of his hands or feet numbered twelve, the blood-money would not be apportioned among all of them, because the additional ones are a defect.

His statement, “For each phalanx, one-third of one-tenth of the blood-money is due,” means that each phalanx carries an indemnity of three and one-third camels.

Each finger has three phalanges, except for the thumb, which has two.

His statement, “The thumb has two joints, and for each joint half of one-tenth of the blood-money is due”: since it has two joints, its indemnity is divided between them, so that each joint carries half of one-tenth of the blood-money—that is, five camels.

There is no difference in this between the upper and lower phalanx. If the upper one is severed, five camels are due; but if the lower one is severed, the indemnity is ten camels, because severing the lower one entails the loss of the upper one.

His statement, “like the indemnity for a tooth,” means that, just as a tooth carries an indemnity of five camels—as stated in the hadith, “For a tooth, five camels are due” (1)—there is no difference between an incisor and a molar. Accordingly, the indemnity for all the teeth is one hundred and sixty camels; the scholars assess the indemnity for teeth individually.

As for cases involving multiple assaults, each tooth has its own ruling. Thus, if he assaults him once and destroys all his teeth, the jurists, may Allah have mercy on them, hold that the compensation is according to the number of teeth.