Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (14/41)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

the general meaning of His words, exalted is He:

“A life for a life.” [al-Ma’idah 5:45]

It is also based on the general meaning of the Prophet’s saying: “The blood of a Muslim man is not lawful except in one of three cases: a life for a life” (1); and his saying: “The believers’ blood is equal” (2); as well as the specific case of the Prophet’s execution of a Jewish man for a woman. The Prophet executed a Jewish man for a woman after he had crushed her head between two stones because of some silver ornaments she possessed. She was asked, “Who killed you? Was it so-and-so, or so-and-so?” until the Jewish man was mentioned to her, whereupon she nodded her head in affirmation. The Jewish man was then brought, and he confessed. So the Prophet ordered that his head be crushed between two stones (3).

If you ask: Might it not be that the Prophet executed him because he had violated the covenant?

The answer is: No. Had the Prophet executed him for violating the covenant, he would have executed him with the sword. Rather, he executed him by way of retaliation, because he had crushed her head between two stones.

If you ask: Might it not be said that this man’s superiority as a male was offset by his being a disbeliever, while the woman was Muslim; and that, had he been Muslim, he would not have been executed for her?

The answer is that since he was executed by way of retaliation, this establishes that the effective cause is equivalence in retaliation. Thus, merely because he killed deliberately, he is executed.

If you ask: Is not the male superior?

The answer is: Yes, but the Sacred Law has not taken this superiority into consideration.

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari in al-Diyat, chapter on Allah's statement, “A life for a life, and an eye for an eye” (no. 6878), and by Muslim in al-Qasamah, chapter on what makes a Muslim's blood lawful to shed (25/1676), on the authority of Ibn Masud, may Allah be pleased with him. (2) Its authentication sources have preceded on p. 39. (3) Narrated by al-Bukhari in al-Khusumat, chapter on what is mentioned concerning individuals and disputes between Muslims and Jews (no. 2413), and by Muslim in al-Qasamah, al-Muharibun, al-Qisas, and al-Diyat, chapter on the establishment of retaliation for killing with a stone and other means ... (no. 1672), on the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him.

تعالى: ﴿أَنَّ النَّفْسَ بِالنَّفْسِ﴾ [المائدة: ٤٥]، وعموم قوله ﷺ: «لا يحل دم امرئ مسلم إلاّ بإحدى ثلاث: النفس بالنفس» (١)، وعموم قوله ﷺ: «المؤمنون تتكافأ دماؤهم» (٢)، وخصوص قتل النبي ﷺ اليهودي بالمرأة، فإنه ﷺ قتل يهودياً بامرأة، رضَّ اليهودي رأسها بين حجرين، على أوضاح لها، فقيل لها: من قتلك؟ أهو فلان أم فلان؟ حتى ذكر لها اليهودي، فأومأت برأسها أن نعم، فأُتي باليهودي فاعترف، فأمر النبي ﷺ أن يُرضَّ رأسه بين حجرين (٣). فإن قلت: ألا يحتمل أن النبي ﷺ قتله لنقضه العهد؟ فالجواب: لا؛ لأن النبي ﷺ لو كان قتله لنقضه للعهد لقتله بالسيف، ولكنه قتله قصاصاً؛ لأنه رضَّ رأسه بين حجرين. فإن قلت: ألا يقال: إن فضل هذا الرجل في الرجولة نَقَصَ لكونه كافراً، والأنثى مسلمةً، وأنه لو كان مسلماً ما قتل بها؟ فالجواب: أنه ما دام قُتِل من باب القصاص، فإنه يقتضي أن العلة هي المقاصة، فمجرّد أنه قتل عمداً فإنه يقتل. فإن قلت: أليس الذكر أفضل؟ فالجواب: بلى، لكن هذه الفضيلة لم يعتبرها الشرع.

(١) أخرجه البخاري في الديات/ باب قوله تعالى: ﴿النَّفْسَ بِالنَّفْسِ وَالْعَيْنَ بِالْعَيْنِ﴾ (٦٨٧٨)، ومسلم في القسامة/ باب ما يباح به دم المسلم (٢٥/ ١٦٧٦) عن ابن مسعود ﵁. (٢) تقدم تخريجه ص (٣٩). (٣) أخرجه البخاري في الخصومات/ باب ما يذكر في الأشخاص والخصومة بين المسلم واليهود (٢٤١٣)، ومسلم في القسامة والمحاربين والقصاص والديات/ باب ثبوت القصاص في القتل بالحجر وغيره … (١٦٧٢) عن أنس ـ رضي الله عنه ـ.