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.
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  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Qurʾān, Bukhārī, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī
quran:2:178

O you who have believed, prescribed for you is legal retribution for those murdered - the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But whoever overlooks from his brother anything, then there should be a suitable follow-up and payment to him with good conduct. This is an alleviation from your Lord and a mercy. But whoever transgresses after that will have a painful punishment.  

O you who believe, prescribed, made obligatory, for you is retaliation, on equal terms, regarding the slain, both in the attributes ˹of the one slain˺ and in the action involved; a free man, is killed, for a free man, and not for a slave; and a slave for a slave, and a female for a female. The Sunna makes it clear that a male may be killed ˹in retaliation˺ for a female, and that religious affiliation should be taken into account also, so that a Muslim cannot be killed in return for an disbeliever, even if the former be a slave and the latter a free man. But if anything, of the blood, is pardoned any one, of those who have slain, in relation to his brother, the one slain, so that the retaliation is waived (the use of the indefinite shay’un, ‘anything’, here implies the waiving of retaliation through a partial pardon by the inheritors ˹of the slain˺; the mention of akhīh ˹‘his brother’˺ is intended as a conciliatory entreaty to pardon and a declaration that killing should not sever the bonds of religious brotherhood; the particle man, ‘any one’, is the subject of a conditional or a relative clause, of which the predicate is ˹the following, fa’ittibā‘un˺) let the pursuing, that is, the action of the one who has pardoned in pursuing the killer, be honourable, demanding the blood money without force. The fact that the ‘pursuing’ results from the ‘pardoning’ implies that one of the two ˹actions˺ is a duty, which is one of al-Shāfi‘ī’s two opinions here. The other ˹opinion˺ is that retaliation is the duty, whereas the blood money is merely compensation ˹for non-retaliation˺, so that if one were to pardon but not name his blood money, then nothing ˹happens˺; and this ˹latter˺ is the preferred ˹opinion˺. And let the payment, of the blood money by the slayer, to him, the pardoner, that is, the one inheriting ˹from the slain˺, be with kindliness, without procrastination or fraud; that, stipulation mentioned here about the possibility of retaliation and the forgoing of this in return for blood money, is an alleviation, a facilitation, given, to you, by your Lord, and a mercy, for you, for He has given you latitude in this matter and has not categorically demanded that one ˹of the said options˺ be followed through, in the way that He made it obligatory for Jews to retaliate and for Christians to ˹pardon and˺ accept blood money; and for him who commits aggression, by being unjust towards the killer and slaying him, after that, that is, ˹after˺ pardoning — his is a painful chastisement, of the Fire in the Hereafter, or of being killed in this world.
القرآن:٢:١٧٨

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى ۖ الْحُرُّ بِالْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ وَالْأُنْثَىٰ بِالْأُنْثَىٰ ۚ فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَيْءٌ فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَاءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۗ فَمَنِ اعْتَدَىٰ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَهُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ  

{يا أيها الذين منوا كُتب} فرض {عليكم القصاص} المماثلة {في القتلى} وصفا وفعلا {الحر} ولا يقتل بالعبد {والعبد بالعبد والأنثى بالأنثى} وبيَّنت السنة أن الذكر يقتل بها وأنه تعتبر المماثلة في الدين فلا يقتل مسلم ولو عبدا بكافر ولو حرا {فمن عفي له} من القاتلين {من} دم {أخيه} المقتول {شيء} بأن ترك القصاص منه، وتنكيرُ شيء يفيد سقوط القصاص بالعفو عن بعضه ومن بعض الورثة وفي ذكر أخيه تعطُّف داع إلى العفو وإيذان بأن القتل لا يقطع أخوة الإيمان ومن مبتدأ شرطية أو موصولة والخبر {فاتِّباع} أي فعل العافي إتباع للقاتل {بالمعروف} بأن يطالبه بالدية بلا عنف، وترتيب الإتباع على العفو يفيد أن الواجب أحدهما وهو أحد قولي الشافعي والثاني الواجب القصاص والدية بدل عنه فلو عفا ولم يسمها فلا شيء ورجح {و} على القاتل {أداء} الدية {إليه} أي العافي وهو الوارث {بإحسان} بلا مطل ولا بخس {ذلك} الحكم المذكور من جواز القصاص والعفو عنه على الدية {تخفيف} تسهيل {من ربكم} عليكم {ورحمة} بكم حيث وسَّع في ذلك ولم يحتم واحدا منهما كما حتم على اليهود القصاص وعلى النصارى الدية {فمن اعتدى} ظلم القاتل بأن قتله {بعد ذلك} أي العفو {فله عذاب أليم} مؤلم في الآخرة بالنار أو في الدنيا بالقتل.
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  

bukhari:6881Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > Sufyān > ʿAmr > Mujāhid > Ibn ʿAbbās

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.  

