What is the ruling of Islamic law concerning the killing of a person whose killing was not intended, after he had committed numerous serious assaults, including shooting a family member and causing him permanent disability, and after all legal and customary attempts to deter him had failed, knowing that the perpetrators did not intend to kill and feared God? And what is incumbent upon those who fired the shot, in terms of seeking forgiveness and repentance in this situation? And what is the ruling on the perpetrators if it is decided to take the Muhammadiyya blood money (Diyya)? And what is the ruling on the government and individuals who knew of his crimes but did not stop him?
The acts committed by the individual, such as blocking the path to a house, heavy shooting, besieging, then entering and taking a person, assaulting him with beating and humiliation, injuring the uncle with a bullet, and chasing the cousins, are heinous aggressions and crimes. The soul of a believer is greatly esteemed by Allah, and killing a believer unjustly is one of the gravest sins. Islamic Sharia has not permitted individuals to take retribution into their own hands; rather, it has assigned retribution to the ruling authority. It has granted the assaulted party the right to defend themselves, their property, or their honor, starting with the least severe means and escalating, even to killing if necessary to repel an aggressor. However, this repulsion must occur at the time of the aggression, not after the situation has stabilized. It is incumbent upon those who commit these acts to repent to Allah and increase their good deeds. What occurred may be classified as quasi-intentional killing if there was no intent to kill, but using a weapon typically used for killing usually makes it intentional killing. If an oppressor persists in their oppression and no one who is able stops them, then all of them fall into sin.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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