Absolute Justice, Kindness and Kinship — Page 347
— Part III 340 called all Muslims to the central Mosque and delivered a heart-rending sermon from his pulpit. He said 'Look what shall I do? God had rested the reign of His people in my hands. How will I answer God when one of the children of Adam has been murdered? God will inquire from me as to what I was doing'. His sermon was charged with such emotion that the murderer, who was among the congregation, stood up there and then. Addressing him he said, 'I am the murderer, why are you putting yourself through such pain and misery. O Leader of the Faithful! Punish me instead and sleep in peace. ' 55 Of course, the murderer was subsequently executed. May God rest his soul in peace. Such was the teaching of the Holy Prophet sa to his servants regarding the rights of those who had paid levy. It was this teaching of his which brought about such shining episodes as the one given above. Again, it is narrated that once a Muslim who had murdered a Dhimm i (levy-paying subject) was brought to the presence of Hadrat Ali ra. As every evidence was against him Hadrat Ali ra ordered his execution. The brothers of the murderer promised to pay blood money to the victim’s brother in exchange for his pardon. When this was reported to Hadrat Ali ra for his final consent, he refused to do so until he himself had interrogated the brother of the victim. Before the