Fath al-Rabbani

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent me to Yemen. I reached those people who had dug a pit for a lion. Meanwhile, there was a crowd there and people began to save themselves through one another. One man fell into the pit, he clung to another, the second grabbed a third, until four men fell into the pit. The lion wounded all of them. One man quickly struck the lion with a spear and killed it, but all four could not bear their wounds and passed away. Now the heirs of the slain, armed themselves and prepared to fight to the death. While they were preparing for battle, Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived among them and said: You are girding yourselves for battle while the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is still alive among you. I will decide among you; if you are pleased with it, then fine, otherwise refrain from confronting each other and do not take any step until you reach the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), then he will decide among you, and whoever exceeds after that decision will have no right left. Now listen! My decision is that all the tribes who were gathered near the well should collectively pay one-fourth blood money, one-third blood money, half blood money, and full blood money. The one who first fell into the pit should be given one-fourth of the blood money, because he became the cause of the death of those above him. The second man who fell should be given one-third of the blood money, the third who fell should be given half the blood money, and the fourth should be given the full blood money. But the people refused to accept this decision. When they presented themselves before the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he was sitting near Maqam Ibrahim at that time. They narrated the incident before him. He said: I will now decide among you. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sat upright. Meanwhile, a man said: Indeed, Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) had already decided among us, then he narrated the whole incident. Thus, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) enforced the same decision.