then come his agnates, after them the manumitter of that manumitter, followed by the latter’s agnates. If none of these exist, liability devolves upon the manumitter of the killer’s father, then upon his agnates, then upon the manumitter of that manumitter and his agnates, and so on without end. When the killer was freed by a woman, the diyah is borne by her own male agnates. If a person has several manumitters, they rank as one, and every individual among the agnates of each manumitter is charged with whatever share the manumitter himself would have carried. According to the sound view, a freedman does not act as ʿāqilah.

If no ʿāqilah can be found, or if they lack the means, the public treasury (bayt al-māl) pays on behalf of a Muslim; if even that is unavailable, the entire amount, according to the sound opinion, rests upon the killer. A full diyah that the ʿāqilah must pay is deferred over three years, one-third each year. For a non-Muslim subject (dhimmī) the term is one year—another opinion says three; for a woman it is two years, with one-third due in the first year—another opinion again fixes it at three. The ʿāqilah, according to the sound position, are likewise liable for the killing of a slave, paying each year the equivalent of one-third of a diyah, though another view distributes it over three full years. If two persons are killed, the payment is spread over three years, while another opinion extends it to six. For injuries to limbs, the ʿāqilah pays each year one-third of a diyah, although another view requires the whole amount within a single year. The deferment for a life is counted from the moment the soul departs, whereas for other injuries it starts at the time of the injury; if someone liable dies during the course of a year, his share for that year lapses.

A pauper, a slave, a minor, a madman, and neither a Muslim on behalf of a non-Muslim nor a non-Muslim on behalf of a Muslim constitute an ʿāqilah. According to the sound view, however, a Jew may pay on behalf of a Christian and the reverse. Each year, a wealthy member contributes half a dinar, and one of moderate means a quarter-dinar, for each of the three years; another opinion makes that amount obligatory for the entire three-year period. The assessment is taken at the close of each lunar year, and whoever is insolvent at that time is exempt.

Section
The financial liability arising from a slave’s offense attaches to the slave himself. His master may sell him for that purpose, or ransom him with whichever is less—the slave’s value or the assessed compensation; the earlier view obliges the full compensation. According to the sound position, the liability does not attach to the slave’s personal assets in addition to his person. If the master ransoms him and he then commits another offense, the master may again surrender him for sale or ransom him. Should he commit a second offense before the first has been redeemed, the master may sell him to satisfy both liabilities, or ransom him with the lesser of his value and the two compensations; the earlier view requires payment of the two compensations in full. If the master frees him, sells him and the sale is validated, or kills him, he must ransom him with the lesser amount—another opinion keeps the two alternative views. If the slave absconds or dies, the master is cleared of liability, except