Chapter on the Ruling Regarding a Man Who Kills Two or More Men, and a Group That Gathers to Kill a Man
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 4|Book 1|Chapter 26
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh
Volume 4, Book 1, Chapter 26
Chapter on the Ruling Regarding a Man Who Kills Two or More Men, and a Group That Gathers to Kill a Man
9 hadiths
رَوَى اَلْقَاسِمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبَانٍ عَنِ اَلْفُضَيْلِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَشَرَةٌ قَتَلُوا رَجُلاً قَالَ "إِنْ شَاءَ أَوْلِيَاؤُهُ قَتَلُوهُمْ جَمِيعاً وَ غَرِمُوا تِسْعَ دِيَاتٍ وَ إِنْ شَاءُوا أَنْ يَتَخَيَّرُوا رَجُلاً فَيَقْتُلُوهُ قَتَلُوهُ وَ أَدَّى اَلتِّسْعَةُ اَلْبَاقُونَ إِلَى أَهْلِ اَلْمَقْتُولِ اَلْأَخِيرِ عُشْرَ اَلدِّيَةِ كُلُّ رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ قَالَ ثُمَّ إِنَّ اَلْوَالِيَ يَلِي أَدَبَهُمْ وَ حَبْسَهُمْ".
Al-Qasim ibn Muhammad narrated from Aban from Al-Fuḍayl ibn Yasar, who said: I asked Abu Jafar عليه السلام about ten men who killed a man. Imam عليه السلام said: "If the heirs of the murdered person wish, they may kill all of them and pay nine blood monies (diyyat). But if they prefer to choose one of them to execute, they may do so, and the remaining nine must each pay one-tenth of the blood money to the heirs of the murdered person." Imam عليه السلام added, "Afterward, the governor is responsible for disciplining and imprisoning them."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh, p. 321
وَ رَوَى حَمَّادٌ عَنِ اَلْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "قَضَى عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فِي رَجُلَيْنِ أَمْسَكَ أَحَدُهُمَا وَ قَتَلَ اَلْآخَرُ فَقَالَ "يُقْتَلُ اَلْقَاتِلُ وَ يُحْبَسُ اَلْآخَرُ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ غَمّاً كَمَا حَبَسَهُ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى مَاتَ غَمّاً" ".
Hammad narrated from Al-Halabi from Abu Abdullah عليه السلام who said: "Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام ruled in the case of two men where one of them restrained the victim while the other killed him. Imam عليه السلام said: 'The killer shall be executed, and the one who restrained the victim shall be imprisoned until he dies in grief, just as he caused the victim to be held until he died in grief.'"
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ قَالَ: فِي عَشَرَةٍ اِشْتَرَكُوا فِي قَتْلِ رَجُلٍ قَالَ "يَتَخَيَّرُ أَهْلُ اَلْمَقْتُولِ فَأَيُّهُمْ شَاءُوا قَتَلُوهُ وَ يَرْجِعُ أَوْلِيَاؤُهُ عَلَى اَلْبَاقِينَ بِتِسْعَةِ أَعْشَارِ اَلدِّيَةِ".
And Imam عليه السلام said regarding ten people who collectively participated in killing a man: "The heirs of the murdered person may choose whichever one of them they wish to execute, and the heirs of the executed person can then seek compensation from the remaining nine for nine-tenths of the blood money (diyyah)."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ قَضَى أَمِيرُ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فِي سِتَّةِ نَفَرٍ كَانُوا فِي اَلْمَاءِ فَغَرِقَ مِنْهُمْ رَجُلٌ فَشَهِدَ مِنْهُمْ ثَلاَثَةٌ عَلَى اِثْنَيْنِ أَنَّهُمَا غَرَّقَاهُ وَ شَهِدَ اِثْنَانِ عَلَى ثَلاَثَةٍ أَنَّهُمْ غَرَّقُوهُ فَأَلْزَمَهُمُ اَلدِّيَةَ جَمِيعاً أَلْزَمَ اَلاِثْنَيْنِ ثَلاَثَةَ أَسْهُمٍ بِشَهَادَةِ اَلثَّلاَثَةِ عَلَيْهِمَا وَ أَلْزَمَ اَلثَّلاَثَةَ سَهْمَيْنِ بِشَهَادَةِ اَلاِثْنَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمْ.
The Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام ruled in the case of six people who were in the water, and one of them drowned. Three of them testified that two others had drowned him, while the two testified that the three had drowned him. Imam عليه السلام obligated all of them to pay the blood money (diyyah). Imam عليه السلام made the two responsible for three shares of the diyyah based on the testimony of the three against them, and he made the three responsible for two shares based on the testimony of the two against them.
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
"وَ قَضَى عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فِي أَرْبَعَةِ نَفَرٍ اِطَّلَعُوا فِي زُبْيَةِ اَلْأَسَدِ فَخَرَّ أَحَدُهُمْ فَاسْتَمْسَكَ بِالثَّانِي وَ اِسْتَمْسَكَ اَلثَّانِي بِالثَّالِثِ وَ اِسْتَمْسَكَ اَلثَّالِثُ بِالرَّابِعِ حَتَّى أَسْقَطَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضاً عَلَى اَلْأَسَدِ فَقَضَى بِالْأَوَّلِ "أَنَّهُ فَرِيسَةُ اَلْأَسَدِ" وَ غَرَّمَ أَهْلَهُ ثُلُثَ اَلدِّيَةِ لِأَهْلِ اَلثَّانِي وَ غَرَّمَ أَهْلَ اَلثَّانِي لِأَهْلِ اَلثَّالِثِ ثُلُثَيِ اَلدِّيَةِ وَ غَرَّمَ أَهْلَ اَلثَّالِثِ لِأَهْلِ اَلرَّابِعِ اَلدِّيَةَ كَامِلَةً".
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام ruled in the case of four people who were looking into a lion's pit. One of them fell in and grabbed onto the second, the second grabbed onto the third, and the third grabbed onto the fourth until they all pulled each other down onto the lion. Imam عليه السلام ruled that the first was considered the prey of the lion, and his family was required to pay one-third of the blood money (diyyah) to the family of the second. The family of the second was required to pay two-thirds of the diyyah to the family of the third. The family of the third was required to pay the full diyyah to the family of the fourth.
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ أَبِي اَلْمِقْدَامِ قَالَ: كُنْتُ شَاهِداً عِنْدَ اَلْبَيْتِ اَلْحَرَامِ يُنَادِي بِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ اَلدَّوَانِيقِيِّ رَجُلٌ وَ هُوَ يَطُوفُ وَ يَقُولُ يَا أَمِيرَ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِنَّ هَذَيْنِ اَلرَّجُلَيْنِ طَرَقَا أَخِي لَيْلاً فَأَخْرَجَاهُ مِنْ مَنْزِلِهِ فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ إِلَيَّ وَ وَ اَللَّهِ مَا أَدْرِي مَا صَنَعَا بِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُمَا مَا صَنَعْتُمَا بِهِ فَقَالاَ يَا أَمِيرَ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ كَلَّمْنَاهُ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُمَا وَافِيَانِي غَداً عِنْدَ صَلاَةِ اَلْعَصْرِ فِي هَذَا اَلْمَكَانِ فَوَافَوْهُ صَلاَةَ اَلْعَصْرِ مِنَ اَلْغَدِ فَقَالَ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ وَ هُوَ قَابِضٌ عَلَى يَدِهِ يَا جَعْفَرُ اِقْضِ بَيْنَهُمْ فَقَالَ "اِقْضِ بَيْنَهُمْ أَنْتَ" قَالَ لَهُ بِحَقِّي عَلَيْكَ إِلاَّ قَضَيْتَ بَيْنَهُمْ قَالَ فَخَرَجَ جَعْفَرٌ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فَطُرِحَ لَهُ مُصَلَّى قَصَبٍ فَجَلَسَ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ جَاءَ اَلْخُصَمَاءُ فَجَلَسُوا قُدَّامَهُ فَقَالَ لِلْمُدَّعِي "مَا تَقُولُ" فَقَالَ يَا اِبْنَ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ إِنَّ هَذَيْنِ طَرَقَا أَخِي لَيْلاً فَأَخْرَجَاهُ مِنْ مَنْزِلِهِ وَ وَ اَللَّهِ مَا رَجَعَ إِلَيَّ وَ وَ اَللَّهِ مَا أَدْرِي مَا صَنَعَا بِهِ فَقَالَ "مَا تَقُولاَنِ" فَقَالاَ يَا اِبْنَ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ كَلَّمْنَاهُ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ "يَا غُلاَمُ اُكْتُبْ "بِسْمِ اَللّٰهِ اَلرَّحْمٰنِ اَلرَّحِيمِ" قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ "كُلُّ مَنْ طَرَقَ رَجُلاً بِاللَّيْلِ فَأَخْرَجَهُ مِنْ مَنْزِلِهِ فَهُوَ لَهُ ضَامِنٌ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُقِيمَ اَلْبَيِّنَةَ أَنَّهُ قَدْ رَدَّهُ إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ" يَا