He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

May a person tear another’s garment just as the latter tears his?

He replied:

Regarding retaliation in kind for the destruction of property—for example, when someone tears another’s garment and the latter tears an equivalent garment belonging to him, or demolishes another’s house and the latter demolishes his, and similar cases—the scholars hold two views, both reported from Ahmad.

The first is that this is not lawful, because it constitutes destruction and because properties and garments are not equivalent to one another.

The second is that it is lawful, because lives and limbs are more precious than property. If taking a life or destroying a limb is permissible as retaliation to secure full redress for the wronged person, then this applies all the more to property. Hence, we may destroy the property of those at war with us if they destroy ours, as in cutting down fruit-bearing trees, even if doing so without necessity is held to be prohibited. This matter is disputed.

If someone destroys another’s garments, animals, real estate, or similar property, must he compensate him for their value, or provide replacements of the same kind with due regard to their value? The scholars hold two well-known views on this. These are also two positions within