41. Blood Money
٤١۔ كتاب الديات
That a man of the Ansar called Sahl b. Abi Hathmah told him that some people of his tribe went to Khaibar and separated there. They found one of them slain. They said to those with whom they had found him: You have killed our friend. They replied: We did not kill him, nor do we know the slayer. We (the people of the slain) then went to the Prophet of Allah ﷺ. He said to them: Bring proof against the one who has slain him. They replied: We have no proof. He said: Then they will take an oath for you. They said: We do not accept the oaths of the Jews. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not like no responsibility should be fixed for his blood. So he himself paid his bloodwit consisting of one hundred camels of sadaqah (i.e. camels sent to the Prophet as zakat).
أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ نَفَرًا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ انْطَلَقُوا إِلَى خَيْبَرَ فَتَفَرَّقُوا فِيهَا فَوَجَدُوا أَحَدَهُمْ قَتِيلاً فَقَالُوا لِلَّذِينَ وَجَدُوهُ عِنْدَهُمْ قَتَلْتُمْ صَاحِبَنَا فَقَالُوا مَا قَتَلْنَاهُ وَلاَ عَلِمْنَا قَاتِلاً فَانْطَلَقْنَا إِلَى نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ تَأْتُونِي بِالْبَيِّنَةِ عَلَى مَنْ قَتَلَ هَذَا قَالُوا مَا لَنَا بَيِّنَةٌ قَالَ فَيَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ قَالُوا لاَ نَرْضَى بِأَيْمَانِ الْيَهُودِ فَكَرِهَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنْ يُبْطِلَ دَمَهُ فَوَدَاهُ مِائَةً مِنْ إِبِلِ الصَّدَقَةِ
A man of the Ansar was killed at Khaybar and his relatives went to the Prophet ﷺ and mentioned that to him. He asked: Have you two witnesses who can testify to the murderer of your friend? They replied: Messenger of Allah! there was not a single Muslim present, but only Jews who sometimes have the audacity to do even greater crimes than this. He said: Then choose fifty of them and demand that they take an oath; but they refused and the Prophet ﷺ paid the blood-wit himself.
أَصْبَحَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ مَقْتُولاً بِخَيْبَرَ فَانْطَلَقَ أَوْلِيَاؤُهُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَذَكَرُوا ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ لَكُمْ شَاهِدَانِ يَشْهَدَانِ عَلَى قَتْلِ صَاحِبِكُمْ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَمْ يَكُنْ ثَمَّ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَإِنَّمَا هُمْ يَهُودُ وَقَدْ يَجْتَرِئُونَ عَلَى أَعْظَمَ مِنْ هَذَا قَالَ فَاخْتَارُوا مِنْهُمْ خَمْسِينَ فَاسْتَحْلِفُوهُمْ فَأَبَوْا فَوَدَاهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ
I swear by Allah, Sahl had a misunderstanding about this tradition. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ wrote to the Jews: A slain man has been found amongnst you, so pay his bloodwit. They wrote (to him): Swearing by Allah fifty oaths, we neither killed him nor do we know his slayer. He said: Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself paid his bloodwit which consisted of one hundred she-camels.
إِنَّ سَهْلاً وَاللَّهِ أَوْهَمَ الْحَدِيثَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَتَبَ إِلَى يَهُودَ أَنَّهُ قَدْ وُجِدَ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِكُمْ قَتِيلٌ فَدُوهُ فَكَتَبُوا يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ خَمْسِينَ يَمِينًا مَا قَتَلْنَاهُ وَلاَ عَلِمْنَا قَاتِلاً قَالَ فَوَدَاهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ مِائَةَ نَاقَةٍ
On the authority of some men of the Ansar : The Prophet ﷺ said to the Jews and started with them: Fifty of you should take the oaths. But they refused (to take the oaths). He then said to the Ansar: Prove your claim. They said: Do we take the oaths without seeing, Messenger of Allah? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then imposed the blood-wit on the Jews because he (the slain) was found among them.
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ لِلْيَهُودِ وَبَدَأَ بِهِمْ يَحْلِفُ مِنْكُمْ خَمْسُونَ رَجُلاً فَأَبَوْا فَقَالَ لِلأَنْصَارِ اسْتَحِقُّوا قَالُوا نَحْلِفُ عَلَى الْغَيْبِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَجَعَلَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ دِيَةً عَلَى يَهُودَ لأَنَّهُ وُجِدَ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِهِمْ