Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.

ذِكْرُ تَفَضُّلِ اللَّهِ جَلَّ وَعَلَا عَلَى هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ عِنْدَ الْقَتْلِ بِإِعْطَاءِ الدِّيَةِ عَنْهُ

ibnhibban:6010al-Ḥasan b. Sufyān > Ḥabbān > ʿAbdullāh > Muḥammad b. Muslim > ʿAmr b. Dīnār > Mujāhid > Ibn ʿAbbās

[Machine] Before you, it was customary for people to take revenge by killing the killer, and no blood money was accepted from the killer. Then, Allah revealed the verse {O you who have believed, prescribed for you is legal retribution for those murdered} till the end of the verse {that is a concession from your Lord and a mercy}. He said: "So He lightened from you what was upon those before you, which is the blood money that was not accepted. So whoever gives blood money, that is an act of forgiveness and a means of good conduct. And it is to be given to him by his brother in a good manner."  

ابن حبّان:٦٠١٠أَخْبَرَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَبَّانُ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ

«كَانَ مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ يَقْتُلُونَ الْقَاتِلَ بِالْقَتِيلِ لَا تُقْبَلُ مِنْهُ الدِّيَةُ» فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى} إِلَى آخِرِ الْآيَةِ {ذَلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ} يَقُولُ «فَخَفَّفَ عَنْكُمْ مَا كَانَ عَلَى مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ أَيِ الدِّيَةَ لَمْ تَكُنْ تُقْبَلُ فَالَّذِي يَقْبَلُ الدِّيَةَ فَذَلِكَ عَفْوٌ فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيُؤَدِّي إِلَيْهِ الَّذِي عُفِيَ مِنْ أَخِيهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Nasāʾī
bukhari:4498al-Ḥumaydī > Sufyān > ʿAmr > Mujāhid > Ibn ʿAbbās

The law of Qisas (i.e. equality in punishment) was prescribed for the children of Israel, but the Diya (i.e. blood money was not ordained for them). So Allah said to this Nation (i.e. Muslims): "O you who believe! The law of Al-Qisas (i.e. equality in punishment) is prescribed for you in cases of murder: The free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But if the relatives (or one of them) of the killed (person) forgive their brother (i.e. the killers something of Qisas (i.e. not to kill the killer by accepting blood money in the case of intentional murder)----then the relatives (of the killed person) should demand blood-money in a reasonable manner and the killer must pay with handsome gratitude. This is an allevitation and a Mercy from your Lord, (in comparison to what was prescribed for the nations before you). So after this, whoever transgresses the limits (i.e. to kill the killer after taking the blood-money) shall have a painful torment." (2.178)  

البخاري:٤٤٩٨حَدَّثَنَا الْحُمَيْدِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرٌو قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مُجَاهِدًا قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ ؓ يَقُولُ كَانَ فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْقِصَاصُ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ فِيهِمُ الدِّيَةُ فَقَالَ

اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لِهَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ {كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى الْحُرُّ بِالْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ وَالأُنْثَى بِالأُنْثَى فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَىْءٌ} فَالْعَفْوُ أَنْ يَقْبَلَ الدِّيَةَ فِي الْعَمْدِ {فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَاءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ} يَتَّبِعُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيُؤَدِّي بِإِحْسَانٍ {ذَلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ} وَرَحْمَةٌ مِمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ {فَمَنِ اعْتَدَى بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَلَهُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ} قَتَلَ بَعْدَ قَبُولِ الدِّيَةِ  

nasai:4781al-Ḥārith b. Miskīn > Sufyān > ʿAmr > Mujāhid > Ibn ʿAbbās

"There was Qisas among the Children of Israel, but Diyah was unknown among them. Then Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, revealed: "Al-Qisas (the law of equality in punishment) is prescribed for your in case of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female." Up to His saying: "But if the killer is forgiven by the brother 9or the relatives) of the killed against blood money, then adhering to it with fairness and payment of the blood money to the heir should be made in fairness."[2] Forgiveness means accepting the Diyah in the case of deliberate killing. Adhering to it in fairness means asking him to pay the Diyah in a fair manner, and payment in fairness means giving the Diyah in a fair manner. This is and alleviation and a mercy from you Lord,[1] means: This is easier thanthat which was prescribed for those who came before you, which was Qisas and not Diyah."  

النسائي:٤٧٨١قَالَ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ مِسْكِينٍ قِرَاءَةً عَلَيْهِ وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنْ عَمْرٍو عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ

كَانَ فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْقِصَاصُ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ فِيهِمُ الدِّيَةُ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ﷻ { كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى الْحُرُّ بِالْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ وَالأُنْثَى بِالأُنْثَى } إِلَى قَوْلِهِ { فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَىْءٌ فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَاءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ } فَالْعَفْوُ أَنْ يَقْبَلَ الدِّيَةَ فِي الْعَمْدِ وَاتِّبَاعٌ بِمَعْرُوفٍ يَقُولُ يَتَّبِعُ هَذَا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَاءٌ بِإِحْسَانٍ وَيُؤَدِّي هَذَا بِإِحْسَانٍ { ذَلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ } مِمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ إِنَّمَا هُوَ الْقِصَاصُ لَيْسَ الدِّيَةَ