Umdat at-TalibAl-Buhuti

Book of Criminal Offences (1)

Homicide

  1. Intentional homicide – Retaliatory execution (qiṣāṣ) is specific to this category, on condition that the killing was deliberate and that legal equivalence exists between killer and victim.

  2. Quasi-intentional homicide

  3. Accidental homicide

    In both quasi-intentional and accidental cases, the blood money (diya) is borne by the ʿāqila—the paternal agnates—while the expiation is paid from the killer’s personal wealth.

Whoever kills a person whose blood is inviolable with something that customarily causes death—such as a sharp weapon, a large stone, poison, sorcery that usually kills, by throwing him from a height, or into fire, or into drowning water, and the like—or who testifies against him in a capital case and later retracts, admitting, “I intended it,” is subject to retaliatory execution.

If he deliberately strikes him with something that does not normally kill and in a non-fatal spot—like a small stone or a whip—the act is deemed quasi-intentional homicide.

If he shoots at game or a target and unintentionally hits a human being, or a sleeper (or the like) rolls over onto someone and kills him, the case is accidental homicide—just as the killing committed by a minor or an insane person is treated.

A group of killers may all be put to death for a single victim; but if the right of retaliation is waived, only the blood money is payable.

Whoever coerces a legally responsible person (mukallaf) to kill his equal incurs retaliation—or blood money (2)—against them both. If he orders the killing through someone who is not legally responsible, or through a person ignorant of the prohibition, or if a tyrannical ruler commands it (3), then the one who was ignorant

(1) Jinayat (sing. jinayah) denotes, in ordinary Arabic, any aggression against life, property, or honour; in Islamic law it signifies an assault on the body that entails qisas (retaliatory punishment) or financial compensation. (2) Manuscript A adds: “and the diyah (blood-money).” (3) The word zulman (wrongfully) is not found in manuscript J.
كتابُ الجِنَايَاتِ (١) القتلُ: عمدٌ: يَخْتصُ القَوَدُ به بِشَرْطِ القَصْدِ والمكافأة. وشِبهُ عَمدٍ، وخَطَأٌ: فيهما الدِّيةُ على العَاقلة، والكفارةُ في مالِ قَاتلٍ. فمن قَتَلَ مَعْصوماً بما يَغْلبُ على الظَنِّ موتُه به بِمُحَدَّدٍ أو حَجَرٍ كَبيرٍ، أو سُمٍّ، أو سِحْبر يقتلُ غَالِبًا، أو ألقاهُ مِنْ شَاهِقٍ، أو في نارٍ، أو ماءٍ يُغْرِقُه ونحو ذلك، أو شَهِدَ عليه بما يُوجب قتلهُ ثم رجع وقال عَمَدْتُ فعليه القودَ. وإنْ ضَرَبَهُ قَصْداً بما لا يَقْتُلُ غَالِباً في غَيرِ مَقْتَلٍ؛ كَحَجَرٍ صَغيرٍ وسَوْطٍ فَشِبْهُ عمدٍ. وإن رَمى صيداً أو غَرَضَاً فَأصابَ آدميّاً لم يَقْصدْه، أو انقلبَ نائمٌ ونحوه على آدمي فقتله فخطأٌ، كَعمْدِ صغيرٍ ومجنونٍ. وتُقتلُ الجماعةُ بواحدٍ فإِنْ أُسْقِطَ القَوَدُ فَدِيةٌ فَقَطْ. ومَنْ أَكْرَه مُكَلَّفاً على قتل مكافئِه فالقَوَدُ أو الدّيةُ (٢) عليهما، وإنْ أَمَرَ به غير مُكلّفٍ أو مَن يَجْهَلُ تَحريمَه، أو أَمَر بِه سلطانٌ ظلمًا (٣) مَنْ جَهِلَ
(١) الجنايات جمع جناية، وهي لغةً: التعدي على نفس أو مال أو عرض. وشرعاً: التعدي على البدن بما يوجب قصاصاً أو مالاً. (٢) في (أ): "والدية". (٣) قوله: "ظلماً" ليس في (ج).

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