87. Diyāt (Blood Money)
٨٧۔ كتاب الديات
In the year of the Conquest of Mecca, the tribe of Khuzaʿa killed a man from the tribe of Bam Laith in revenge for a killed person belonging to them in the Pre-lslamic Period of Ignorance. So Allah's Apostle got up saying, "Allah held back the (army having) elephants from Mecca, but He let His Apostle and the believers overpower the infidels (of Mecca). Beware! (Mecca is a sanctuary)! Verily! Fighting in Mecca was not permitted for anybody before me, nor will it be permitted for anybody after me; It was permitted for me only for a while (an hour or so) of that day. No doubt! It is at this moment a sanctuary; its thorny shrubs should not be uprooted; its trees should not be cut down; and its Luqata (fallen things) should not be picked up except by the one who would look for its owner. And if somebody is killed, his closest relative has the right to choose one of two things, i.e., either the Blood money or retaliation by having the killer killed." Then a man from Yemen, called Abu Shah, stood up and said, "Write that) for me, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ!" Messenger of Allah ﷺ said (to his companions), "Write that for Abu Shah." Then another man from Quraish got up, saying, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Except Al- Idhkhir (a special kind of grass) as we use it in our houses and for graves." Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Except Al-idhkkir."
أَنَّهُ عَامَ فَتْحِ مَكَّةَ قَتَلَتْ خُزَاعَةُ رَجُلاً مِنْ بَنِي لَيْثٍ بِقَتِيلٍ لَهُمْ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَسَ عَنْ مَكَّةَ الْفِيلَ وَسَلَّطَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَسُولَهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَلاَ وَإِنَّهَا لَمْ تَحِلَّ لأَحَدٍ قَبْلِي وَلاَ تَحِلُّ لأَحَدٍ بَعْدِي أَلاَ وَإِنَّمَا أُحِلَّتْ لِي سَاعَةً مِنْ نَهَارٍ أَلاَ وَإِنَّهَا سَاعَتِي هَذِهِ حَرَامٌ لاَ يُخْتَلَى شَوْكُهَا وَلاَ يُعْضَدُ شَجَرُهَا وَلاَ يَلْتَقِطُ سَاقِطَتَهَا إِلاَّ مُنْشِدٌ وَمَنْ قُتِلَ لَهُ قَتِيلٌ فَهْوَ بِخَيْرِ النَّظَرَيْنِ إِمَّا يُودَى وَإِمَّا يُقَادُ فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ يُقَالُ لَهُ أَبُو شَاهٍ فَقَالَ اكْتُبْ لِي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ اكْتُبُوا لأَبِي شَاهٍ ثُمَّ قَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِلاَّ الإِذْخِرَ فَإِنَّمَا نَجْعَلُهُ فِي بُيُوتِنَا وَقُبُورِنَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلاَّ الإِذْخِرَ وَتَابَعَهُ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ عَنْ شَيْبَانَ فِي الْفِيلِ قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَنْ أَبِي نُعَيْمٍ الْقَتْلَ وَقَالَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ إِمَّا أَنْ يُقَادَ أَهْلُ الْقَتِيلِ
For the children of Israel the punishment for crime was Al-Qisas only (i.e., the law of equality in punishment) and the payment of Blood money was not permitted as an alternate. But Allah said to this nation (Muslims): 'O you who believe! Qisas is prescribed for you in case of murder, .....(up to) ...end of the Verse. (2.178) Ibn ʿAbbas added: Remission (forgiveness) in this Verse, means to accept the Blood-money in an intentional murder. Ibn ʿAbbas added: The Verse: 'Then the relatives should demand Blood-money in a reasonable manner.' (2.178) means that the demand should be reasonable and it is to be compensated with handsome gratitude.
كَانَتْ فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ قِصَاصٌ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ فِيهِمُ الدِّيَةُ فَقَالَ اللَّهُ لِهَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ {كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى} إِلَى هَذِهِ الآيَةِ {فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَىْءٌ} قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَالْعَفْوُ أَنْ يَقْبَلَ الدِّيَةَ فِي الْعَمْدِ قَالَ {فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ} أَنْ يَطْلُبَ بِمَعْرُوفٍ وَيُؤَدِّيَ بِإِحْسَانٍ