Imami Rulings on Blood Money with a Focus on “The Book of Ali (AS)”

Abstract

This research examines the rulings on blood money (diyat) in Imami jurisprudence, focusing on “The Book of Ali (AS)” one of the oldest and most comprehensive written Islamic legacies attributed to Imam Ali (AS) as dictated directly by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Known by names such as al-Jami‘ah, al-Jafr, and al-Sahifah, the Book of Ali (AS) encompasses legal rulings, Quranic exegesis, governmental issues, and predictions of the future, serving as a primary reference for the Infallible Imams (AS) in deriving juridical rulings.In this article, after introducing the status and characteristics of this book, seven authentic narrations related to blood money from it are analyzed. These narrations address rulings on the blood money for teeth, the tongue, defective limbs, injuries to the head and face, fractures, penetrating wounds, the blood money for a fetus at various stages of development, the blood money for women and slave girls, qasamah (compurgation), and exceptions such as the absence of retaliation against a father or husband.The isnadic examination of most narrations indicates their authenticity, while textual analysis reveals differences with Sunni jurisprudence – particularly in establishing fixed and precise amounts instead of arbitrary compensation (arsh). The findings demonstrate that the Book of Ali (AS) is a rich and precise source for Shiite jurisprudence in the chapter on blood money, and its comprehensiveness in covering the most minute juridical issues proves the superiority of the Ahl al-Bayt’s (AS) deductive methodology.