Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (14/443)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

he is asked to repent three times; if he repents, otherwise he is executed,” because he deliberately and wrongfully killed someone whose blood was inviolable.

His statement, “or takes lawful medicine,” indicates that if a person loses his mind through something prohibited—for example, by deliberately drinking an intoxicant—he is held accountable for his statements. His ruling is that of one who retains his reason: if he divorces his wife, the divorce takes effect; if he acknowledges a financial liability, he is bound by what he acknowledged; and if he apostatizes, the ruling of apostasy is established against him and he is executed. This is the well-known position in the school of Imam Ahmad. The correct view, however, is otherwise: one who drinks an intoxicant despite its prohibition is not to be subjected to any discretionary punishment beyond what the Shariah has prescribed—namely, forty lashes, eighty lashes, or more, according to what will deter people from this prohibited drink. But to hold him accountable for his statements and actions while he is not conscious is not possible.

The scholars differed regarding his actions: is he held accountable for them?

The correct view is that his actions are like those of one who acts by mistake, not like those of one who acts deliberately. Thus, if he kills someone, retaliation is not carried out against him, because he has no reason; however, blood money is taken from him. This is unless we know that he consumed the intoxicant in order to carry out his act, in which case he is held accountable for it. For example, suppose this man wishes to kill someone and says: “If I kill him while sober, they will execute me in retaliation for him. But I will drink an intoxicant and kill him while intoxicated.” In this case, we say that he is to be executed, because he became intoxicated in order to commit the prohibited act. Matters are judged according to their intentions, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Actions are only by intentions, and every person shall have only what he intended.” (1)

(1) Al-Bukhari narrated it in The Beginning of Revelation, chapter: “How the Revelation began to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him” (1); and Muslim in The Book of Leadership, chapter: “His statement: ‘Actions are only by intentions’” (1907), on the authority of Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him.

استتيب ثلاثاً فإن تاب وإلا قتل»؛ لأنه قتل معصوماً عمداً وعدواناً. وقوله: «أو شرب دواء مباح» أفادنا أنه إذا زال عقله بشيء محرم، كما لو شرب مسكراً متعمداً فإنه يؤاخذ بأقواله، فحكمه حكم الذي معه عقله، فإذا طلق وقع الطلاق، وإذا أقر بمال ثبت عليه ما أقر به، وإذا ارتد ثبت عليه حكم المرتد وقتل، وهذا هو المشهور من مذهب الإمام أحمد، والصحيح خلاف ذلك، وهو أن من شرب مسكراً مع التحريم فإنه لا يعزَّر بأكثر مما جاءت به الشريعة، وهو أن يجلد أربعين جلدة، أو ثمانين جلدة، أو أكثر حسب ما يكون به ردع الناس عن هذا الشراب المحرم، وأما أن نؤاخذه بأقواله، وأفعاله، وهو لا يعقل فلا يمكن. واختلف العلماء في فعله، هل يؤاخذ به؟ والصواب أن فعله كفعل المخطئ، لا كفعل المتعمد، فلو قتل إنساناً لم يقتص منه؛ لأنه لا عقل له، ولكن تؤخذ منه الدية، إلا إذا علمنا أنه تناول المسكر لتنفيذ فعله فإنه يؤاخذ به، يعني لو فرضنا أن هذا الرجل يريد أن يقتل شخصاً، فقال: إن قتلته وأنا عاقل قتلوني به، ولكن أشرب مسكراً وأقتله، وأنا سكران، ففي هذه الحال نقول: إنه يقتل؛ لأنه سَكِرَ من أجل الوصول إلى العمل المحرم، والعبرة في الأمور بمقاصدها، لقول النبي ﷺ: «إنما الأعمال بالنيات، وإنما لكل امرئ ما نوى» (١). * * *

(١) رواه البخاري في بدء الوحي باب كيف كان بدء الوحي إلى رسول الله ﷺ (١)، ومسلم في الإمارة/ باب قوله: «إنما الأعمال بالنيات» (١٩٠٧) عن عمر بن الخطاب ﵁.