Chapter

The Book of Oaths (qasamah), Retaliation and Blood Money

كتاب القسامة

Arabic Text

أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي قَالَ، حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ طَهْمَانَ، عَنِ الْحَجَّاجِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي حَسَّانَ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنِ الأَشْتَرِ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِعَلِيٍّ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ تَفَشَّغَ بِهِمْ مَا يَسْمَعُونَ فَإِنْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَهِدَ إِلَيْكَ عَهْدًا فَحَدِّثْنَا بِهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ مَا عَهِدَ إِلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَهْدًا لَمْ يَعْهَدْهُ إِلَى النَّاسِ غَيْرَ أَنَّ فِي قِرَابِ سَيْفِي صَحِيفَةً فَإِذَا فِيهَا ‏ "‏ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ تَتَكَافَأُ دِمَاؤُهُمْ يَسْعَى بِذِمَّتِهِمْ أَدْنَاهُمْ لاَ يُقْتَلُ مُؤْمِنٌ بِكَافِرٍ وَلاَ ذُو عَهْدٍ فِي عَهْدِهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ مُخْتَصَرٌ ‏.‏

English Translation

It was narrataed from Al-Ashtar that he said to 'Ali:

"What the people have been hearing from you has become widespread. If the Messenger of Allah told you anything, then tell us," He said: "The Messenger of Allah did not tell me anything that he did not tell the people, except that in the sheath of my sword there is a sheet, in which it says: 'The lives of the believers are equal in value, and they hasten to support the asylum granted by the least of them. But no believer may be killed in return for a disbeliever, nor one with a covenant while his covenant is in effect."' It is an abridgement of it.