Expiation for Accidental Killing

✅ Please pay attention to the following verse and narrations:

قال اللَّهُ تَعَالَی : وَ مَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ أَن يَقْتُلَ مُؤْمِنًا إِلَّا خَطَأً وَمَن قَتَلَ مُؤْمِنًا خَطَأً فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُّؤْمِنَةٍ وَدِيَةٌ مُّسَلَّمَةٌ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ إِلَّا أَن يَصَّدَّقُوا فَإِن كَانَ مِن قَوْمٍ عَدُوٍّ لَّكُمْ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُّؤْمِنَةٍ وَإِن كَانَ مِن قَوْمٍ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُم مِّيثَاقٌ فَدِيَةٌ مُّسَلَّمَةٌ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ وَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُّؤْمِنَةٍ فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ تَوْبَةً مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا

📚 Surah An-Nisa, verse 92

And it is not for a believer to kill a believer except by mistake. And whoever kills a believer by mistake, then he must free a believing slave and pay blood money to his family, unless they remit it as charity. And if he (the slain) was from a people hostile to you and he was a believer, then he must free a believing slave (and paying blood money is not necessary). And if he (the slain) was from a people with whom you have a treaty, then blood money must be paid to his family and a believing slave must be freed. And whoever does not find (a slave), then he must fast for two consecutive months, as a repentance from Allah. And Allah is ever-knowing and wise.

1 عبدالله بن سنان قال: قَالَ أَبُو عَبْداللَّه في حديث... وَ إِذَا قَتَلَ خَطَأً أَدَّى دِيَتَهُ إِلَى أَوْلِيَائِهِ ثُمَّ أَعْتَقَ رَقَبَةً فَإِنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ صَامَ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ أَطْعَمَ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِيناً مُدّاً مُدّاً وَ كَذَلِكَ إِذَا وُهِبَتْ لَهُ دِيَةُ الْمَقْتُولِ فَالْكَفَّارَةُ عَلَيْهِ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُ و بَيْنَ رَبِّهِ لَازِمَةٌ

📚 Tahdhib Vol. 8, p. 322

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said in a narration: When a person commits an accidental killing, he pays the blood money to his guardians, and then he frees a slave. And if he does not have access to or the ability to free a slave, he fasts for two consecutive months. And if he does not have the ability, he gives a 'mudd' of food to 60 poor people, and even when the blood money of the slain is forgiven, the expiation between him and his Lord is still obligatory upon him!

2 عَنْ أَبِي الْمَغْرَاءِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّه في الرَّجُلِ يَقْتُلُ الْعَبْدَ خَطَأً قَالَ عَلَيْهِ عِتْقُ رَقَبَةٍ و صِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ و صَدَقَةٌ عَلَى سِتِّينَ مِسْكِيناً قَالَ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَقْدِرْ عَلَى الرَّقَبَةِ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ الصِّيَامُ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعِ الصِّيَامَ فَعَلَيْهِ الصَّدَقَةُ

📚 Tahdhib Vol. 10, p. 164

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said regarding a person who accidentally kills a slave: Freeing a slave, fasting for two consecutive months, and giving charity to 60 poor people are obligatory on him, (in this way) that if he is not able to free a slave, fasting is obligatory on him, and if he is not able to fast, giving charity is obligatory on him!

3 عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عن عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ في حديث قَالَ:. و صِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ فِي قَتْلِ الْخَطَإِ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدِ الْعِتْقَ وَاجِبٌ لِقَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ مَنْ قَتَلَ مُؤْمِناً خَطَأً فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُؤْمِنَةٍ وَ دِيَةٌ مُسَلَّمَةٌ إِلى أَهْلِهِ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتابِعَيْنِ تَوْبَةً مِنَ اللَّهِ و كانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيماً حَكِيماً

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 4, p. 83

Imam al-Sajjad (peace be upon him) said: Regarding accidental killing, fasting for two consecutive months is obligatory for a person who does not have the ability and access to a slave, due to the saying of Allah, the Almighty (in Surah An-Nisa, verse 92) that He says: Whoever kills a believer by mistake, then he must free a believing slave and pay blood money to his family... until He says: Then whoever does not have access to and ability (to free a slave), then for repentance from Allah, he must fast for two consecutive months, and Allah is ever-knowing and wise!

✅ According to the above verse and narrations, if someone, God forbid, is involved in an accidental killing due to an accident or otherwise, in addition to the necessity of paying blood money to the guardians of the deceased, he is also obligated to pay expiation as repentance to Allah. His expiation is to free a believing slave, and if he does not have access to or the ability to free a believing slave, he must fast for two consecutive months, and if he is not able to fast, he must give a 'mudd' of food as charity to 60 poor people.

✅ Refer to the following link regarding fasting for two consecutive months:

https://feghh14.com/en/1175