Chapter on the Blood Money for Fingers, Teeth, and Bones

I asked Imam (as) about the fingers - whether some of them have more value over others in terms of blood money (diyyah). Imam (as) replied: "They are all equal in blood money (diyyah)."

I asked Imam (as) about a tooth or an arm that is intentionally broken - does it require compensation (financial payment) or is there retaliation (qisas)? Imam (as) replied: "Retaliation (qisas)." I asked: "What if they offer him blood money instead?" Imam (as) replied: "If he is satisfied with whatever they offer, then it is permissible for him."

"For each finger, there is a compensation of ten camels if it is cut off from its base or becomes paralyzed."

"There is no retaliation (qisas) upon him, but he must pay compensation (arsh)." Regarding a man whose hand is broken but later heals, Imam (as) said: "There is no retaliation against him, but he must pay compensation (arsh)." When Jamil was asked about the amount of compensation for the child's tooth and the broken hand, Imam (as) replied: "It is a small amount"

Hadith.5299 - Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "The fingers of the hands and feet are equal in compensation (diyyah)." Imam (as) also said: "If a tooth is struck, it should be observed for a year. If it falls out, the striker must pay five hundred dirhams. However, if it does not fall out but turns black, the striker must pay two-thirds of its compensation."

Hadith.5300 - Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) ruled regarding the teeth for which blood money (diyyah) is divided that they are twenty-eight in total - sixteen in back of the mouth and twelve in the front. The compensation for each of the front teeth, if broken and completely lost, is fifty dinars, totaling six hundred dinars. The compensation for each of the back teeth, if broken and completely lost, is half the amount of the front teeth, which is twenty-five dinars, totaling four hundred dinars. Altogether, the full compensation for all these teeth is one thousand dinars. Anything less than this has no diyyah, and anything more has no diyyah.

Hadith.5301 - Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) was asked about a forearm (the arm below the elbow) that was struck and resulted in the fracture of the wrist bone. Imam (as) replied: If the hand becomes paralyzed or all the fingers of the hand become immobile due to the injury, then two-thirds of the blood money (diyyah) of the entire hand is applicable. Imam (as) further stated: If only some of the fingers become paralyzed while others remain functional, then for each finger that becomes paralyzed, two-thirds of its individual diyyah is applicable. The same ruling applies to the leg and foot if the toes of the foot become paralyzed.

Hadith.5302 - Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said that if an extra (supernumerary) finger is cut off, then one-third of the blood money (diyyah) of a normal finger is applicable.

Hadith.5303 - Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said that Commander of the Faithful (as) ruled regarding an injury to the fingers that if the wound exposes the bone, then one-tenth of the blood money (diyyah) of that finger is due, provided that the injured person does not wish to seek retaliation (qisas).

I asked Abu Jafar Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as), "May Allah rectify your affairs. Some people have thirty-two teeth in their mouths, while others have twenty-eight. Upon how many teeth is the diyyah (blood money) calculated?" Imam (as) said: "The natural creation consists of twenty-eight teeth - twelve in the front of the mouth and sixteen in the back. The diyyah of the teeth has been distributed based on this. The diyyah for each of the twelve front teeth, if broken and completely lost, is five hundred dirhams, making the total diyyah for them six thousand dirhams. The diyyah for each of the sixteen molars, if broken and completely lost, is two hundred and fifty dirhams, making the total diyyah for them four thousand dirhams. Thus, the total diyyah for both the front and back teeth amounts to ten thousand dirhams. The diyyah has been set according to this calculation, so any extra teeth beyond twenty-eight have no diyyah, nor is there a diyyah for any missing teeth beyond this standard count." And thus, we found it recorded in the book of Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as). Al-Hakam said: I then asked, "Before today, diyyah (blood money) used to be taken from camels, cows, and sheep. What is the ruling on that?" Imam (as) said: "That was in the desert communities before Islam. But when Islam became widespread and silver (warq) became abundant among people, Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as), set the diyyah in terms of silver." Al-Hakam continued: I then asked Imam (as), "What about those who live in the desert today? What should be taken from them as diyyah - silver or camels?" Imam (as) said: "Camels are equivalent to silver, rather, they are even better than silver for diyyah. Indeed, they used to take one hundred camels for unintentional killing (diyat Al-khata'), with each camel being valued at one hundred dirhams, making a total of ten thousand dirhams." I asked: "What are the required ages of the one hundred camels?" Imam (as) said: "They should all be male camels that have completed one full year."