Ruling on one who caused the death of several people in an accident
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Question:
I have a brother whom Allah afflicted with a car accident; he collided with another car, and eight people died with him. I want you, may Allah reward you with good, to clarify for me what the expiation for that is, and my brother is now in prison?
Answer:
It is obligatory for one who is afflicted with such an accident to offer an independent expiation for every soul. If the court establishes that he is the one at fault and the transgressor, then the blood money and the expiation become obligatory upon him.
Regarding the blood money: The ruler looks into the matter concerning the 'aqilah. If he has an 'aqilah—and they are the 'asabah (residuary male heirs)—and they are wealthy, they pay it on his behalf, cooperating in that. If he does not have an 'aqilah, he pays it, or the public treasury pays it.
As for the expiation: He must free a believing slave for every soul that died due to his actions. If he is unable to do so, he fasts two months for each one. If he is unable to do that, there is nothing in the case of killing but fasting and freeing a slave. If he can free a slave, he frees one for every soul. So if he killed eight, he frees eight slaves. If he cannot do that, he fasts sixteen months, two months for each slave. It is not required that they be consecutive; he performs them according to his capacity. If he fasts two, four, or six months in the year according to his capacity, and the rest in the following year, and so on.
Q: Is it permissible for a person to fast them separately...?
The Shaykh: Two consecutive months.
Q: And then?
The Shaykh: There is no harm in resting a little between them, then fasting the other two months, and so on.
Q: I mean: If he fasts two months and sits for two months, is there nothing on him?
The Shaykh: It does not harm if that is his capacity.
I have a brother whom Allah afflicted with a car accident; he collided with another car, and eight people died with him. I want you, may Allah reward you with good, to clarify for me what the expiation for that is, and my brother is now in prison?
Answer:
It is obligatory for one who is afflicted with such an accident to offer an independent expiation for every soul. If the court establishes that he is the one at fault and the transgressor, then the blood money and the expiation become obligatory upon him.
Regarding the blood money: The ruler looks into the matter concerning the 'aqilah. If he has an 'aqilah—and they are the 'asabah (residuary male heirs)—and they are wealthy, they pay it on his behalf, cooperating in that. If he does not have an 'aqilah, he pays it, or the public treasury pays it.
As for the expiation: He must free a believing slave for every soul that died due to his actions. If he is unable to do so, he fasts two months for each one. If he is unable to do that, there is nothing in the case of killing but fasting and freeing a slave. If he can free a slave, he frees one for every soul. So if he killed eight, he frees eight slaves. If he cannot do that, he fasts sixteen months, two months for each slave. It is not required that they be consecutive; he performs them according to his capacity. If he fasts two, four, or six months in the year according to his capacity, and the rest in the following year, and so on.
Q: Is it permissible for a person to fast them separately...?
The Shaykh: Two consecutive months.
Q: And then?
The Shaykh: There is no harm in resting a little between them, then fasting the other two months, and so on.
Q: I mean: If he fasts two months and sits for two months, is there nothing on him?
The Shaykh: It does not harm if that is his capacity.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.