The ruling on the relatives of the deceased determining the value of blood money

Question:
This questioner says: Shaykh, do the relatives of the deceased have the right to determine the value of the blood money?

Answer:
Yes, they may pardon up to the blood money and whatever amount of money they wish, because they have the choice between retaliation and taking the blood money, which is the ransom in place of retaliation. If they take the specified blood money, that is better. If they ask for an increase over it, there is no harm, but it must not reach the point of exaggeration or making retaliation a commodity for buying and selling, as happens with some ignorant people nowadays who demand millions, tens of millions, and then people go to fetch it, asking the princes and so-and-so. This is a bad phenomenon; this is a bad phenomenon. The best of things is the middle path. Pardon without compensation is the best, and its reward with Allah is greater. If and pardoning is closer to righteousness. If they want money, the best is to take the blood money for intentional killing; that is the best. If they increase it by a small amount or something not excessive, there is no harm. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you,