The Ruling on Expiation and Blood Money in a Vehicle Collision

Question:
The questioner, Abu 'Abdullah, says: I was involved in a car accident where I ran over a person. The fault was assessed at twenty-five percent for me and seventy-five percent for the other party. What am I required to do? Do I pay the blood money without fasting, or do I pay the blood money and fast? I request a prompt fatwa on this matter given the nature of the issue.

Answer:
Both obligations are required of you if you are found liable in the accident, even if it is only one percent. It is obligatory for you to fulfill both obligations. The first obligation is the expiation, which is freeing a slave. If you cannot find one, you must fast for two consecutive months. As for the blood money, you must pay it according to the proportion of liability attributed to you in causing the accident, because the blood money is distributed among those involved in the accident. However, the expiation is not distributed; rather, each person has an independent expiation. May Allah assist you.