البخاري:٦٨٨١حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ عَمْرٍو عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ؓ قَالَ

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  

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»  

nasai-kubra:6957Sufyān > 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." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 4781)   

الكبرى للنسائي:٦٩٥٧الْحَارِثُ بْنُ مِسْكِينٍ قِرَاءَةً عَلَيْهِ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنْ عَمْرٍو عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ

كَانَ فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْقِصَاصُ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ فِيهِمُ الدِّيَةُ فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ ﷻ {كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى الْحَرُّ بِالْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ} [البقرة 178] إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَيْءٌ فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَاءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ} [البقرة 178] فَالْعَفْوُ أَنْ يَقْبَلَ الدِّيَةَ فِي الْعَمْدِ وَ {فاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفٍ} [البقرة 178] يَقُولُ يَتْبَعُ هَذَا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَاءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ وَيُؤَدِّي هَذَا بِإِحْسَانٍ {ذَلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ} [البقرة 178] مَا كُتِبَ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ قِبْلَكُمْ إِنَّمَا هُوَ كَانَ الْقِصَاصُ وَلَيْسَ الدِّيَةَ  

قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ} [البقرة: 178]

nasai-kubra:10947ʿAbd al-Jabbār b. al-ʿAlāʾ b. ʿAbd al-Jabbār > Sufyān > ʿAmr > Mujāhid > Ibn ʿAbbās

[Machine] Retribution was practiced among the children of Israel, and they did not have the option of blood money. So, Allah, blessed and exalted, said to this nation, "O you who have believed, prescribed for you is legal retribution for those murdered - the free for the free..." (Al-Baqarah 2:178) until His saying, "But whoever overlooks from his brother anything, then there should be a suitable follow-up and payment to him [compensation]" (Al-Baqarah 2:178). So forgiveness is that blood money is accepted for intentional killing, and following the custom is to follow this with a fitting custom, and fulfilling this with excellence. So, leniency was granted to this nation...  

الكبرى للنسائي:١٠٩٤٧أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْجَبَّارِ بْنُ الْعَلَاءِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنْ عَمْرٍو عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ

كَانَ الْقِصَاصُ فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِمُ الدِّيَةُ فَقَالَ اللهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى لِهَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى الْحُرُّ بِالْحُرِّ} [البقرة 178] إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَيْءٌ} [البقرة 178] فَالْعَفْوُ أَنْ تُقْبَلَ الدِّيَةُ فِي الْعَمْدِ وَاتِّبَاعُ الْمَعْرُوفِ أَنْ تَتْبَعَ هَذَا بِمَعْرُوفٍ وَتُؤَدِّي هَذَا بِإِحْسَانٍ فَخُفِّفَ عَنْ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ  

bayhaqi:16034Yaḥyá b. Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad b. Yaḥyá al-Muzakkī > Abū al-ʿAbbās Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb > al-Rabīʿ b. Sulaymān > al-Shāfiʿī > Sufyān b. ʿUyaynah > ʿAmr b. Dīnār > Mujāhid > Ibn ʿAbbās

[Machine] "Allah has prescribed for this nation the law of retaliation in cases of murder: free man for free man, slave for slave, and female for female. But whoever is granted clemency by his brother (the victim), then it should be followed by kindness and compensation to the best of their ability. This is a relief from your Lord. It is similar to what was prescribed for those before you. And whoever transgresses after this, there shall be a painful punishment for him." [Quran 2:178]

16035 Ali ibn Abdullah narrated that Mujahid informed him that Amr ibn Dinar said: Ibn Abbas narrated to me, mentioning it in similar words.  

البيهقي:١٦٠٣٤أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى الْمُزَكِّي ثنا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ أنبأ الرَّبِيعُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ أنبأ الشَّافِعِيُّ أنبأ سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ أنبأ عَمْرُو بْنُ دِينَارٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مُجَاهِدًا يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ يَقُولُ كَانَ فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْقِصَاصُ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِمُ الدِّيَةُ فَقَالَ

اللهُ ﷻ لِهَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ {كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى الْحُرُّ بِالْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ وَالْأُنْثَى بِالْأُنْثَى فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَيْءٌ} [البقرة 178] قَالَ الْعَفْوُ أَنْ يَقْبَلَ الدِّيَةَ فِي الْعَمْدِ {فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَاءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ ذَلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ} [البقرة 178] مِمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ {فَمَنِ اعْتَدَى بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَلَهُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ} [البقرة 178] 16035 وَأَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عَبْدَانَ أنبأ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ الصَّفَّارُ ثنا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ ثنا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ ثنا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُجَاهِدٌ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فَذَكَرَهُ بِنَحْوِهِ  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ قُتَيْبَةَ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