A Life For A Life

Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas:

Qurayzah and Nadir (were two Jewish tribes). An-Nadir were nobler than Qurayzah. When a man of Qurayzah killed a man of an-Nadir, he would be killed. But if a man of an-Nadir killed a man of Qurayzah, a hundred wasq of dates would be paid as blood-money. When Prophethood was bestowed upon the Prophet ﷺ, a man of an-Nadir killed a man of Qurayzah.

They said: Give him to us, we shall kill him. They replied: We have the Prophet ﷺ between you and us. So they came to him.

Thereupon the following verse was revealed: "If thou judge, judge in equity between them." "In equity" means life for a life.

The following verse was then revealed: "Do they seek of a judgment of (the days) ignorance?"

Abu Dawud said: Quraizah and al-Nadir were the descendants of Harun the Prophet (peace be upon him)

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ مُوسَى - عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ صَالِحٍ، عَنْ سِمَاكِ بْنِ حَرْبٍ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ كَانَ قُرَيْظَةُ وَالنَّضِيرُ - وَكَانَ النَّضِيرُ أَشْرَفَ مِنْ قُرَيْظَةَ - فَكَانَ إِذَا قَتَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ قُرَيْظَةَ رَجُلاً مِنَ النَّضِيرِ قُتِلَ بِهِ وَإِذَا قَتَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ النَّضِيرِ رَجُلاً مِنْ قُرَيْظَةَ فُودِيَ بِمِائَةِ وَسْقٍ مِنْ تَمْرٍ فَلَمَّا بُعِثَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ قَتَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ النَّضِيرِ رَجُلاً مِنْ قُرَيْظَةَ فَقَالُوا ادْفَعُوهُ إِلَيْنَا نَقْتُلْهُ . فَقَالُوا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَأَتَوْهُ فَنَزَلَتْ { وَإِنْ حَكَمْتَ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْقِسْطِ } وَالْقِسْطُ النَّفْسُ بِالنَّفْسِ ثُمَّ نَزَلَتْ { أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ } . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ قُرَيْظَةُ وَالنَّضِيرُ جَمِيعًا مِنْ وَلَدِ هَارُونَ النَّبِيِّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ .