What is the ruling on a mother saying to her son when angry: "I will slaughter you"? And what are the consequences for a mother who slaughters her son with her own hand with a knife, as sheep are slaughtered, if she is mentally ill?

The mother must avoid anger and threats of slaughter, due to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) prohibition of pointing with iron. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Abu Al-Qasim (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever points a piece of iron at his brother, the angels curse him until he puts it down, even if he is his full brother." (Narrated by Muslim). And he (peace be upon him) also said: "Let none of you point a weapon at his brother, for he does not know, perhaps Satan may cause his hand to slip, and he may fall into a pit of Hellfire." (Agreed upon).

If the mother slaughters her son while she is mentally ill and does not comprehend her actions, there is no retribution (qisas) upon her, and the blood money (diyah) is to be paid by her 'aqilah (male relatives on the father's side), because in this case she is like an insane person. Scholars have agreed that for a killer to be subject to qisas, he must be sane and an adult.

However, if she was aware of her actions and killed her son, she is not subject to qisas according to the majority of scholars, but she is liable for the diyah. The Malikis differed on this, holding that if a father intentionally kills his son, he is subject to qisas.