The Book of Indemnities

Expiation for Killing

كَفاَّرَةِ اْلقَتْلِ

Glossary

Chapter on Expiation for Killing

¹⁶²⁶ Whoever kills a believer or a dhimmi without justification, or participates in a killing or in the abortion of a fetus, must expiate. The expiation is by freeing a believing slave; he who does not find the means to do so must fast two consecutive months to show repentance to Allah. This is whether or not he (the killer) is mukallaf and whether he is free or a slave.

وَمَنْ قَتَلَ مُؤْمِنًا أَوْ ذِمِّيًّا بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ، أَوْ شَارَكَ فِيْهِ، َوفِيْ إِسْقَاطِ جَنِيْنٍ، فَعَلَيْهِ كَفَّارَةٌ، وَهِيَ تَحْرِيْرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُؤْمِنَةٍ، فَمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ، تَوْبَةً مِنَ اللهِ، سَوَاءٌ كَانَ مُكَلَّفًا أَوْ غَيْرَ مُكَلَّفٍ، حُرًّا أَوْ عَبْدًا

If two people collide and die, then a kaffârah (expiation) is binding on each of them, and the indemnity for each one is binding on the other’s family. If they were two horsemen (on horses), and their horses died, each one of them would be

فَلَوْ تَصَادَمَ نَفْسَانِ فَمَاتَا، فَعَلىٰ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا كَفَّارَةٌ، وَدِيَةُ صَاحِبِهِ عَلىٰ عَاقِلَتِهِ، وَإِنْ كَانَا فَارِسَيْنِ، فَمَاتَ فَرَسَاهُمَا فَعَلىٰ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا ضَمَانُ فَرَسِ

1626. This indicates that there is expiation in all three types of unjustifiable killing. Here are the details:

Ibn al-Mundhir reported the consensus that expiation is obligatory in the case of mistaken killing. This is because Allah said:

{…And whoever kills a believer by mistake – then the freeing of a believing slave and a compensation payment presented to the deceased's family [is required] unless they give [up their right as] charity…} (an-Nisâ’ 4: 92)

وَمَن قَتَلَ مُؤْمِنًا خَطَأً فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُّؤْمِنَةٍ وَدِيَةٌ مُّسَلَّمَةٌ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِ إِلَّا أَن يَصَّدَّقُوا

As for intentional murder: (A) + (+H, +M): No expiation; it is too enormous a sin to be subject to expiation. (a) + (-S): There is expiation; if one who kills by mistake must expiate, then the one who kills intentionally is even more bound to expiate. As for the quasi-intentional murder: (A) + (+H, +S): There is expiation. (-h): There is no expiation. Note that in the popular view of the Mâlikis, killing is either intentional or mistaken; there is no third category of quasi-intentional murder.

liable for the other’s horse. If one of them was standing and the other was moving, the moving one would be liable for the mount of the standing one, and his ‘âqilah would owe the indemnity for him. This is unless the standing one was committing a violation by standing, such as one who sits in a narrow street or a path that belongs to the moving commuter; in this case, he would be liable for the expiation, the compensation for the moving commuter and his mount, and nothing would be owed by the moving commuter or his ‘âqilah. ¹⁶²⁷

اْلآخَرِ وَإِنْ كَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا وَاقِفًا وَاْلآخَرُ سَائِرًا، فَعَلىٰ السَّائِرِ ضَمَانُ دَابَّةِ اْلوَاقِفِ، وَعَلىٰ عَاقِلَتِهِ دِيَتُهُ. إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُوْنَ اْلوَاقِفُ مُتَعَدِّياًّ بِوُقُوْفِهِ، كَاْلقَاعِدِ فِيْ طَرِيْقٍ ضَيِّقٍ، أَوْ مِلْكِ السَّائِرِ، عَلَيْهِ كَفَّارَةٌ وَضَمَانُ السَّائِرِ وَدَابَّتِهِ، وَلاَ شَيْءَ عَلىٰ السَّائِرِ وَلاَ عَلىٰ عَاقِلَتِهِ

If three people (launch a projectile) using a catapult, and the rock hits an inviolable person, expiation is binding on each one of them, and one-third of the indemnity is due from his ‘âqilah. If the rock kills one of them (the three), the same applies, except that one-third of the indemnity will be dropped (since his death was partially caused by the individual himself). If they are more than three, then the share for which the victim is responsible is dropped, and the remaining indemnity is binding on the rest.

وَإِذَا رَمَى ثَلاَثَةٌ بِالْمَنْجَنِيْقِ، فَقَتَلَ اْلحَجَرُ مَعْصُوْمًا، فَعَلىٰ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ كَفَّارَةٌ، وَعَلىٰ عَاقِلَتِهِ ثُلُثُ دِيَتِهِ، وَإِنْ قُتِلَ أَحَدُهُمْ فَكَذٰلِكَ، إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ يَسْقُطُ ثُلُثُ دِيَتِهِ فِيْ مُقَابَلَةِ فِعْلِهِ. وَإِنْ كَانُوْا أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ثَلاَثَةٍ، سَقَطَتْ حِصَّةُ اْلقَتِيْلِ وَبَاقِيْ الدِّيَةِ فِيْ أَمْوَالِ اْلبَاقِيْنَ

1627.Notice the extent of precision and detail in the tradition of fiqh – and this in a book that is considered only an introductory manual. The richness of this legacy provides immense resources for our contemporary jurists to draw on and extrapolate from.

Expiation for Killing

( Page : no 155)

The Book of Indemnities

كَفاَّرَةِ اْلقَتْلِ

Introduction

The Book of Purification

The Book of Prayer

The Book of Funerals

The Book of Fasting

The Book of Hajj and 'Umrah

Book of Zakat

The Book of Selling and Commercial Transactions

The Book of Bequests

The Book of Inheritance

The Book of Marriage

The Book of Divorce

The Book of Sadaq

The Book of Dhihar

The Book of Lian

The Book of Foods

The Book of Oaths

Book of Fatal and Non-Fatal Assault

The Book of Indemnities

The Book of Hudood

The Book of Jihad

The Book of the Judiciary

The Book of Testimonies

Appendix

Glossary

Expiation for Killing