OCCASION OF REVELATION. (VERSE NO. 92)

MURDER BY MISTAKE

      The last verse gave Muslims some authority and stretched their hands upon their heathen enemies and the hypocrites. To prevent them to pass over the boundaries by misusing the commandments, here they are wanted to observe some precautions, and follow some new instructions that are issued about a murder. In Islamic brotherhood life is absolutely sacred, and even a murder by mistake is to be compensated for. The verse at the beginning consists of a commandment that: ``No believer should ever kill a believer unless by a mistake and without any guilty intention.''

      Then the mistaken murder may be classified as follows:

      1- If the deceased is a believer, belonging to the Muslim community; the killer has to set free a believing slave, for Islam discountenances and disapproves slavery. He also has to pay bloodwit to the family of the victim, unless they remit it for charity.

      2- If the victim is a believer, but belongs to a people at war with you, the case is different. You only have to set free a believing salve. The blood money is then not paid to his family, because it is not wise to increase the resources of your enemy.

      3- If the deceased belongs to a people in alliance, with you, and with whom you have mutual treaty and compacts, then the compensation is to be given to his family, along with freeing a believing salve.

      If the slayer cannot afford to free a slave and to pay the bloodmoney, he is not ignored, and he has by an act of self- denial to show that he is indeed sorry for what he has done by mistake. He therefore must sincerely repent to Allah and ask for pardon by holding a two consecutive months of fasting.

      One of the Meccan idolaters, named HARITH- IBN- YAZID persecuted a Muslim named AYYASH- IBN - ABIRABIEH for his religious belief. Ayyash then fled to Medina, and there he joined the Muslim brotherhood.

      One day he was walking in Medina when he met with his former persecutor HARITH. He availed himself of the opportunity, and slew his former persecutor, without knowing that Ayyash had repented and converted, and was then one of his Muslims brothers!