with sunlight: if his eye waters or he closes it, then he can see; otherwise, he cannot.

Others said: He should be caught unawares, and then something should be thrown in front of his eyes. If he reacts, that indicates that he can see; otherwise, he cannot. Nowadays, however, modern medicine can determine this, so we refer to it and have no need for such methods.

His statement, “smell”: its origin lies in the brain, while its pathway is the nose. Thus, if someone assaults another and causes him to lose his sense of smell, a full blood-money is due. If the injured party claims that he has lost his sense of smell and the offender denies it, the scholars said: the foulest smell should be brought and placed near him. If he recoils from it, we know that he can smell; otherwise, he cannot.

His statement, “taste”: if someone assaults another and causes him to lose his sense of taste, a full blood-money is due, because taste is a blessing from Allah. A person takes pleasure in food or drink before deriving its physical benefit.

If the injured party claims that he has lost his sense of taste and the offender denies it, he is tested with things whose taste he could not endure if his sense of taste remained intact.

If someone assaults another and causes the sense of touch in his hand to be lost, so that it no longer perceives roughness or softness, the blood-money for the hand is due, even if it can still move. There is a difference between loss of touch and paralysis: loss of touch is in the skin, whereas paralysis is in the nerves.

Some scholars said that if he injures a limb and causes it to lose sensation, then assessed compensation is due, because there is a distinction between paralysis and loss of touch. In the latter case, he can move his hand and use it to take and give, but he feels nothing; whereas in paralysis he cannot move it, and thus has lost its benefit altogether.