Chapter : Blood-wit of the child in the womb; and the essentiality of blood-with in case of unintentional murder and in case of the quasi-intentional murder.

Abu Huraira reported that two women of the tribe of Hudhail fought with each other and one of them flung a stone at the other, killing her and what was in her womb. The case was brought to Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) and he gave judgment that the diyat (indemnity) of her unborn child is a male or a female slave of the best quality, and he also decided that the diyat of the woman is to be paid by her relative on the father’s side, and he (the Holy Prophet) made her sons and those who were with them her heirs. Hamal b. al-Nabigha al-Hudhali said: Messenger of Allah, why should I play blood-wit for one who neither drank, nor ate, nor spoke, nor made any noise ; it is like a nonentity (it is, therefore, not justifiable to demand blood-wit for it). Thereupon Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: He seems to be one of the brothers of soothsayers on account of the rhymed speech which he has composed.

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