What is the expiation for accidental killing, and what is the etiquette of directing a question?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : The questioner asks: What do you say about the disasters that happen in Iran?
The Shaykh : What is the ruling on it?
The questioner : I say that regarding the disasters that happen unintentionally, such as killing by cutting, it is a decreed destiny and it is presented to the person.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed. The one who kills by accident, there is no doubt that it is a great matter and that it happens without the person’s intention. For example, a man who intended to shoot at game but hit a person; this is accidental killing. But because of the greatness of the soul, this mistake contains something of sin that is erased by expiation, as Allah the Exalted said:[An-Nisa 4:92].
And this ruling was established for killing a soul because killing a soul is a great matter, so the person must expiate. But I would like to point out to the brother questioner and others that the questioner should adhere to etiquette in directing the question to the one being asked. For example, the phrase "what do you say" is a lack of etiquette without a doubt. The correct way is to say "what do we say" or "what is said," because the phrase "what do you say," if directed at a person who is studying you, for example, or a teacher—let us suppose you are in the classroom and the teacher is teaching you—and you say "what do you say?" it is as if you are confronting him. But if he says "what is said" or "what do we say," that is better in terms of etiquette. It is well known that etiquette should be followed, especially by students of knowledge, and that one should value the teacher and respect him. As for me personally, praise be to Allah, I know myself, and whether he says "what do you say" or "what is your response to such and such," the explanation of the answer will be the same. But I love, may Allah bless you, that you give the teacher a status befitting him. You are now with him, or before the teacher, asking him and seeking the correct answer from him. Is it befitting, for example, for a poor person who comes to testify to say, "So-and-so, give it to me, why don’t you give it to me?"
It is not befitting. So such matters, the student of knowledge should have a degree of etiquette regarding his teacher. And I advise the brother questioner and whoever loves to read the book *Adab al-'Alim wa al-Muta'allim* (The Etiquette of the Scholar and the Student) by Ibn Jama'ah, for it is a beneficial book for the student of knowledge and also for the teacher, for both of them.
The Shaykh : What is the ruling on it?
The questioner : I say that regarding the disasters that happen unintentionally, such as killing by cutting, it is a decreed destiny and it is presented to the person.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed. The one who kills by accident, there is no doubt that it is a great matter and that it happens without the person’s intention. For example, a man who intended to shoot at game but hit a person; this is accidental killing. But because of the greatness of the soul, this mistake contains something of sin that is erased by expiation, as Allah the Exalted said:
And whoever kills a believer by mistake - then the freeing of a believing slave and a compensation payment presented to the deceased's family [is required] unless they give [up their right as] charity. But if the deceased was from a people at war with you and he was a believer - then [only] the freeing of a believing slave; and if he was from a people with whom you have a treaty - then a compensation payment presented to his family and the freeing of a believing slave. And whoever does not find [one or cannot afford to buy one] - then [instead], a fast for two months consecutively, [seeking] acceptance of repentance from Allah. And Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.
وَمَن قَتَلَ مُؤْمِنًا خَطَأً فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُّؤْمِنَةٍ وَدِيَةٌ مُّسَلَّمَةٌ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِ إِلَّا أَن يَصَّدَّقُوا فَإِن كَانَ مِن قَوْمٍ عَدُوٍّ لَّكُمْ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُّؤْمِنَةٍ وَإِن كَانَ مِن قَوْمٍ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُم مِّيثَاقٌ فَدِيَةٌ مُّسَلَّمَةٌ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِ وَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُّؤْمِنَةٍ فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ تَوْبَةً مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًاAnd this ruling was established for killing a soul because killing a soul is a great matter, so the person must expiate. But I would like to point out to the brother questioner and others that the questioner should adhere to etiquette in directing the question to the one being asked. For example, the phrase "what do you say" is a lack of etiquette without a doubt. The correct way is to say "what do we say" or "what is said," because the phrase "what do you say," if directed at a person who is studying you, for example, or a teacher—let us suppose you are in the classroom and the teacher is teaching you—and you say "what do you say?" it is as if you are confronting him. But if he says "what is said" or "what do we say," that is better in terms of etiquette. It is well known that etiquette should be followed, especially by students of knowledge, and that one should value the teacher and respect him. As for me personally, praise be to Allah, I know myself, and whether he says "what do you say" or "what is your response to such and such," the explanation of the answer will be the same. But I love, may Allah bless you, that you give the teacher a status befitting him. You are now with him, or before the teacher, asking him and seeking the correct answer from him. Is it befitting, for example, for a poor person who comes to testify to say, "So-and-so, give it to me, why don’t you give it to me?"
It is not befitting. So such matters, the student of knowledge should have a degree of etiquette regarding his teacher. And I advise the brother questioner and whoever loves to read the book *Adab al-'Alim wa al-Muta'allim* (The Etiquette of the Scholar and the Student) by Ibn Jama'ah, for it is a beneficial book for the student of knowledge and also for the teacher, for both of them.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 21 - 22 - دروس وفتاوى المسجد الحرام للعام 1408 هـ الدرس الحادي والعشرين الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين — youtube.com (25:26)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.