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Am I obligated to pay expiation and blood money for the death of my son who suffocated after falling from his bed, and what is the amount of blood money, and does it differ from one country to another?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If an infant's fall from the bed is likely to be fatal, then negligence occurs by leaving the bed unprotected by anything that would prevent the fall. If this negligence results in death, it necessitates compensation. Therefore, blood money (diyya) is incumbent upon the 'aqila (male relatives) of the negligent party, amounting to approximately 4250 grams of gold.

The mother is required to offer expiation (kaffarah), as stipulated in the words of Allah Almighty: "And it is not for a believer to kill a believer except by mistake. And whoever kills a believer by mistake - then, freeing a believing slave and a compensation payment presented to his family [is to be made] unless they remit it as charity. But if he was from a people hostile to you and he was a believer, then freeing a believing slave. And if he was from a people with whom you have a treaty and he was a believer, then a compensation payment presented to his family and freeing a believing slave. And whoever does not find [one or afford to buy one] - then, a fast for two consecutive months as repentance to Allah. And Allah is ever Knowing and Wise." (An-Nisa:92). Since freeing a slave is unattainable, the obligation is to fast for two consecutive months.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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