Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh

رَوَى اَلْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَبِي اَلْحَسَنِ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "دِيَةُ اَلْجَنِينِ إِذَا ضُرِبَتْ أُمُّهُ فَسَقَطَ مِنْ بَطْنِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ تُنْشَأَ فِيهِ اَلرُّوحُ مِائَةُ دِينَارٍ وَ هِيَ لِوَرَثَتِهِ وَ دِيَةُ اَلْمَيِّتِ إِذَا قُطِعَ رَأْسُهُ وَ شُقَّ بَطْنُهُ فَلَيْسَتْ هِيَ لِوَرَثَتِهِ إِنَّمَا هِيَ لَهُ دُونَ اَلْوَرَثَةِ" فَقُلْتُ وَ مَا اَلْفَرْقُ بَيْنَهُمَا فَقَالَ "إِنَّ اَلْجَنِينَ أَمْرٌ مُسْتَقْبِلٌ يُرْجَى نَفْعُهُ وَ إِنَّ هَذَا قَدْ مَضَى وَ ذَهَبَتْ مَنْفَعَتُهُ فَلَمَّا مُثِّلَ بِهِ بَعْدَ وَفَاتِهِ صَارَتْ دِيَةُ اَلْمُثْلَةِ لَهُ لاَ لِغَيْرِهِ يُحَجُّ بِهَا عَنْهُ أَوْ يُفْعَلُ بِهَا أَبْوَابُ اَلْبِرِّ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ وَ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ " قُلْتُ فَإِنَّهُ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ لِيَحْفِرَ لَهُ بِئْراً يُغَسِّلُهُ فِيهَا فَسَدِرَ اَلرَّجُلُ فِيمَا يَحْفِرُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَمَالَتْ مِسْحَاتُهُ فِي يَدِهِ فَأَصَابَتْ بَطْنَهُ فَشَقَّتْهُ فَمَا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ "إِنْ كَانَ هَكَذَا فَهُوَ خَطَأٌ وَ إِنَّمَا عَلَيْهِ اَلْكَفَّارَةُ عِتْقُ رَقَبَةٍ أَوْ صِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ أَوْ صَدَقَةٌ عَلَى سِتِّينَ مِسْكِيناً مُدٌّ لِكُلِّ مِسْكِينٍ بِمُدِّ اَلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ ".

Al-Husayn ibn Khalid narrated from Abu Al-Hasan Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (a.s), who said: "The diyyah (blood money) for a fetus, if its mother is struck and it is miscarried before the soul is breathed into it, is one hundred dinars, and this belongs to its heirs. As for the diyyah of a deceased person whose head is severed and whose abdomen is cut open, it does not go to his heirs; rather, it belongs to him alone." I asked: "What is the difference between the two cases?" Imam (a.s) said: "The fetus represents a future life, and its benefit is anticipated. But the deceased has already passed away, and his benefit has ceased. Therefore, when he is mutilated after death, the diyyah for the mutilation is his alone, not for others. It is to be used to perform Hajj on his behalf or for acts of charity and other good deeds." I then asked: "What if a man enters to dig a grave to wash the deceased, but while digging, he loses focus, and his shovel slips from his hand and strikes the abdomen of the deceased, cutting it open? What is required of him?" Imam (a.s) said: "If it happened in this manner, it is considered unintentional (khata'), and he is required to perform kaffarah (expiation): to free a slave, or fast for two consecutive months, or feed sixty poor people, giving each one a mudd (a measure) according to the mudd of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family."

وَ فِي نَوَادِرِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ أَنَّ اَلصَّادِقَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "قَطْعُ رَأْسِ اَلْمَيِّتِ أَشَدُّ مِنْ قَطْعِ رَأْسِ اَلْحَيِّ".

In Nawadir of Muhammad ibn Abi Umayr, it is narrated that Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) said: "Beheading the dead is more severe than beheading the living."

وَ فِي رِوَايَةِ عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ بْنِ مُسْكَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: فِي رَجُلٍ قَطَعَ رَأْسَ اَلْمَيِّتِ قَالَ "عَلَيْهِ اَلدِّيَةُ لِأَنَّ حُرْمَتَهُ مَيِّتاً كَحُرْمَتِهِ وَ هُوَ حَيٌّ".

In the narration of Abdullah ibn Muskan from Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s), regarding a man who beheaded a dead person Imam (a.s) said: "The blood money is upon him because the sanctity of the deceased is like his sanctity when he was alive."

قَالَ مُصَنِّفُ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ هَذَانِ الْحَدِيثَانِ غَيْرُ مُخْتَلِفَيْنِ لِأَنَّ كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا فِي حَالٍ مَتَى قَطَعَ رَجُلٌ رَأْسَ مَيِّتٍ وَ كَانَ مِمَّنْ أَرَادَ قَتْلَهُ فِي حَيَاتِهِ فَعَلَيْهِ الدِّيَةُ وَ مَتَى لَمْ يُرِدْ قَتْلَهُ فِي حَيَاتِهِ فَعَلَيْهِ مِائَةُ دِينَارٍ دِيَةُ الْجَنِينِ.

The author of this book, may Allah (swt) have mercy on him, said: These two narrations are not contradictory because each pertains to a specific situation. If a man beheads a deceased person and was among those who intended to kill him during his lifetime, then the full blood money is upon him. However, if he did not intend to kill him during his lifetime, then he is liable to pay one hundred dinars, equivalent to the blood money of a fetus.

وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي جَمِيلَةَ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ مَيِّتٌ قُطِعَ رَأْسُهُ قَالَ "عَلَيْهِ اَلدِّيَةُ" قُلْتُ فَمَنْ يَأْخُذُ دِيَتَهُ قَالَ "اَلْإِمَامُ هَذَا لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ إِنْ قُطِعَتْ يَمِينُهُ أَوْ شَيْءٌ مِنْ جَوَارِحِهِ فَعَلَيْهِ اَلْأَرْشُ لِلْإِمَامِ".

It is narrated from Abu Jamilah, from Ishaq ibn Ammar, who said: I asked Abu Abdullah (a.s) about a deceased person whose head was cut off. Imam (a.s) said: "The blood money is upon the one who did it." I asked: "Who receives his blood money?" Imam (a.s) said: "The Imam, for this belongs to Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic. And if his right hand or any of his limbs is cut off, the compensation (Al-arsh) is also due to the Imam."