غُلاَمُ نَحِّ هَذَا اَلْوَاحِدَ مِنْهُمَا وَ اِضْرِبْ عُنُقَهُ" فَقَالَ يَا اِبْنَ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ مَا أَنَا قَتَلْتُهُ وَ لَكِنِّي أَمْسَكْتُهُ ثُمَّ جَاءَ هَذَا فَوَجَأَهُ فَقَتَلَهُ فَقَالَ "أَنَا اِبْنُ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ يَا غُلاَمُ نَحِّ هَذَا فَاضْرِبْ عُنُقَهُ لِلْآخَرِ" فَقَالَ يَا اِبْنَ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ وَ اَللَّهِ مَا عَذَّبْتُهُ وَ لَكِنِّي قَتَلْتُهُ بِضَرْبَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ فَأَمَرَ أَخَاهُ فَضَرَبَ عُنُقَهُ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِالْآخَرِ فَضَرَبَ جَنْبَيْهِ وَ حَبَسَهُ فِي اَلسِّجْنِ وَ وَقَّعَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ يُحْبَسُ عُمُرَهُ يُضْرَبُ كُلَّ سَنَةٍ خَمْسِينَ جَلْدَةً.
It is narrated from Amr ibn Abi Al-Miqdam who said: I was present at the Sacred House (Al-Bayt Al-Haram) when a man was calling out to Abu Jafar Al-Dawaniqi while he was performing ṭawaf (circumambulation) and said: "O' Commander of the Faithful! These two men came to my brother at night, took him out of his house, and he never returned to me. By Allah سبحانه وتعالى, I do not know what they did to him." Abu Jafar asked the two men: "What did you do to him?" They replied: "O' Commander of the Faithful! We only spoke to him, and then he returned to his house." Abu Jafar said to them: "Meet me tomorrow at this place at the time of the afternoon prayer (ṣalat Al-Aṣr)." The next day, they met him at the appointed time. Abu Jafar took hold of the hand of Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام and said: "O' Jafar عليه السلام, judge between them." Imam Jafar عليه السلام replied: "You judge between them." Abu Jafar insisted: "I swear by my right over you, you must judge between them." Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام then went out, and a prayer mat made of reeds was laid out for him. Imam عليه السلام sat upon it, and the disputants sat before him. Imam Jafar عليه السلام asked the claimant, "What do you say?" The man replied: "O' son of the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى! These two men came to my brother at night, took him out of his house, and by Allah سبحانه وتعالى, he never returned to me. By Allah سبحانه وتعالى, I do not know what they did to him." Imam Jafar عليه السلام then turned to the two men and said: "What do you both say?" The two men replied: "O' son of the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى! We only spoke to him, and then he returned to his home." Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: "O' servant, write: 'In the name of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Most Merciful, Most Compassionate. The Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: 'Whoever comes to a man at night and takes him out of his home is responsible for him unless he brings evidence that he returned him to his house.'" Then Imam عليه السلام said: "O' servant, separate one of them and strike his neck." The man exclaimed: "O' son of the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى! I did not kill him, but I only held him, and this man came and struck him, killing him." Imam Jafar عليه السلام said: "I am the son of the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. O' servant, separate this one and strike his neck for the other." The second man cried: "O' son of the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى! By Allah سبحانه وتعالى, I did not torture him; I killed him with a single strike." Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام ordered his brother to strike his neck. Then, Imam عليه السلام commanded that the first man be lashed on his sides and imprisoned. Imam عليه السلام wrote on his record: He shall be imprisoned for life and lashed fifty times every year.
