"I saw the Messenger of Allah when the heir of a victim brought the killer, leading him by a string. The Messenger of Allah said to the heir of the victim: Will you forgive him?' He said: 'No., He said: 'Will you accept Diyah?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'Will you kill him?' He said: 'Yes.' He said" 'Take him away (to kill him).' When he took him and turned away, he turned to those who were with him, and called him back, and said to him: 'Will you forgive him?' He said: No.' He said: 'Will you accept Diyah?' He said: No.' He said: 'Will you kill him?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Take him away.' Then the Messenger of Allah said: 'If you forgive him, he will carry your sin and the sin of your companion (the victim).' So he forgave him and left him, and I was him dragging his string."  

شَهِدْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ حِينَ جِيءَ بِالْقَاتِلِ يَقُودُهُ وَلِيُّ الْمَقْتُولِ فِي نِسْعَةٍ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِوَلِيِّ الْمَقْتُولِ أَتَعْفُو قَالَ لاَ قَالَ أَتَأْخُذُ الدِّيَةَ قَالَ لاَ قَالَ فَتَقْتُلُهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ اذْهَبْ بِهِ فَلَمَّا ذَهَبَ بِهِ فَوَلَّى مِنْ عِنْدِهِ دَعَاهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَتَعْفُو قَالَ لاَ قَالَ أَتَأْخُذُ الدِّيَةَ قَالَ لاَ قَالَ فَتَقْتُلُهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ اذْهَبْ بِهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ أَمَا إِنَّكَ إِنْ عَفَوْتَ عَنْهُ يَبُوءُ بِإِثْمِهِ وَإِثْمِ صَاحِبِكَ فَعَفَا عَنْهُ وَتَرَكَهُ فَأَنَا رَأَيْتُهُ يَجُرُّ نِسْعَتَهُ  

"He is better than him." [1]  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِمِثْلِهِ قَالَ يَحْيَى وَهُوَ أَحْسَنُ مِنْهُ  

"I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah when a man came with a string around his neck and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, this man and my brother were digging a hole, and he raised his pickax and struck his companion in the head, Killing him. 'The Prophet said: 'Forgive him,' but he refused and said: 'O Prophet of Allah, this man and my brother were digging a whole, and he raised his pickax and struck his companion in the head, killing him.' The Prophet said: 'Forgive him,' but he refused, then he stood up and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, this man and my brother were digging a hole, and he raised his pickax and struck his companion in the head, killing him.' The Prophet said: 'Forgive him,' but he refused. He (the prophet) said: 'Go, but if you kill him, you will be like him. So he took him out, and they called out to him: Didn't you hear what the Messenger of Allah said?' So he came back and he said: 'If I kill him will I be like him?' He said: 'Yes. Forgive him.' Then he went out, dragging his string, until he disappeared from our view."  

كُنْتُ قَاعِدًا عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ فِي عُنُقِهِ نِسْعَةٌ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ هَذَا وَأَخِي كَانَا فِي جُبٍّ يَحْفِرَانِهَا فَرَفَعَ الْمِنْقَارَ فَضَرَبَ بِهِ رَأْسَ صَاحِبِهِ فَقَتَلَهُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ اعْفُ عَنْهُ فَأَبَى وَقَالَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنَّ هَذَا وَأَخِي كَانَا فِي جُبٍّ يَحْفِرَانِهَا فَرَفَعَ الْمِنْقَارَ فَضَرَبَ بِهِ رَأْسَ صَاحِبِهِ فَقَتَلَهُ فَقَالَ اعْفُ عَنْهُ فَأَبَى ثُمَّ قَامَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ هَذَا وَأَخِي كَانَا فِي جُبٍّ يَحْفِرَانِهَا فَرَفَعَ الْمِنْقَارَ أُرَاهُ قَالَ فَضَرَبَ رَأْسَ صَاحِبِهِ فَقَتَلَهُ فَقَالَ اعْفُ عَنْهُ فَأَبَى قَالَ اذْهَبْ إِنْ قَتَلْتَهُ كُنْتَ مِثْلَهُ فَخَرَجَ بِهِ حَتَّى جَاوَزَ فَنَادَيْنَاهُ أَمَا تَسْمَعُ مَا يَقُولُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَرَجَعَ فَقَالَ إِنْ قَتَلْتُهُ كُنْتُ مِثْلَهُ قَالَ نَعَمِ اعْفُ فَخَرَجَ يَجُرُّ نِسْعَتَهُ حَتَّى خَفِيَ عَلَيْنَا  

"O Messenger of Allah, this man killed my brother." The Messenger of Allah said to him: "Did you kill him?" He said: "O Messenger of Allah even if he did not confess I would have brought proof against him." He said: "Yes, I killed him." He said: "How did you kill him?" He said: "He and I were chopping firewood from a tree and he insulted me, so I got angry and struck him with the ax on the forehead." The Messenger of Allah said: "Do you have any wealth with which you can pay the Diyah to save yourself?" He said: "O Messenger of Allah, I do not have anything but my ax and my clothes." The Messenger of Allah said to him: "Do you think your people will pay to save you?" He said: "I am too insignificant to them for that." He threw the string to the man and said: "Here, thank him." When he turned to go, the Messenger of Allah said: "If he kills him, he will be like him. "They caught up with the man, and said: "Woe to you! The Messenger of Allah said: 'If he kills him, he will be like him. "So he went back to the Messenger of Allah and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have been told that you said: 'if he kills him, he will be like him. 'But I only took him because you told me to. He said: 'Don't you want him to carry your sin and the sin of your companion (the victim)?' He said: 'Yes, if that is the case.' He said: 'And that is how it is."'  

