Chapter on Al-'aqilah (collective Responsibility for Blood money)

أُتِيَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ع بِرَجُلٍ قَدْ قَتَلَ رَجُلًا خَطَأً فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ ع مَنْ عَشِيرَتُكَ وَ قَرَابَتُكَ فَقَالَ مَا لِي بِهَذِهِ الْبَلْدَةِ قَرَابَةٌ وَ لَا عَشِيرَةٌ فَقَالَ مِنْ أَهْلِ أَيِّ الْبُلْدَانِ أَنْتَ فَقَالَ أَنَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَوْصِلِ وُلِدْتُ بِهَا وَ لِي فِيهَا قَرَابَةٌ وَ أَهْلُ بَيْتٍ فَسَأَلَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَنْهُ فَلَمْ يَجِدْ لَهُ بِالْكُوفَةِ قَرَابَةً وَ لَا

A man who had killed another man by mistake was brought to Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as). Imam Ali (as) asked him: "Who are your relatives and kin?" The man replied: "I have no relatives or kin in this town." Imam Ali (as) then asked: "From which town are you?" The man said: "I am a man from Mos

لَيْسَ بَيْنَ أَهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ مُعَاقَلَةٌ فِيمَا يَجْنُونَ مِنْ قَتْلٍ أَوْ جِرَاحَةٍ إِنَّمَا يُؤْخَذُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ مَالٌ رَجَعَتِ الْجِنَايَةُ عَلَى إِمَامِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ لِأَنَّهُمْ يُؤَدُّونَ إِلَيْهِ الْجِزْيَةَ كَمَا يُؤَدِّي الْعَبْدُ الضَّرِيبَةَ إِلَى سَيِّدِهِ قَالَ وَ هُمْ مَمَالِيكُ لِلْإِمَامِ فَمَنْ أَسْلَمَ مِنْهُمْ فَهُوَ حُرٌّ[2].

Hadith.5309 - Al-Hasan ibn Mahbub narrated from Abu Walad, from Abu Abdullah (as) said: "There is no mutual liability among the People of the Covenant (Ahl Al-Dhimma) regarding crimes they commit, whether it be murder or bodily injury. Such compensation is taken from their wealth. If they have no wealth, the responsibi

كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع يَجْعَلُ جِنَايَةَ الْمَعْتُوهِ‌[3] عَلَى عَاقِلَتِهِ خَطَأً أَوْ عَمْداً.

Hadith.5310 - Al-Hasan ibn Mahbub narrated from Abu Ayyub, from Muhammad ibn Muslim, from Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) said: "Commander of the Faithful (as) would assign the liability for the offense committed by a mentally impaired person (ma'tooh) to his family (Aqilah), whether it was accidental or

وَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ لَا تَعْقِلُ الْعَاقِلَةُ[4] إِلَّا مَا قَامَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْبَيِّنَةُ وَ أَتَاهُ رَجُلٌ فَاعْتَرَفَ عِنْدَهُ فَجَعَلَهُ فِي مَالِهِ خَاصَّةً وَ لَمْ يَجْعَلْ عَلَى عَاقِلَتِهِ مِنْهُ شَيْئاً.

Hadith.5311 - Commander of the Faithful (as) said: "The Aqilah (the male relatives responsible for blood money) is only liable for what has been established by evidence. If a man came to him and confessed (to a crime), he made its compensation from his own wealth specifically and did not place any responsibility on his

لَا تَضْمَنُ الْعَاقِلَةُ عَمْداً وَ لَا إِقْرَاراً وَ لَا صُلْحاً[1].

"The Aqilah (male relatives responsible for blood money) is not liable for intentional acts, nor for confessions, nor for settlements."

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ ضَرَبَ رَأْسَ رَجُلٍ بِمِعْوَلٍ فَسَالَتْ عَيْنَاهُ عَلَى خَدَّيْهِ فَوَثَبَ الْمَضْرُوبُ عَلَى ضَارِبِهِ فَقَتَلَهُ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع هَذَانِ مُعْتَدِيَانِ جَمِيعاً فَلَا أَرَى عَلَى الَّذِي قَتَلَ الرَّجُلَ قَوَداً لِأَنَّهُ قَتَلَهُ حِينَ قَتَلَهُ وَ هُوَ أَعْمَى وَ الْأَعْمَى جِنَايَتُهُ خَطَأٌ تُلْزَمُ عَاقِلَتُهُ يُؤْخَذُونَ بِهَا فِي ثَلَاثِ سِنِينَ فِي

I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about a man who struck another man's head with a pickaxe, causing his eyes to fall onto his cheeks. The injured man then attacked his assailant and killed him. Abu Abdullah (as) said: "Both of them were aggressors. Therefore, I do not see that the one who killed the man should face retaliation