many of the killer’s associates, such as the chief of the tribe or the leader of the group. Thus, the killer commits the initial transgression, and these people transgress when exacting retribution. Such is the practice of those who follow the ways of pre-Islamic ignorance and depart from the Sharia in these times, whether Bedouins, townspeople, or others.

They may consider killing the killer too grave a matter because he is a person of standing, nobler than the victim. This leads the victim’s heirs to kill whichever of the killer’s relatives they can seize. Sometimes one side opposes a group and seeks its help, while the other does likewise with another group, leading to strife and bitter enmities. This happens because they depart from the path of justice, which is retaliation in cases of killing. Allah therefore prescribed retaliation for us—equality and equivalence in cases of killing—and declared that in it there is life. It spares the blood of everyone among the relatives of both men other than the killer. Moreover, when someone contemplating murder knows that he will be put to death, he refrains from killing.

It has been related from ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib, may Allah be pleased with him, and from ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb, from his father, from his grandfather, may Allah be pleased with them both, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“The blood of all believers is of equal worth. They stand united against others, and a guarantee of protection granted by even the least of them is binding upon them all. Indeed, no Muslim shall be killed for a disbeliever, nor shall anyone under a covenant be killed while his covenant remains in force.”

This was reported by Ahmad, Abū Dāwūd, and others among the compilers of the Sunan collections. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, thus ruled that the blood of all Muslims is of equal worth—that is, equal and equivalent. No Arab is given precedence over a non-Arab, nor any Qurashī or Hāshimī over other members of