her paternal relatives." Agreed upon.

This hadith shows that the blood money for accidental killing is borne by the ʿaqilah, and the scholars are unanimous on that point.

The wisdom behind it—Allah knows best—is that obligating the entire indemnity to come out of the wealth of the one who erred would impose tremendous hardship for a sin he did not intend, and accidental killing occurs frequently. To make him alone guarantee the loss would be an unfair drain on his property. Yet a substitute must be offered for the slain person, for every human life is inviolable, and leaving his blood uncompensated would harm his heirs, especially his close family. Therefore the Wise Lawgiver required those whose duty it is to ally with and support the killer to assist him in paying it. This resembles the obligation of supporting relatives or ransoming captives. Moreover, the ʿaqilah would, in principle, inherit from the killer were he to die; accordingly they bear the burden of his accidental offense by the rule, “liability follows benefit.”

The killer himself, however, must perform the expiation for several reasons:

1. To honor the life that has been lost.
2. Because the killing is not entirely free of his negligence.
3. So that he is not left without any burden once the blood money has been shifted from him.

Thus assigning the blood money to the ʿaqilah and the expiation to the killer combines many legal wisdoms and benefits. Exalted is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing, who has prescribed for people whatever rectifies and benefits them in their religious and worldly affairs.