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ رَوَى اَلسَّكُونِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "كَانَ قَوْمٌ يَشْرَبُونَ فَيَسْكَرُونَ فَتَبَاعَجُوا بِسَكَاكِينَ كَانَتْ مَعَهُمْ فَرُفِعُوا إِلَى أَمِيرِ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فَسَجَنَهُمْ فَمَاتَ مِنْهُمْ رَجُلاَنِ وَ بَقِيَ رَجُلاَنِ فَقَالَ أَهْلُ اَلْمَقْتُولَيْنِ يَا أَمِيرَ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَقِدْهُمَا بِصَاحِبَيْنَا فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ لِلْقَوْمِ "مَا تَرَوْنَ" فَقَالُوا نَرَى أَنْ تُقِيدَهُمَا فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ "لَعَلَّ ذَيْنِكَ اَللَّذَيْنِ مَاتَا قَتَلَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا صَاحِبَهُ" قَالُوا لاَ نَدْرِي فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ "بَلْ أَنَا أَجْعَلُ دِيَةَ اَلْمَقْتُولَيْنِ عَلَى قَبَائِلَ اَلْأَرْبَعَةِ فَآخُذُ دِيَةَ جِرَاحَةِ اَلْبَاقِينَ مِنْ دِيَةِ اَلْمَقْتُولَيْنِ" ".
Al-Sakuni narrated from Abu Abdullah عليه السلام that a group of people were drinking and became intoxicated. They began to attack each other with knives they had with them. They were brought before the Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام, and Imam عليه السلام imprisoned them. Two of them died, and two remained alive. The families of the two killed men said: "O' Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام! Execute these two in retaliation for our relatives." Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام asked the group: "What do you think?" They replied: "We think you should retaliate against them." Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام said: "Perhaps those two who died killed each other." They responded: "We do not know." Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام then said: "Rather, I will distribute the blood money (diyyah) of the two killed among the four tribes, and I will deduct the compensation for the injuries of the survivors from the diyyah of the deceased."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ رُفِعَ إِلَى أَمِيرِ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "ثَلاَثَةُ نَفَرٍ وَاحِدٌ مِنْهُمْ أَمْسَكَ رَجُلاً وَ أَقْبَلَ اَلْآخَرُ فَقَتَلَهُ وَ اَلْآخَرُ يَرَاهُمْ فَقَضَى عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فِي صَاحِبِ اَلرُّؤْيَةِ أَنْ تُسْمَلَ عَيْنَاهُ وَ قَضَى فِي اَلَّذِي أَمْسَكَ أَنْ يُسْجَنَ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ كَمَا أَمْسَكَهُ وَ قَضَى فِي اَلَّذِي قَتَلَ أَنْ يُقْتَلَ".
It was reported to the Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام about three men: one of them restrained a man, another approached and killed him, and the third stood by watching them. Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام ruled that the one who merely watched should have his eyes gouged out. Imam عليه السلام ruled that the one who restrained the victim should be imprisoned until he dies, just as he held the victim until death. As for the one who committed the murder, Imam عليه السلام ruled that he should be executed.
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
"وَ قَضَى عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فِي رَجُلٍ أَمَرَ عَبْدَهُ أَنْ يَقْتُلَ رَجُلاً فَقَالَ "وَ هَلْ عَبْدُ اَلرَّجُلِ إِلاَّ كَسَيْفِهِ وَ سَوْطِهِ يُقْتَلُ اَلسَّيِّدُ بِهِ وَ يُسْتَوْدَعُ اَلْعَبْدُ اَلسِّجْنَ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ" ".
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام ruled in the case of a man who commanded his servant to kill another man. Imam عليه السلام said: "Is not a man's servant like his sword and his whip? The master shall be executed for the crime, and the servant shall be imprisoned until he dies."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh