TABUK: A man and a woman found guilty of murdering a young man nine years ago were spared the sword at the last moment on Tuesday by the murder victim’s father, who forgave the convicts and declined the SR10 million in diyyah (blood money) as well as a blank check for further withdrawal.
According to a report in Tuesday’s Al-Madinah newspaper, Abdullah Al-Mishaili, the father, forgave the two on the day they were to be publicly beheaded in accordance with the fixed hudud punishment in Shariah that prescribes death for murder if the victim’s family refuses diyyah and does not grant clemency. The report said the father of the victim refused to take the blood money and decided to pardon the two murderers seeking reward for this benevolent deed only from Allah.
The killing took place nine years ago when two Saudis, Khaled Sulaiman Al-Daraan and his accomplice, a woman who was never identified publicly, killed Saleem Al-Mishaili over a dispute. The nature of the dispute was also never disclosed publicly. The murder took place in Hajrat Al-Nakheel village in the municipality of Al-Oula in Madinah province. The father officially registered his pardoning on Tuesday in the presence of judges Sheikh Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saqeer, Sheikh Mubarak Rashid Al-Habshan and Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdullah Al-Musalam, as well as Al-Oula police chief Col. Saleh bin Ali Al-Arwi, local head of the Commission for Promotion Virtue and Prevention of Vice, Sheikh Ahmed bin Salamah Al-Balawi, and other local officials.
Diyyah is often raised collectively by tribes and through charity fund-raising. Government officials, Islamic scholars and others have called in recent years for capping diyyah demands to reel in growing demands.
