people, when the accidental killer is present, feel compassion for him, take pity on him, and waive the blood money. The slain person may have minor children, or all his children may be adults, but he may owe a debt, and they waive it. Such a waiver is invalid, because inheritance is not established until after the debt has been settled: “After any bequest he may have made or debt” [al-Nisa’ 4:11]. Thus, if they waive it while the deceased owed a debt, we say: the waiver is invalid; the blood money is collected and used to settle the deceased’s debt. This is an issue to which few people pay attention. Therefore, the guardians of the slain person should not waive the blood money until they have considered whether he owed a debt or not. Then, after that, they should consider whether there are any minors among the heirs.
“And if he is killed lawfully, by retaliation, a prescribed punishment, disbelief, or rebellion …”
His statement, “And if he is killed lawfully, by retaliation,” means by legal retribution; in that case, he inherits. For example, two brothers have a father. The older one rises up and deliberately kills his father, so he does not inherit from him. Then the younger one kills his brother in legal retribution, and he inherits. Thus, the inheritance of both the father and the elder son goes to the younger brother, who receives the inheritance of the two men. As for his father, he has no right to inherit from him because his brother deliberately killed him; and as for his brother, because he killed him lawfully.
His statement, “or a prescribed punishment”: is there any prescribed punishment that reaches the point of execution? Yes: the stoning of the adulterer. If the heir participates in the stoning of the adulterer who is his bequeather, he inherits.
His statement, “or disbelief”: we have mentioned that difference of religion is among the impediments to inheritance, so how can he kill him on account of disbelief? This scenario applies according to the view that difference of religion does not prevent inheritance through manumission, in which case it is valid; or according to the view that the apostate is inherited from by his relatives, as chosen by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him.
His statement, “or rebellion,” refers to the rebels: those who rise against the imam—that is, the ruler—on the basis of a plausible interpretation. They say to the imam, “You are