‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father's authority, said his grandfather told that the value of the blood wit in the time of God’s Messenger was eight hundred dinars or eight thousand dirhams, and that the blood wit for the people of the Book at that time was half that for Muslims. He said that applied till ‘Umar became Caliph, and he made a speech in which he said camels had become dear; so ‘Umar fixed the value for those who possessed gold at a thousand dinars, for those who possessed silver at twelve thousand,* for those who possessed cattle at two hundred cows, for those who possessed sheep at two thousand sheep, and for those who possessed suits of clothing at two hundred suits. But he said he left the blood wit for dhimmis as it was, not raising it in proportion to the increase he made in the blood wit.
‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, said his grandfather told that God’s Messenger was fixing the blood wit for accidental death at the rate of four hundred dinars or their equivalent in silver for townsmen, and he was fixing it according to the price of camels, so when they were dear he increased the amount to be paid and when cheap prices prevailed he reduced the amount to be paid. In the time of God’s Messenger they reached between four hundred and eight hundred dinars, their equivalent in silver being eight thousand dirhams. He said that God's Messenger gave judgment that those who possessed cattle should pay two hundred cows, and those who possessed sheep two thousand sheep. He said that blood wit was to be treated as something to be inherited by the heirs of the one who was killed, and he gave judgment that the blood wit for a woman should be divided among her relatives on her father’s side, but the killer should not inherit anything.
Khishf b. Malik, on the authority of Ibn Mas'ud, said God’s Messenger gave judgment that the blood wit for accidental killing should be twenty female and twenty male camels which had entered their second year, twenty she-camels which had entered their third year, twenty she-camels in their fifth year and twenty she-camels in their fourth year.
Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it, but the sound view is that it does not go back beyond Ibn Mas'ud.
Khishf is unknown, being known only by this tradition. It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna that the Prophet paid bloodwit for those slain at Khaibar from the camels of the sadaqa, but the male camel which has entered its second year is not among the age groups of the camels of the sadaqa, only the male camel which has entered its third year being included.
