَّاسِ فَلَمْ يَزَالُوا حَتَّى تَخَلَّصَ فَجَلَسَ بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَعَيْنَاهُ تَدْمَعَانِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي قَدْ فَعَلْتُ الَّذِي بَلَغَكَ وَإِنِّي أَتُوبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى فَاسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ ﷻ لِي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَقَتَلْتَهُ بِسِلاَحِكَ فِي غُرَّةِ الإِسْلاَمِ اللَّهُمَّ لاَ تَغْفِرْ لِمُحَلِّمٍ بِصَوْتٍ عَالٍ زَادَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ فَقَامَ وَإِنَّهُ لَيَتَلَقَّى دُمُوعَهُ بِطَرَفِ رِدَائِهِ قَالَ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ فَزَعَمَ قَوْمُهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ اسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