Chapter on Retaliation (Qisas) and the Amount of Blood Money (Diyyah)

Muhammad ibn Aslam narrated from Ali ibn Abi Hamzah from Abu Al-Hasan Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim عليه السلام, who said: I asked Imam عليه السلام: "May I be your ransom! A man was killed, whether intentionally or accidentally, and he had debts and wealth. His heirs wanted to pardon the killer. What is the ruling?" Imam عليه السلام said: "If they pardon his blood, they are responsible for paying his debts." I asked: "What if they wish to execute the killer?" Imam عليه السلام said: "If he is killed intentionally, his killer is to be executed, and the Imam will pay his debt from the gharimin (debtors) portion of the public treasury (Bayt Al-Mal)." I asked: "If he was killed intentionally and his heirs reconciled with the killer for blood money (diyyah), who is responsible for the debt? Is it upon his heirs from the blood money or upon the Imam of the Muslims?" Imam عليه السلام replied: "Rather, they must pay his debt from the diyyah they accepted in the settlement because he is more entitled to his blood money than anyone else."