Blood money in Islam

''Diya'' (; : ''diyāt'', ) in Islamic law, is the financial compensation paid to the victim or heirs of a victim in the cases of murder, bodily harm or property damage by mistake. It is an alternative punishment to ''qisas'' (equal retaliation). In Arabic, the word means both blood money and ransom, and it is spelled sometimes as ''diyah'' or ''diyeh''.

It only applies when murder is committed by mistake and secondly victim's family has the free consent to compromise with the guilty party; otherwise ''qisas'' applies.

''Diya'' compensation rates have historically varied based on the gender and religion of the victim. In the modern era, diya plays a role in the legal system of Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

In Iran, the diya for recognized religious minorities (Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians, with the exception of evangelical Protestants) is half that of a Muslim man. The diya for Muslim women in insurance claims, such as the loss of life in automobile accidents, is equal to that of a Muslim man, but is half of a Muslim man's in all other cases.

In Pakistan, the diya is the same for Muslims and non-Muslims, while in Saudi Arabia it differs depending on the religion of the victim. Provided by Wikipedia