Sunday, 6 Sha‘ban 1436 – Issue 15578 – 24 May 2015
At the beginning of the unification of the Kingdom, King Abdulaziz—may God have mercy on him—sent judges, scholars, and religious instructors to all cities and regions of the country to adjudicate disputes, spread correct Islamic teachings, and eliminate superstitions and innovations that existed in some areas.
Similarly, King Saud bin Abdulaziz—may God have mercy on him—both during his tenure as Crown Prince and after assuming the throne, dispatched groups of scholars and judges to continue the mission of his father.
King Saud maintained extensive correspondence with judges across the Kingdom’s cities and villages. He frequently sent them letters offering guidance on religious matters, urging them to treat the people with kindness, and reminding them to seek reward from God Almighty. He also informed them of religious rulings issued by senior scholars and conveyed necessary official directives.
These letters and instructions have remained valuable documents that illuminate the path of knowledge and provide researchers with rich material for study and analysis.
This article presents one such document: a letter sent by Crown Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz in 1370 AH to Sheikh Saleh bin Ibrahim Al‑Tassan, then serving as judge in the town of Al‑Rass, clarifying the amount of diyah (blood money), a matter over which many people had disagreed.
Text of the Document
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
From Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al‑Faisal to the esteemed Sheikh Saleh Al‑Tassan—may God protect him.
Peace be upon you, and God’s mercy and blessings.
In view of the disagreements we have observed among people regarding the amount of diyah and the various categories of bodily injury, we consulted Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim, who wrote to us the following:
“From Muhammad bin Ibrahim to His Highness the esteemed Crown Prince Saud, son of Imam Abdulaziz—may God grant him success. Peace be upon you and God’s mercy and blessings.
It has been determined that the amount of diyah in Arabian silver coins—based on silver as an independent standard and according to the weaker scholarly opinion—is 3,734 Arabian riyals. However, it is well known to Your Highness that the stronger opinion is to consider camels as the sole basis, or their current monetary value, which is no less than 15,000 Arabian riyals at the lowest estimate. Adopting this would be better, more appropriate, and more considerate, and I see no objection to applying it. If the weaker opinion is adopted, then 4,000 riyals is sufficient, and any amount above that is closer to the stronger opinion. May God grant you success in upholding the Sharia. Peace be upon you. Dated 13 Shawwal 1370 AH.”
Based on this, we have determined that the diyah shall be 4,000 riyals, and that various categories of bodily injury shall be assessed by judges using this amount as the base. We have circulated this directive to all our judges to ensure consistency among the courts. We ask God to grant us and you success in all that is good. Peace.
Dated 11 Dhu al‑Qi‘dah 1370 AH.
What the Letter Demonstrates
- The Saudi rulers—may God preserve them—since the First Saudi State, have always honored and respected scholars and judges, recognizing them as the authorities in religious matters and the ones to whom both leaders and citizens turn when issues arise. Since the era of Imam Muhammad bin Saud, rulers have referred difficult matters to scholars for clarification.
- The rulers frequently offered guidance to the public and wrote to scholars, judges, and officials, advising them to treat citizens with gentleness and compassion, and clarifying religious rulings when needed.
- King Saud—may God have mercy on him—often sent letters to judges to guide them in judicial matters or religious instruction in regions that required it. He addressed them by name and wrote to them personally, honoring their status.
- In this letter, King Saud informs Judge Saleh Al‑Tassan of the amount of diyah—4,000 riyals—based on silver as the original standard. As for other types of bodily injury, the judge is to assess them proportionally from this base amount.
Definitions
Diyah (Blood Money):
Linguistically: compensation paid for a killing.
Legally: money paid to the victim or his heirs due to bodily harm.
Also called al‑‘aql, because the killer would gather camels and tie them at the victim’s family’s courtyard as payment.
Diyah is obligatory by the Qur’an, Sunnah, and scholarly consensus.
Jinayah (Bodily Offense):
Linguistically: transgression against a person or property.
Legally: harm inflicted on the body that requires retaliation or financial compensation.
Silver:
A precious metal used historically in currency and jewelry, less valuable than gold.
Biographical Notes
King Saud:
Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the second son of the Founder and the second King of Saudi Arabia. Born in Kuwait on 5 Shawwal 1319 AH. He learned governance and statecraft from his father and grandfather and earned their trust. Passed away on 6 Dhu al‑Hijjah 1388 AH.
Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim:
Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, born in 1311 AH. Lost his sight in youth but became a leading scholar, memorizing the Qur’an and studying under major scholars. Died on 24 Ramadan 1389 AH.
Sheikh Saleh bin Ibrahim Al‑Tassan:
Born in Al‑Rass in 1328 AH. Studied under scholars in Al‑Rass, Makkah, and Riyadh. Served as judge in several regions including Makkah, Bani Malik, Al‑Qahmah, Al‑Rass, Al‑Asyah, Al‑Khurmah, Ranyah, Al‑Quway‘iyah, and Al‑Bukayriyah. Died on 11 Safar 1420 AH.