The first matter for which a servant will be called to account is his prayer, because the ḥadīth at hand deals with what lies between a person and other created beings, whereas the ḥadīth about the prayer relates to the Creator’s rights.
There is no doubt that the most inviolable of human rights is the right to life, just as the greatest of Allah’s rights over the Muslim is the prayer.
4. Judges and courts must therefore give homicide cases the utmost care and priority over all other matters.

Third ḥadīth
Sahl ibn Abī Ḥashmah reported:
‘Abd-Allāh ibn Sahl and Muḥaiṣa ibn Masʿūd went out to Khaybar, which at that time was under a peace treaty. The two separated, and Muḥaiṣa later came upon ‘Abd-Allāh ibn Sahl lying in his blood, slain. He buried him and then returned to Madīnah. ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Sahl, Muḥaiṣa, and Ḥuwaiṣa—the sons of Masʿūd—went to the Prophet ﷺ, and ‘Abd al-Raḥmān began to speak.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Kabbir, kabbir,” meaning, “Let the elder speak.” ‘Abd al-Raḥmān was the youngest of them, so he fell silent and the other two spoke.
He ﷺ said, “Will you swear an oath and thereby gain the right to your slayer—or the one who killed your companion?”
They replied, “How can we swear when we did not witness it?”
He said, “Then the Jews will clear themselves with fifty oaths.”
They said, “How can we accept the oaths of a people who disbelieve?”
So the Prophet ﷺ paid the blood-money himself.

In the version narrated by Ḥammād ibn Zayd, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Fifty of you shall swear against one of them, and he will be handed over to you bound with his rope.” They said, “We were not present; how can we swear?” He replied, “Then the Jews will exonerate themselves with fifty of their oaths.” They said, “Messenger of Allah, they are a disbelieving people!”

In the report of Saʿd ibn ʿUbayd it states: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ disliked letting his blood go to waste, so he paid a hundred camels from the zakāt livestock as blood-money.

Unfamiliar terms
• Muḥaiṣa: a proper name in the diminutive form.
• Yatashaḥḥaṭ (wallowing in his blood): he was thrashing about and convulsing.
• Ḥuwaiyṣa: another proper name in the diminutive.
• “Kabbir, kabbir”: both words are imperative; the second repeats the first for emphasis, i.e., “Let the elder speak.”
• Aḥdath al-qawm: the youngest of the group.
• Faʿaqalahu: originally, when a killer paid the blood-money, he would bring the camels and tie them up in the courtyard of the victim’s heirs. From this practice the term ʿaql (blood-money) became established, even when the payment is in currency.