“It is not for a believer to kill another believer, except by mistake. Whoever kills a believer by mistake must free a believing slave and pay blood-money to the victim’s family, unless they waive it as charity. But if the victim was a believer from a people at war with you, then the freeing of a believing slave is required. And if he was from a people with whom you have a treaty, then blood-money must be paid to his family, along with the freeing of a believing slave. Whoever cannot find one must fast for two consecutive months, as repentance from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.” (92)

The statement of the Most High, “It is not for a believer to kill another believer,” to the end of the verse, was revealed concerning Ayyash (ibn Abi Rabi'ah) (1) al-Makhzumi. Before the Hijrah, he came to the Messenger of Allah in Mecca and accepted Islam. Then he feared revealing his Islam to his family, so he fled to Medina and took refuge in one of its fortified structures.

His mother was deeply distressed by this, and she said to her two sons, al-Harith and Abu Jahl ibn Hisham—who were his half-brothers through his mother—“By Allah, I shall neither remain beneath a roof nor taste food or drink until you bring him back to me.” So they went out in search of him, accompanied by al-Harith ibn Zayd ibn Abi Anisah, until they arrived in Medina. They came to Ayyash while he was in the fortified structure and said to him, “Come down. Since you left, your mother has not been sheltered beneath the roof of a house, and she has sworn neither to eat food nor drink anything until you return to her. You have Allah’s covenant from us (2) that we will neither compel you to do anything nor prevent you from practicing your religion.”

When they told him of his mother’s distress and solemnly pledged this to him by Allah, he came down to them. They took him out of Medina, then bound him with a leather strap, and each of them whipped him one hundred lashes. They then brought him before his mother. When he came to her, she said, “By Allah, I will not release you (3) from your bonds until you disbelieve in the One in whom you have believed.” Then they left him bound and cast out in the sun for as long as Allah willed. So he yielded to what they wanted. Al-Harith ibn Zayd then came to him and said, “O Ayyash, is this what you...”