Book of Blood Money

Ikrimah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ruled, for a man of the Ansar whom a client of Banu Adi had killed, a blood money of twelve thousand. And about them it was revealed: "And they resented nothing except that Allah and His Messenger had enriched them of His bounty." [Al-Tawbah: 74]

Makhul said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away when the blood money was 800 dinars. Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) became apprehensive of what would come after him, so he made it 12,000 dirhams or 1,000 dinars.

Abidah al-Salmani said that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) fixed the blood money. He set 1,000 dinars on the people of gold, 10,000 on the people of silver, 100 camels on the people of camels, 200 older cows on the people of cattle, 2,000 goats on the people of goats, and 200 sets of garments on the people of garments.

Ata said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) set the blood money on people in their own kinds of wealth, which was 100 camels on the people of camels, 2,000 goats on the people of goats, 200 cows on the people of cattle, and 200 sets of garments on the people of garments. Ata said: He also set something on the people of grain, which I do not remember.

Muhammad bin Amr said that Umar bin Abd al-Aziz wrote to the commanders of the armies: "In the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the blood money was 100 camels."

Qatadah said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The blood money for accidental killing is 100 camels. Whoever adds one camel, that is from the affairs of the Time of Ignorance."

It is narrated from Umar bin Abd al-Aziz that he fixed the blood money at 100 camels and set the value of each camel at 100, whether the camel was expensive or cheap. Then people adopted this.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna Abdullah and Sayyiduna Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them both) that they said: "The blood money is 100 camels."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I glorify Allah twelve thousand times every day, in the measure of my blood money," or he said: "in the measure of his blood money."

It is narrated from Ikrimah that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ruled for the people of the towns a blood money of twelve thousand, and said: "Times are changing, and I fear for you the rulers who will come after me. So there is no increase on the people of the towns for aggravating the blood money, neither for the sacred month nor for sanctity. The blood money of the people of the towns has aggravation in it; there is no increase in it."

It is narrated from Amr bin Shu'ayb that Qatadah, a man of Banu Mudlij, killed his son, so Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) took 100 camels: thirty hiqqah (that is, in their fourth year), thirty jadha'ah (in their fifth year), and forty pregnant she-camels.

Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon on the day of the Conquest of Makkah. He stood on the step of the Ka'bah and said: "All praise is for Allah Almighty, who made His promise true, helped His servant, and alone defeated the confederates. Indeed, for the one killed by intentional error with a whip or a stick, the blood money is aggravated: 100 camels, of which forty are (pregnant) she-camels with their young in their wombs."

It is narrated from al-Hasan regarding the ages of camels in the ruling on blood money that he said: "Thirty pregnant she-camels, thirty in their fifth year, twenty in their second year, and twenty in their third year."

Al-Zuhri used to say: "200 cows or 2,000 goats."

Sayyiduna Sahl bin Abi Hathmah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) paid 100 camels as blood money for a man.