O you who believe! retaliation is prescribed for you in the matter of murder: the free for the free, and the slave for the slave and the female for the female. And for him who is pardoned somewhat by his (injured) brother, there should be prosecution according to recognised (good procedure) and payment to him in good manner. This is a relaxation from your Fosterer and (His) mercy. Then whoever exceeds the limits after that, then for him there is a painful punishment.
“A person belonging to group A murders a person belonging to group B, if group A hands over the murderer to group B, they may kill him in retaliation or take blood money from him and leave him. This practice will give a chance to group B for retaliation and save many innocent lives which could have been lost in an armed clash between the two groups, in this sense there is life in the law of retaliation i.e. only one life, that too, of the murderer may be lost and many others would be saved. To whatever category the murderer may belong in group A, a free man, a slave or a woman, he or she should be handed over to group B. However influential the murderer might be only he should be murdered in retaliation and not others. If group B demands blood money from the murderer and spares him then both the parties should not exploit each other. When the murderer and the murdered are both Muslims, then instructions given in 4:92 – 93 are to be followed.”