Fiqh-us-Sunnah - 5.60
Hadith 5.60.1
Some Precedents from 'Umar and Subsequent Generations
Abdul Malik bin Qurair reported from Mohammad bin Sirin that a man came to 'Umar bin Al-Khattab and said: "A friend of mine and I ran after a wild game while we were in pilgrim garb. We killed a deer. What is our atonement?" 'Umar told a man next to him: "Come, you and I must judge together." Then he gave his verdict and told the man to sacrifice a goat in compensation." The man left saying, "This is the Chief of the Faithful, who cannot pass a judgment concerning the killing of a deer!" 'Umar heard the man's remark, and he called him back and asked him: "Have you read Surah Al-Ma'idah (of the Qur'an)?" The man said: "No." 'Umar asked further: "Do you know this man who participated in the judgment with me?" The man said, "No." 'Umar said: 'Had you told me that you have read Surah Al-Ma'idah, I would have made you ache from beating." Then he added: "Allah, the Exalted One, says in His Book: 'If any of you doeth so intentionally, the compensation is an offering, brought to the Ka'bah, of a domestic animal equivalent to the one he killed, as adjudged by two just men among you.' And this man (who judged with me) is Abdur-Rahman bin 'Awf'."
Earlier generations of Muslim scholars gave verdicts that a camel is to be sacrificed for an ostrich, and a cow for a zebra, a stag or a deer, and similarly a sheep for a woodchuck, a pigeon, a turtledove, a mountain quail, and certain other birds. A male sheep is to be sacrificed for a hyena, a goat for a deer, a four month old goat for a rabbit, a baby goat (kid) for a fox, and a four month old goat should be sacrificed for killing a jerboa.
Hadith 5.60.A
When One is Unable to Pay the Penalty
Sa'id bin Mansur reported that commenting on the words of Allah "the compensation is an offering, brought to the Ka'bah, of a domestic animal" Ibn 'Abbas said: "If a muhrim kills an animal, an assessment should be made and then he should make compensation. If he has an animal of an equivalent value for the game, he must slaughter it and give its meat in charity, but if he does not have an animal of an equivalent value, he should assess the value of the game and then give away food for that amount. In case one does not have money for it, then, one must fast one day for each half sa' of food. If a muhrim killed a game, he must slaughter a similar animal according to the judgment of two just men. If one killed a deer or similar animal, one must slaughter a sheep in Makkah. If one cannot buy a sheep, then, one must feed six poor people, and if one cannot afford that, then one must fast three days.
If one killed a male adult deer or similar animal, he must slaughter a cow, otherwise one must feed twenty needy people, or fast for twenty days. If an ostrich or zebra or similar animal is killed, one must fast thirty days. This is reported by Ibn Abi Hatem and Ibn Jarir.
They also added to this the words: "The food given to the needy must be sufficient to satisfy their hunger."
Qur'anic references:
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"When a person dies, his works end, except for three: ongoing charity, knowledge that is benefited from, and a righteous child who prays for him."
Prophet Mohammed (PBUH)
"The best of what a man leaves behind are three: a righteous child who supplicates for him, ongoing charity the reward of which reaches him, and knowledge that is acted upon after him."
Sunan Ibn Mājah
"Every day two angels come down from Heaven and one of them says, 'O Allah! Compensate every person who spends in Your Cause,' and the other (angel) says, 'O Allah! Destroy every miser.'"
Sahih Bukhari