أَنَّهُ كَانَ قَاعِدًا عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذْ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ يَقُودُ آخَرَ بِنِسْعَةٍ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَتَلَ هَذَا أَخِي فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَقَتَلْتَهُ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَوْ لَمْ يَعْتَرِفْ أَقَمْتُ عَلَيْهِ الْبَيِّنَةَ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَتَلْتُهُ قَالَ كَيْفَ قَتَلْتَهُ قَالَ كُنْتُ أَنَا وَهُوَ نَحْتَطِبُ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ فَسَبَّنِي فَأَغْضَبَنِي فَضَرَبْتُ بِالْفَأْسِ عَلَى قَرْنِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ هَلْ لَكَ مِنْ مَالٍ تُؤَدِّيهِ عَنْ نَفْسِكَ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَالِي إِلاَّ فَأْسِي وَكِسَائِي فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَتُرَى قَوْمَكَ يَشْتَرُونَكَ قَالَ أَنَا أَهْوَنُ عَلَى قَوْمِي مِنْ ذَاكَ فَرَمَى بِالنِّسْعَةِ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ فَقَالَ دُونَكَ صَاحِبَكَ فَلَمَّا وَلَّى قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنْ قَتَلَهُ فَهُوَ مِثْلُهُ فَأَدْرَكُوا الرَّجُلَ فَقَالُوا وَيْلَكَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِنْ قَتَلَهُ فَهُوَ مِثْلُهُ فَرَجَعَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ حُدِّثْتُ أَنَّكَ قُلْتَ إِنْ قَتَلَهُ فَهُوَ مِثْلُهُ وَهَلْ أَخَذْتُهُ إِلاَّ بِأَمْرِكَ فَقَالَ مَا تُرِيدُ أَنْ يَبُوءَ بِإِثْمِكَ وَإِثْمِ صَاحِبِكَ قَالَ بَلَى قَالَ فَإِنْ ذَاكَ قَالَ ذَلِكَ كَذَلِكَ  

"I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah when a man came leading another" (and he narrated) a similar report.  

قَالَ إِنِّي لَقَاعِدٌ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذْ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ يَقُودُ آخَرَ نَحْوَهُ  

his father told them that a man who had killed another man was brought to the Prophet and he handed him over to their of the victim to kill him. Then the Prophet said to those who were sitting with him: "The killer and the slain will both be in Fire. "A man went after him and told him that, and when he told him that, he left him (let him go). He (the narrator) said: "I saw him dragging his string when he let him go. I mentioned that the Habib and he said: 'Sa'eed bin Ashwa' told me that the Prophet commanded the man to forgive him."'  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أُتِيَ بِرَجُلٍ قَدْ قَتَلَ رَجُلاً فَدَفَعَهُ إِلَى وَلِيِّ الْمَقْتُولِ يَقْتُلُهُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لِجُلَسَائِهِ الْقَاتِلُ وَالْمَقْتُولُ فِي النَّارِ قَالَ فَاتَّبَعَهُ رَجُلٌ فَأَخْبَرَهُ فَلَمَّا أَخْبَرَهُ تَرَكَهُ قَالَ فَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ يَجُرُّ نِسْعَتَهُ حِينَ تَرَكَهُ يَذْهَبُ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِحَبِيبٍ فَقَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَشْوَعَ قَالَ وَذَكَرَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أَمَرَ الرَّجُلَ بِالْعَفْوِ  

"Forgive him." But he refused. He said: "Take the Diyah," but he refused. He said: "Go and kill him then, for you are just like him." So he went away, but some people caught up with the man and told him that the Messenger of Allah had said: "Messenger of Allah had said: "Kill him for you are just like him." So he let him go, and the man passed by me dragging his string.  

أَنَّ رَجُلاً أَتَى بِقَاتِلِ وَلِيِّهِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ اعْفُ عَنْهُ فَأَبَى فَقَالَ خُذِ الدِّيَةَ فَأَبَى قَالَ اذْهَبْ فَاقْتُلْهُ فَإِنَّكَ مِثْلَهُ فَذَهَبَ فَلُحِقَ الرَّجُلُ فَقِيلَ لَهُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ اقْتُلْهُ فَإِنَّكَ مِثْلَهُ فَخَلَّى سَبِيلَهُ فَمَرَّ بِيَ الرَّجُلُ وَهُوَ يَجُرُّ نِسْعَتَهُ  

"This man killed my brother." He said: "Go and kill him as he killed your brother." The man said to him: "Fear Allah and let me go, for that will bring you a greater reward and will be better for you and your brother on the Day of Resurrection." So he let him go. The Prophet was told about that, so he asked him about it, and he told him what he had said. He said: "Pardoning him would be better for you than what he would have done for you on the Day of Resurrection when he said: 'O Lord, ask him why he killed me."'  

أَنَّ رَجُلاً جَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ إِنَّ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ قَتَلَ أَخِي قَالَ اذْهَبْ فَاقْتُلْهُ كَمَا قَتَلَ أَخَاكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ الرَّجُلُ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَاعْفُ عَنِّي فَإِنَّهُ أَعْظَمُ لأَجْرِكَ وَخَيْرٌ لَكَ وَلأَخِيكَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ قَالَ فَخَلَّى عَنْهُ قَالَ فَأُخْبِرَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَسَأَلَهُ فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِمَا قَالَ لَهُ قَالَ فَأَعْنَفَهُ أَمَا إِنَّهُ كَانَ خَيْرًا مِمَّا هُوَ صَانِعٌ بِكَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ سَلْ هَذَا فِيمَ قَتَلَنِي