What is meant by equivalence in the author’s words is that the killer must not be superior to the victim.

However, the author’s wording regarding equivalence is open to criticism. The correct formulation is that the killer must not be superior to the victim in religion, freedom, or ownership. Thus, a Muslim is not executed for a disbeliever, because the killer is superior to the victim in religion; nor is a free person executed for a slave, because the killer is superior to the victim in freedom; nor is a mukātab executed for his slave, even though both are slaves. The mukātab is nevertheless superior, because he owns him. This is why we said that the correct wording is: “in freedom and ownership.”

A mukātab is a slave who has purchased his freedom from his master; once he has done so, he owns what he earns.

His statement, “Thus, a Muslim is not executed for a disbeliever,” is supported by what is found in al-Sahih, in the hadith of Ali ibn Abi Talib: that the Prophet ﷺ said, “A Muslim is not to be executed for a disbeliever” (1). And he ﷺ said, “The blood of the believers is equal” (2). This indicates that non-believers are not equal to believers with respect to blood. Furthermore, in terms of reason, the Muslim is more elevated and more noble before Allah than