Qurayzah and Nadir (were two Jewish tribes). An-Nadir were nobler than Qurayzah. When a man of Qurayzah killed a man of an-Nadir, he would be killed. But if a man of an-Nadir killed a man of Qurayzah, a hundred wasq of dates would be paid as blood-money. When Prophethood was bestowed upon the Prophet (ﷺ), a man of an-Nadir killed a man of Qurayzah.

They said: Give him to us, we shall kill him. They replied: We have the Prophet (ﷺ) between you and us. So they came to him.

Thereupon the following verse was revealed: "If you judge, judge in equity between them." "In equity" means life for a life.

The following verse was then revealed: "Do they seek of a judgment of (the days) ignorance?"

Abu Dawud said: Quraizah and al-Nadir were the descendants of Harun the Prophet (ﷺ)

I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) with my father. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then asked my father: Is this your son? He replied: Yes, by the Lord of the Ka'bah. He again said: Is it true? He said: I bear witness to it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then smiled for my resemblance with my father, and for the fact that my father took an oath upon me. He then said: He will not bring evil on you, nor will you bring evil on him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited the verse: "No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If a relative of anyone is killed, or if he suffers khabl, which means a wound, he may choose one of the three things: he may retaliate, or forgive, or receive compensation. But if he wishes a fourth (i.e. something more), hold his hands. After this whoever exceeds the limits shall be in grave penalty.

I never saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that some dispute which involved retaliation was brought to him but he commanded regarding it for remission.

A man was killed in the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ). The matter was brought to the Prophet (ﷺ). He entrusted him to the legal guardian of the slain. The slayer said: Messenger of Allah, I swear by Allah, I did not intend to kill him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to the legal guardian: Now if he is true and you kill him, you will enter Hell-fire. So he let him go. His hands were tied with a strap. He came out pulling his strap. Hence he was called Dhu an-Nis'ah (possessor of strap).

I was with the Prophet (ﷺ) when a man who was a murderer and had a strap round his neck was brought to him.

He then called the legal guardian of the victim and asked him: Do you forgive him?

He said: No. He asked: Will you accept the blood-money? He said: No. He asked: Will you kill him? He said: Yes. He said: Take him. When he turned his back, he said: Do you forgive him? He said: No. He said: Will you accept the blood-money? He said: No. He said: Will you kill him? He said: Yes. He said: Take him. After repeating all this a fourth time, he said: If you forgive him, he will bear the burden of his own sin and the sin of the victim. He then forgave him. He (the narrator) said: I saw him pulling the strap.

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by 'Alqamah b. Wa'il through a different chain of narrators and to the same effect.

A man brought an Abyssinian to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: This man has killed my nephew. He asked: How did you kill him? He replied: I struck his head with axe but I did not intend to kill him. He asked: Have you some money so that you pay his blood-wit? He said: No. He said: What is your opinion if I send you so that you ask the people (for money) and thus collect your blood-wit? He said: No. He asked : Will your masters give you his blood-wit (to pay his relatives)? He said: No. He said to the man. Take him. So he brought him out to kill him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: If he kill him, he will be like him. This (statement) reached the man where he was listening to his statement. He said: He is here, order regarding him as you like. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Leave him alone. And he once said: He will bear the burden of the sin of the slain and that of his own and thus he will become one of the Companions of Hell. So he let him go.

We were with Uthman when he was besieged in the house. There was an entrance to the house. He who entered it heard the speech of those who were in the Bilat. Uthman then entered it. He came out to us, looking pale.

He said: They are threatening to kill me now. We said: Allah will be sufficient for you against them, Commander of the Faithful! He asked: Why kill me? I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: It is not lawful to kill a man who is a Muslim except for one of the three reasons: Kufr (disbelief) after accepting Islam, fornication after marriage, or wrongfully killing someone, for which he may be killed.

I swear by Allah, I have not committed fornication before or after the coming of Islam, nor did I ever want another religion for me instead of my religion since Allah gave guidance to me, nor have I killed anyone. So for what reason do you want to kill me?

Abu Dawud said: 'Uthman and Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with them) abandoned drinking wine in pre-Islamic times.

On the authority of his father (Sa'd) and his grandfather (Dumayrah) (according to Musa's version) who were present in the battle of Hunayn with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): After the advent of Islam, Muhallam ibn Jaththamah al-Laythi killed a man of Ashja'.

That was the first blood-money decided by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) (for payment). Uyaynah spoke about the killing of al-Ashja'i, for he belonged to Ghatafan, and al-Aqra' ibn Habis spoke on behalf of Muhallam, for he belonged to Khunduf. The voices rose high, and the dispute and noise grew.

So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Do you not accept blood-money, Uyaynah?

Uyaynah then said: No, I swear by Allah, until I cause his women to suffer the same fighting and grief as he caused my women to suffer. Again the voices rose high, and the dispute and noise grew.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Do you not accept the blood-money Uyaynah? Uyaynah gave the same reply as before, and a man of Banu Layth called Mukaytil stood up. He had a weapon and a skin shield in his hand.

He said: I do not find in the beginning of Islam any illustration for what he has done except the one that "some sheep came on, and those in the front were shot; hence those in the rear ran away". (The other example is that) "make a law today and change it."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Fifty (camels) here immediately and fifty when we return to Medina. This happened during some of his journeys. Muhallam was a tall man of dark complexion. He was with the people. They continued (to make effort for him) until he was released. He sat before the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), with his eyes flowing.

He said: Messenger of Allah! I have done (the act) of which you have been informed. I repent to Allah, the Exalted, so ask Allah's forgiveness for me. Messenger of Allah!

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then said: Did you kill him with your weapon at the beginning of Islam. O Allah! do not forgive Muhallam. He said these words loudly.

Abu Salamah added: He (Muhallam) then got up while he was wiping his tears with the end of his garment.

Ibn Ishaq said: His people alleged that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked forgiveness for him after that.

Abu Dawud said: Al-Nadr b. Shumail said: al-ghiyar means blood-wit.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Then you, Khuza'ah, have killed this man of Hudhayl, but I will pay his blood-wit. After these words of mine if a man of anyone is killed, his people will have a choice to accept blood-wit or to kill him.

When Mecca was conquered, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got up and said: If a relative of anyone is killed, he will have a choice between two : he (the slayer) will either pay the blood-wit or he will be killed. A man of the Yemen called Abu Shah stood up and said: Write for me, Messenger of Allah. The narrator al-'Abbas (b. al-Walid) said: Write to me, (you people). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Write (you people), for Abu Shah. These are the wordings of the tradition of Ahmad.

Abu Dawud said: Write (you people), for me, that is, the address of the Prophet (ﷺ).

On his father's authority said that his grandfather reported the Prophet (ﷺ) said: A believer will not be killed for an infidel. If anyone kills a man deliberately, he is to be handed over to the relatives of the one who has been killed. If they wish, they may kill, but if they wish, they may accept blood-wit