Search In Fatwa

Punishment of a man who killed his wife

Question

Assalamualaikum,
Its very sad but, I want to know.
One of my sisters is burnt alive by her husband,we rush her to the hospital but after a day she died. Before dying she told that her husband beat her with belt tied her, put kerosene & burnt her .She has left a girl child 2 1/2 years old & a baby boy of just an year. Her husband is now in police custody .We dont know whether the cse will run & they punish him after trials or leave him. But we want to know what punishment ALLAH will give this person in the world, in the grave & day of judgement.
We are normal & ALLAH fearing people. We gave hinm enough dowry also after this his parents, brothers are absconding.
Pls reply & also advise what actions do we have to take. Still we have the responsibility to arraneg marriage for 2 sisters & also to take care of these two kids of our dead sister.J AZAKALLAH

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

First of all, we console you for the death of your sister and we ask Allaah to forgive and have mercy upon her.

It is the court that should judge on this issue; if it is confirmed that the husband is the killer, then he deserves legal retribution; for more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 85485 and 82479.

However, you have the right to accept the Diyah (blood money) instead of legal retribution.

Allaah may punish him (the killer) in the grave because of this crime, but we are not aware of any evidence which states a specific punishment for a killer. As regards the Hereafter, Allaah clarified the punishment for deliberate killing; Allaah Says (what means): {But whoever kills a believer intentionally — his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally, and Allaah has become angry with him and has cursed him and has prepared for him a great punishment.}[Quran 4: 93]

For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 87847.

As regards the money that you had given to that man, then you were not Islamicly obliged to do so, but since this is a custom and that man had already possessed it, then you have no right to ask for it. If we presume that it was a gift which was intended for the continuity of the marital relationship (between him and your sister), and it stayed with him for this entire period, then the objective is achieved, and it is not permissible to take back this gift.

As regards spending on the son and daughter, then it is their father who is obliged to spend on them if he has money, and you may ask for this at the Islamic court.

Allaah Knows best.

Related Fatwa