45/40, 41: Chapter
Sunan an-Nasai 4822 — Blood Money for the Unborn
The Description Of Killing That Resembles Intentional Killing, And Who Is To Pay The Diyah For A Fetus And For A Killing That Resembles Intentional Killing, And Mentioning The Different Wordings Reported In The Narration Of Ibrahim From 'Ubaid Bin Nudailah From Al-Mughirah
Hadith About Blood Money for the Child in the Womb
Sunan an-Nasai : 4822
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4822
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ قُدَامَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ نُضَيْلَةَ الْخُزَاعِيِّ، عَنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ بْنِ شُعْبَةَ، قَالَ ضَرَبَتِ امْرَأَةٌ ضَرَّتَهَا بِعَمُودِ الْفُسْطَاطِ وَهِيَ حُبْلَى فَقَتَلَتْهَا فَجَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم دِيَةَ الْمَقْتُولَةِ عَلَى عَصَبَةِ الْقَاتِلَةِ وَغُرَّةً لِمَا فِي بَطْنِهَا . فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ عَصَبَةِ الْقَاتِلَةِ أَنَغْرَمُ دِيَةَ مَنْ لاَ أَكَلْ وَلاَ شَرِبَ وَلاَ اسْتَهَلّ فَمِثْلُ ذَلِكَ يُطَلّ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَسَجْعٌ كَسَجْعِ الأَعْرَابِ " . فَجَعَلَ عَلَيْهِمُ الدِّيَةَ .
Al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah Narrated from:
A woman struck her co-wife, who was pregnant, with a tent pole and Killed her, The Messenger of Allah ruled that the 'Asabah of the Killer was to pay the Diyah and to give a slave (as Diyah for) the child in her womb. One of the 'Asabah of the killer said: 'Am I to pay blood money for one whom neither ate nor drank, or shouted or cried (at the moment of birth)? Such a one should be overlooked. The Messenger of Allah said: 'Rhyming verse like the verse of the Bedouin?' and he made them pay the Diyah
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4822In-book reference : Book 45, Hadith 117English translation : Vol. 5, Book 45, Hadith 4826
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4822
This hadith gives another narration of the case of a pregnant woman who was struck with a tent pole and killed. The Messenger of Allah made the Diyah of the killed woman due upon the Asabah of the killer and ruled that a slave should be given for what was in her womb. A man from the killer's Asabah objected, asking why they should pay for one who had not eaten, drunk, or cried at birth. The Prophet answered by rejecting that rhymed argument. This hadith about blood money for a fetus shows that the Prophet's ruling stood even when people tried to dismiss the unborn child with polished words.
What we learn from this hadith
- The slain woman's Diyah was assigned to the killer's Asabah.
- The unborn child had a separate compensation in the ruling.
- The Prophet did not accept wordplay as a reason to deny the ruling.
