Which relatives are considered part of the 'Aqila' (blood relatives responsible for blood money)?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Blood-Money (Diyyāt)
Primary text
The 'Aqila' (those liable for blood money) consists of all male agnates ('Asabat), whether near or far in lineage, the freed master ('Al-Mawla) and his 'Asaba, and the master of the freed master ('Mawla al-Mawla) and his 'Asaba, and others. This view is held by Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, al-Nakha'i, Hammad, Malik, and al-Shafi'i. The justification is that they are 'Asaba who would inherit wealth if no closer heir existed, thus they enter into the liability for blood money just like the closer relative. It is not required that they are inheritors at the exact moment of the incident, but rather they are liable if they would inherit were it not for a barrier (like being veiled/prevented from inheritance). This is evidenced by the Prophet's judgment regarding the blood money of a woman, where he ruled it should be paid by her 'Asaba, whoever they were, even though they only inherit what remains after the primary heirs; and because the freed masters ('Mawali) are considered part of the 'Asaba, they are assimilated to those related by blood.